________________
IX KÂNDA, 2 ADHVÂVA, 3 BRÂHMANA, 1. 191
With (ghee) taken in twenty-one ladlings (he offers the two oblations),--there are twelve months, five seasons, these three worlds, and yonder sun as the twenty-first: this is the (symbolical) amount (or, correspondence).
7. And, again, as to why he puts the pieces of firewood on; the gods having set him up wholly and completely, now regaled him with this food, these pieces of firewood; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has set him up wholly and completely, regale him with this food, these pieces of firewood. They are of udumbara wood, and fresh, and remain for a whole night (being) soaked in ghee : the significance of this has been explained. [He puts them on, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 50-52], 'Upwards lead thou him, O Agni!... Forward lead thou him, O Indra!... In whose house we make offering..., as the text, so the meaning. Three pieces of firewood he puts on-threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much food he thus regales him. Three oblations he offers,—that makes six: the significance of this has been explained.
THIRD BRAHMANA. I. He (the Adhvaryu) then gives orders (to his assistant, the Pratiprasthâtre), 'Lift the log?! hold up the underlayer!'-[To the Hotrz], "Recite for
1 Viz. a burning piece of wood taken from the Garhapatya hearth to serve as the new Ahavanîya on the great fire-altar. The Gârhapatya fire, it will be remembered, was the Ukhya Agni, or the sacred fire carned in a pan (ukha) by the Sacrificer during his time of initiation (dîkshâ) lasting for a year (or some other definite period), till, at the end of that period, at the beginning of the Prâyanîya, or opening-offering, it was transferred from the pan to the newly-built Gârhapatya hearth.
