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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
power. That is why he metes out in bending them up and down.
16. And, again, as to his meting out in bending them up and down,-he thereby harnesses a virág (to ply) thitherwards and hitherwards: going thitherwards, namely, it conveys the sacrifice to the gods, and coming hitherwards it assists men. This is why he metes out in bending (the fingers) up and down.
17. And as to his meting out ten times,—the virág is of ten syllables, and the Soma is of virág nature: for this reason he metes out ten times.
18. Having gathered up the ends of the Somacloth, he (the Adhvaryu) ties them together by means of the head-band, with, 'For descendants (I tie) thee;'--for it is indeed for (the purpose of obtaining) descendants that he buys it (Soma): what (part of man) here is, as it were, compressed between the head and the shoulders, that he thereby makes it to be for him (the sacrificer).
19. He then makes a finger-hole in the middle (of the knot), with the text, 'Let the descendants breathe after thee!' For, in compressing the cloth), he, as it were, strangles him (Soma and the sacrificer) and renders him breathless ; hereby now he emits his breath from inside, and after him breathing the descendants also breathe : for this reason he says, 'Let the descendants breathe after thee.' Thereupon he hands him (Soma) to the Soma-seller. Now, then, of the bargain.
· The virág (the shining' or 'ruling' metre) consists of (generally three or four) pâdas of ten syllables each : hence it is here connected with the ten metings out of Soma.
* The Soma representing offspring, he gives the bundle a shape resembling the human body.
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