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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
and the vital airs are immortality: immortality, that highest form, he thus lays into him. On every side he sings around it : everywhere he thus lays immortality, that highest form, into him.
33. And, again, as to why he sings sâman-hymns round about it;—the gods then desired, 'Let us make this body of ours boneless and immortal. They spake, 'Think ye upon this, how we may make this body of ours boneless and immortal!' They spake, 'Meditate (kit) ye!' whereby indeed they meant to say, 'Seek ye a layer (kiti)! seek ye how we may make this body of ours boneless and immortal!
34. Whilst meditating, they saw those såmanhymns, and sang them round about it, and by means of them they made that body of theirs boneless and immortal; and in like manner does the Sacrificer, when he sings the sâman-hymns round about it, make that body of his boneless and immortal. On every side he sings : everywhere he thus makes that body of his boneless and immortal. Standing he sings, for these worlds stand, as it were; and whilst standing one doubtless is stronger. He sings, after uttering (the syllable).'him,' for therein the sâman-hymn becomes whole and complete.
35. He first sings the Gayatra hymn", for the Gâyatri metre is Agni : he thus makes Agni his
1 The Gayatra-saman is the hymn-tune composed on the verse called 'the Gayatri,' par excellence, or. Såvitrî' (tat savitur varenyam, Rig-veda III, 62, 10), which plays an important part in the religious life of the Hindu. The verse, as figured for chanting, is given, Sâma-v. Calc. ed. vol. v, p. 601. On the present occasion, according to Låty. Sr. I, 5, 11, a different text, viz. Sâma-v. II, 8, 14 (Rig-veda IX, 66, 19, agna ayûmshi pavase), is to be sung to this tune.
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