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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
is the nobility: to Trishtubh he thus assigns her share.
11. 'Thou art the guest's hospitable entertainment!,—thee for Vishnu!' This is his (Soma's) special share : as there is a special share for a chief, so is this his special share apart from the metres.
12. 'Thee for the Soma-bearing falcon! thee for Vishnu!' thereby he assigns to Gayatri her share. Because Gayatri, in the form of a falcon, carried off Soma from the sky, therefore she is the Soma-bearing falcon : in virtue of that heroic deed he now assigns to her a second share.
13. 'Thee for Agni, the bestower of prosperity! thee for Vishnu!' Prosperity means cattle, and the Gagati (the moving, living one) means cattle: to Gagati he thereby assigns her share.
14. Now as to his taking five times;—the sacrifice is of equal measure with the year, and five seasons there are in the year : the latter he gains in five (divisions);- for this reason he takes five times. And as to his taking it with 'For Vishnu (I take) thee! for Vishnu thee !' it is because he who takes out (material) for the sacrifice, takes it for Vishnu.
15. It is a sacrificial cake on nine potsherds ;—for the guest-offering is the head of the sacrifice, and the Gayatri consists of nine syllables 2: eight (syllables) are those he recites and the sacred syllable 3, is the ninth; and the Gâyatri is the fore-part of the
Atither atithyam, the guest's guest-meal.' 2 According to Taitt. S. VI, 2, 1, 4, it is because the head has nine seams, 'navadhâ siro vishyutam.'
* The final syllable of the prayers recited in offering is protracted and nasalized, a final 'a' becoming ôm,—this drawing out of the syllable is called 'pranava.'
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