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240
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
this Agni: he thus establishes this Agni in yonder sun.
21. 'The Heaven-like shining one, haill'the shining one, doubtless, is yonder sun: he places him again up there.
22. 'Heaven-like light, hail!'--the light is this Agni: he places him again here (on the firealtar).
23. 'The heaven-like Sarya, hail!'-Sûrya, doubtless, is yonder sun: he thus places yonder sun highest of all this (universe), whence he is the highest of all this (universe).
24. These are five oblations' he offers,—the firealtar consists of five layers, a year of five seasons, and Agni is the year. as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus draws together and connects those two.
25 And as to why he says, 'Heaven-like heat, hail! heaven-like flame, hail!'—these indeed are names of this fire: he thereby gratifies these, and by the offering he makes them a deity; for only that one is a deity to whom an oblation is offered, but not that to whom it is not offered. Moreover, by naming them, he thus places them on this fire-altar.
26. These are five oblations he offers,—the firealtar consists of five layers, and the year of five seasons, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much food he thus gratifies him.
27. Now as to the insertion of any other) oblations. If he should know any oblation supplied with a brâhmana (dogmatic explanation) let him offer it at
1 Or, location, proper place; cf. p. 138, note 1.
