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SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA.
the barhis and the prastara should become mixed up together. Having then purified the ghee 1, he takes all the butter-portions in four ladlings?, for at this (sacrifice) there are no after-offerings.
19. When he has placed the sacrificial dishes (on the altar) 3, he churns the fire. For the guest-offering is the head of the sacrifice; and in churning (the fire) they produce that (sacrifice); and one who is born is born with the head first: hence he thereby makes the sacrifice to be produced with the head first. Further, Agni means all the gods, since offering is made in the fire to all gods; and the guest-offering is the head of the sacrifice : hence, through all the deities, he secures success to the sacrifice from the very head (beginning). This is why he churns the fire 4.
20. He takes the bottom piece of wood, with the text (Vâg. S. V, 2), 'Thou art the birth-place of Agni;' for it is thereon that Agni is produced : hence he says, 'Thou art the birth-place of Agni.'
21. Thereon he lays two sprouts of a kusa stalk (with the tops towards the east), with, “Ye are
grass covering the altar), to keep the prastara separate from the latter when laid upon it, see I, 3, 4, 1o. As no special mention is made of the barhis, the same material has to be used for it as at the model ishti (New and Full-moon sacrifice), viz. Kusa grass (Poa Cynosuroides). 1 See I, 3, 1, 22-23.
? See I, 3, 2, 8-9. 3 See I, 3, 4, 14.
. On the production of the fire by churning,' see part i, p. 294, note 3
• The adhimanthana sakala is a chip of wood used for the lower churning-stick (adharârani), wherein the upper churning-stick is drilled, to rest upon. It is laid down on the altar-grass (barbis) from south to north. According to Sâyana it is a chip obtained in rough-hewing the sacrificial stake.
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