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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
7. And what the gods did, the same is done now. Evil, indeed, does not now beset this (Sacrificer), but when he now does this, it is that he wants to do what the gods did; and he thereby drives off whatever evil, whatever foe besets him; and because, by means of them, he drives off the foe, evil, therefore they are (called) the 'foeless' (bricks). He places them on every side: he thereby drives off the foe, evil, on every side. He places them on the other side: from his whole self he thereby drives off the foe, evil.
8. He lays down (one) in front", with (Vâg. S. XV, 1), O Agni, drive away the foes of ours that are born, drive back those unborn, O knower of beings! cheer us, kindly and unfrowning! may we be in thy threefold-sheltering, steadfast protection!' as the text so the sense. Then behind, with (Vâg. S. XV, 2), 'With might drive away the foes of ours that are born,
The first four of the five Asapatnâs are laid down near the four ends of the spines (in the order east, west, south, north); their exact place being the second space on the left side of the spine (in looking towards them from the centre), that is to say, the space of one (? or half a) foot being left between them and the respective spine. Their position thus is the same as those of the Asvinîs in the second layer (see p. 31, note 1) except that these were placed on the Retahsik range instead of at the ends of the spines. The line-marks of these four bricks run parallel to the respective spines. The fifth Asapatna is thus laid down north of the southern one, so as to leave the space of a cubit (about a foot and a half) between them. These latter two Asapatnâs are full-sized bricks (one foot square), and not half-sized, as were the two southern Asvinîs. Moreover, whilst the southern Asapatná has its line-marks running parallel to the adjoining cross-spine (south to north), the fifth Asapatná has them running from west to east (? as well as from south to north).
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