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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
existent (bhuva),' Agni is indeed the existent, for it is through Agni that everything exists (bhơ) here. Agni, indeed, having become the breath, remained in front?: it is that very form a he now bestows (on Agni)
5. [The others with],'His, the Existent's son, the Breath,'—from out of that form, fire, he (Pragâpati) fashioned the breath ;--Spring, the son of the breath,'-- from out of the breath he fashioned the spring-season 3;— The Gâyatri, the daughter of the Spring,'—from out of the spring-season he fashioned the Gâyatri metre;— From the Gayatri the Gâyatra,'—from out of the Gâyatri metre he fashioned the Gâyatra + hymn-tune;—' From the Gâyatra the Upâmsu,'—from out of the Gâyatra hymn - tune he fashioned the Upâmsu-graha 6, -
it to the Âhavaniya, as well as in approaching the sacuficial fine for offerings. It should also be boine in mind that the altar (agni) is built in form of an eagle flying towards the east, or front.
1 See VII, 5, 1, 7, 'The breath is taken in from the fiont backwards '-In the text 'prâno hâgnir bhûtvâ purastât tasthau,' I take prânah' to be the predicate.
? At VII, 4, I, 16, the vital air is called Pragâpati's (Agni's) pleasing form (or part).
3 For a similar connection of the East with the Gâyatıî, the Rathantara, the Trivrit, the Spring, and the Brahman (priesthood) see V, 4, I, 3, (pait 111, p. 91)
+ The Gâyatı a-sâman is the simplest, and by far the most common of all hymn-tunes It is especially used in connection with the trivrit-stoma, or nine-versed hymn, and is invariably employed for the Bahıshpavamâna-stotia. It is also the tune of the first triplet both of the Mâdhyandına and Aibhava-pavamâna; as well as for all the four Âgya-stotias
. See part 11, pp. 238 seqq., where this soma-cup is repeatedly connected with the Gayatrî. Though its pressing is performed by three turns of eight, eleven, and twelve beatings respectively, representing the three chief metres, it is expressly stated (IV, I, 1, 14)
