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94
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
world, the second (three) the air, and the third (three) the sky, the fourth the eastern, the fifth the southern, the sixth the western, and the seventh the northern regions.
6. These twenty-one bricks, then, are these worlds and the regions, and these worlds and the regions are a foundation, and these worlds and the regions are twenty-one: whence they say, 'the Ekavimsa (twenty-one-fold) is a foundation.'
7. And the eight bricks which remain over are the Gayatri consisting of eight syllables; but the Gayatri is the Brahman, and as to that Brahman, it is yonder burning disk: it burns, while firmlyestablished on that twenty-one-fold one, as on a foundation, whence it does not fall down.
8. Now some lay down a thirtieth (Stomabhâgâ), with, 'Beautifully arrayed, quicken thou the kshatra for the kshatra!' saying, 'Of thirty syllables is the Virag (metre) and this layer is virág (far-shining).' But let him not do so they (who do so) exceed (this layer so as not to be) amounting to the twenty-one-fold, and to the Gâyatri; and that undiminished Virâg, doubtless, is the world of Indra: in the world of Indra they raise a spiteful enemy of equal power (to Indra), and thrust Indra out of the world of Indra. And at his own sacrifice the Sacrificer assuredly is Indra: in the Sacrificer's realm they raise for the Sacrificer a spiteful enemy of equal power, and thrust the Sacrificer out of the Sacrificer's own realm. But, surely, that fire which they bring hither is no other than this Sacrificer: by means of his foundation it is he who is the thirtieth (brick) in this (layer).
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