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384
SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA.
Nakshatras that is the Sadadohas; and what food there is in the Nakshatras that is the earth-fillings (between the layers of bricks), the oblations and the fire-logs; and what is called 'nakshatras' that is the space-filling (brick):-thus this comes to make up the whole Agni, and the whole Agni comes to be the space-filler; and, verily, whosoever knows this, thus comes to be that whole (Agni) who is the space-filler,
6. Now, these (amount to) twenty-one Brihatis?; and—the heavenly world being the twenty-one-fold one2 and the Brihatt (the great one)—this (altar) thus comes to be equal to the heavenly world, and to the twenty-one-fold Stoma (hymn-form) and the Brihati metre.
7. But, indeed, that Fire-altar also is the Metres; for there are seven of these metres, increasing by four syllables 3; and the triplets of these make seven hundred and twenty syllables, and thirty-six in addition thereto. Now what seven hundred and twenty bricks there are of these, they are the three hundred and sixty enclosing-stones and the three hundred and sixty Yagushmatts; and what thirty-six there are in addition, they are the thirteenth month, and the body of this altar), the trunk (consisting of) thirty, the feet of two,
1 The Brihatî verse consisting of 36 syllables, this makes a total of 756 syllables, or the same amount as that of the days and nights of the year, plus the days (36) of the intercalary month.
• Viz. inasmuch as the sun is 'the twenty-first,' cf. I, 3, 5, 11; VI, 2, 2, 3: svargas tv aditya iti surake(tu)rupo vá lokah svargah ekavimatisakhyapurakah. Sây.
The seven metres, increasing by four syllables from 24 up to 48, consist together of 252 syllables, and hence the triplets of them amount to 756 = 720 + 36 syllables.
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