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IX KANDA, 4 ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMANA, 14. 253
is on the enclosing-sticks that he yokes it, and at whatever place (of the body) people yoke a horse there they also unyoke it.
13. Having touched it (the fire) at the two joints 1, he mutters these two formulas,-thus two formulas equal in power three enclosing-sticks,—with (Vâg. S. XVIII, 54), 'The sky's head thou art, the earth's navel, [the essence of the waters and plants, the life of all, the ample refuge (?): homage be to the path!]' on the right, and with (55), On the head of the All dost thou keep standing, [in the (aerial) ocean is thy heart, in the waters thy life: bestow water, send the water-store (cloud),-from the sky, from the cloud, from the air, from the earth, favour us with rain!]' on the left (joint),—thus with two (verses) containing (the word) 'head,' for this is indeed its head; and containing (the words) 'in the waters 2': that Yagñâyagñiya doubtless is Agni Vaisvânara's chant of praise, and water is (a means of) appeasing, therefore (he touches them) with two (verses) containing (the words)—' the waters.'
14. With two (verses) he unyokes it,-two-footed is the Sacrificer, and Agni is the Sacrificer: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus unyokes him. With three (verses) he yokes, that (makes) five,-the fire-altar consists of five layers, the year (of) five seasons, and Agni is
1 That is, at the two points where the right (southern) and left (northern) enclosing-sticks (forming the two sides of the triangle, the apex of which lies east of the centre of the fire) meet the western enclosing-stick (as the base of the triangle).
The first verse, in point of fact, contains the genitive case 'of the waters.'
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