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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
the days and nights: thus he passes over to the gods. Let him know, then, that Agni is the Year; and let him know that it is thereof' he consists.
3. And Kelaka Sandilyayana said, 'Let him know that the three layers containing the naturallyperforated (bricks) are these worlds, that the fourth (layer) is the Sacrificer, and the fifth all objects of desire; and that it is these worlds, and his own self and all his objects of desire he compasses.'
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FIFTH ADHYAYA. FIRST BRÂHMANA. 1. The mystic import of this Fire-altar, doubtless, is Speech; for it is with speech that it is built: with the Rik, the Yagus and the Sâman as the divine (speech); and when he (the Adhvaryu) speaks with human speech, 'Do ye this! do ye that!' then also it (the altar) is built therewith.
2. Now, this speech is threefold—the Rik-verses, the Yagus-formulas, and the Sâman-tunes;—thereby the Fire-altar is threefold, inasmuch as it is built with that triad. Even thus, then, it is threefold; but in this respect also it is threefold, inasmuch as three kinds of bricks are put into it—those with masculine names, those with feminine names, and those with neuter names; and these limbs of men also are of three kinds—those with masculine names, those with feminine names, and those with neuter names.
1 That is, of the objects enumerated before.
9 That is, the first, third, and fifth layers. By the fourth and fifth layers mentioned immediately after, we have not of course to understand the real fourth and fifth layers, but the two making up the five layers (viz. the second and fourth).
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