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VIII KÂNDA, 4 ADHYAYA, 2 BRÂHMANA, 3. 67
bricks). For when that (part) of his body had been restored, Pragâpati became pregnant with all beings : whilst they were in his womb, evil, death, seized them.
2. He spake to the gods, With you I will free all these beings from evil, from death?!'_ What will accrue unto us therefrom?'- Choose ye !' said he.
- Let there be a share for us !' said some to him. 'Let lordship be unto us!' said others. Having bestowed a share on some, and lordship on others, he freed all beings from evil, from death; and inasmuch as he freed (spri) them, therefore (those bricks are called) 'Spritah. And in like manner does this Sacrificer, by bestowing a share on some, and lordship on others, now free all beings from evil, from death; and hence (the word) 'spritam (freed)' recurs with all of them.
3. [He lays them down?, with, Vâg. S. XIV, 2426], 'Agni's share thou art, Dikshâ's lordship!'
-Dikshâ, doubtless, is Speech : having bestowed a share on Agni, he bestows lordship on Speech ;'the Brahman is freed; the Trivrit-stoma!'by means of the thrice-threefold hymn-form he freed
bricks, exactly corresponding in size to those already lying there, are placed south and north of these iespectively. Similarly two bricks, a foot square, are placed on the cross-spine' immediately north of the two stoma-bricks lying there. The remaining six bricks are then placed behind the now of fourteen 'stomas' in the front part of the altar, three on each side of the spine.
1 Or, from that evil, death.
? In the case of the first four Spritah, as in that of the corresponding Stomas (see p. 61, note I), while the bricks themselves are laid down in the order E.W.N.S., the order in which the formulas are given in paragraphs 3-6, is that of E.N.S.W.-Cp. Kâty, Srautas. XVII, 10, 11-14. For a symbolical explanation of this change of order, see VIII, 4, 4, I seq
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