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SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA.
crates himself, and this self (body) of his, being consecrated by Soma, becomes consecrated by the nectar of immortality.
9. Having offered in the fire (or, on the fire-altar), he drinks (Soma), for that (fire-altar) is his (the Sacrificer's) divine body', and this (Sacrificer's real body) is his human one; and the gods indeed were first, and afterwards men: therefore, having offered (Soma) in the fire, he drinks (thereof).
10. Having now obtained the wish for (the accomplishment of) which he yokes it (the altar), he unyokes it when about to bespeak the Yagñayagñiya stotra 2,-for the Yagñâyagñiya is the heavenly world, and it is for the attainment of that (world) that he yokes it: thus (he unyokes it) after obtaining the wish for which he yoked it.
II. It is prior to the Stotra that he unyokes it :were he to unyoke after the Stotra, he would pass beyond that world and lose it; but when he unyokes prior to the Stotra, he unyokes forth with after reaching the world of heaven.
12. He unyokes it on the enclosing-sticks, for it
1 See IX, 3, 4, 12.
The Yagñayagñiya (or Yagñâyagñiya) stotra is the last and characteristic chant of the Agnishtoma mode of Soma-sacrifice, whence it is more properly called Agnishtoma-saman; the Yagñayagñiya, properly speaking, being the verses, Sâma-v II, 53, 54, chanted to a particular tune, and generally (though not always) used for the closing chant of the Agnishtoma.
8 That is, because the Yagñayagãiya marks, as it were, the end of the (Agnishtom) Soma-sacrifice, and anything perfoi med thereafter is, so to speak, outside the sacrifice, or beyond it. Kâty. Sr. XVIII, 6, 17 calls it Agnimâi uta stotra, 1.e. the chant belonging to the Agnimâruta-sastra (which has to be recited by the Hotri after that chant); cf. part ii, p. 369 note.
