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X KÂNDA, 2 ADHYÂYA, 5 BRÂHMANA, 5.
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bolts, complete this body (of Agni) in a place free from danger and devilry.
3. And the Upasads also are the fervour' in the sacrifice, for they are indeed fervour ; and inasmuch as it is built (ki) in fervour (tapas) it is called • Tâpaskita?' As long as they perform the Upasads so long (do they perform) the Pravargya 3: (if) it is for a year that they perform the Upasads, it is for a year (they perform) the Pravargya.
4. The Upasads, indeed, are the days and nights, and the Pravargya is the sun: he thus establishes yonder sun on the days and nights, whence he is established on the days and nights.
5. And if there are twenty-four (Upasad-days “), there being twenty-four half moons—the Upasads
Or, austere devotion, see III, 4, 4, 27, where fasting during the Upasad days is recommended as calculated to promote religious fervour. There is also, however, the primary meaning 'heat' implied, whence the 'heating' of the cauldron (gharma=Depuós) at the Pravargya (representing the sun) is connected with the Upasads.
? That is, the fire-altar used at the sacrificial period (ayana) called Tâpaskita, which generally requires a full year (360 days) for the performance of the Upasads (as do also the Dîksha before them, and the performance of the Soma-sacrifice after them); cf. XII, 3, 3, 10 seg.; Kâty. XIV, 5. 1.-Asval. XII, 5, 9; Kâty. XXIV, 5, 7, however, mention a Tapaskita which only requires four months for each of the three periods, or a year altogether, whilst the maximum duration is by Âsv. fixed at thirty-six years twelve for each period); and by Kâty. at three years for the Upasads and a year for each of the two other ceremonies.
See part ii, p. 104. • Sâyana does not specify what sacrificial performance is intended as requiring twenty-four Upasad-days, but merely says that they are required 'kratuviseshe,' at some special kind of sacrifice. At all events, the Sacrificer would be at liberty to adopt that number of Upasad-days instead of the minimum of days prescribed, if he hoped to derive special benefit therefrom.
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