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300
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
he-goat:- by means of these forms he could not do so. He saw this bird-like body, the fire-altar, and constructed it. He attempted to fly up, without contracting and expanding (the wings), but could not do so. By contracting and expanding (the wings) he did Ay up: whence even to this day birds can only fly up when they contract their wings and spread their feathers.
2. He measures it (the fire-altar) by fingerbreadths; for the sacrifice being a man', it is by means of him that everything is measured here. Now these, to wit, the fingers, are his lowest measure: he thus secures for him (the sacrificial man 2) that lowest measure of his, and therewith he thus measures him.
3. He measures by twenty-four finger-breadths ,the Gayatri (verse) consists of twenty-four syllables, and Agni is of Gayatra nature 4 : as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much he thus measures him..
4. He contracts 6 (the right wing) inside on both
The sacrifice, being the substitute of (the sacrificing) man, is represented as identical with the Sacrificer, its measurements being taken from his body and stature; see part i, p. 78, note 1.
• Or,- for it, viz. the fire-altar, representing both Agni-Pragapati and the Sacrificer: hence this assumed identity has to be borne in mind to understand the symbolic speculations of the Brahmana.
This measure (24 anguli) is equal to one 'aratni' or cubit; 12 anguli being equal to a 'vitasti' or span (of thumb and little finger, or from wrist to tip of middle finger).
• See VI, 1, 1, 15; 1, 3, 19. • Or, he draws in, draws together (upasamQhati).
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