________________
IX KÂNDA, I ADHYAYA, 2 BRÂHMANA, 39. 179
head, and that head of his (or of him, Agni) he thus makes boneless and immortal.
36. The Rathantara ? (hymn he sings) at the right wing; for the Rathantara is this (earth), and this (earth), doubtless, is the most essential (rasatama) of these worlds, for it is in her that all these essences (rasa) are contained, and 'rasantama,' indeed, they call mystically, 'rathantara,' for the gods love the mystic: he thus makes this (earth) his right wing, and that right wing of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.
37. The Brihat? (hymn he sings) at the left wing ; the Brihat (great), doubtless, is the sky, for the sky is the greatest (of worlds) : he thus makes the sky his (Agni's) left wing, and that left wing of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.
38. The Vâmadevya' (hymn he sings) on the body (of the altar); for the Vâmadevya is the breath, and the breath is air (vậyu, the wind), and he, Vâyu, doubtless, is the self (body) of all the gods : he thus makes the air (wind) his body, and that body of his he thus makes boneless and immortal.
39. The Yagñayagñiya 1 (hymn he sings) near the tail;—the Yagñayagñiya, doubtless, is the moon; for whenever a sacrifice becomes completed ?, the essence of its oblations goes up to him (the moon);
1 The Rathantara, Brihat, Vâmadevya, and Yagitâyagñiya tunes are apparently to be sung here on their original texts (Sâma-v. II, 30, 31, abhi två sûra nonumah; II, 159, 160, tvam id dhi havâmahe; II, 32, 33, kaya nas kiura a bhuvat; and II, 53, 54, yagħâ-yagñâ vo agnaye), though hardly in their elaborate setting, as performed in chanting.
It should be remembered that the chanting of the Yagñayagñiya (or Agnishtoma)-sâman marks the completion (samstha) of the ordinary (Agnishtoma) Soma-sacrifice.
N 2
Digitized by Google
