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III KÂNDA, 4 ADHYAYA, 4 BRÂHMANA, 4.
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they perform the Upasadsafter performing the Pravargya, and thereby they put the neck in its place.
2. The anuvâkyâs invitatory prayers) in the forenoon are the yâgyâs (offering prayers) in the afternoon; and the yâgyâs are the anuvâkyâs?. He thus interlinks them, whence those joints and those bones of the neck are interlinked.
3. Now the gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Pragâpati, were contending against each other & The Asuras then built themselves castles in these worlds,-an iron one in this world, a silver one in the air, and a golden one in the sky.
4. The gods then prevailed. They besieged them by these sieges (upasad); and because they besieged (upa-sad) them, therefore the name Upasads.
importance- if not, indeed, towards making it take the place of the Soma-cult. The hot milk (gharma) is even styled Samrag' or supreme king--as against the title 'râgan' or king, assigned to Soma; and a throne is provided for it, just as for the latter. The rules for its performance, according to the Âpastamba Srauta-sútra, have been published, with a translation, by Professor Garbe (Zeitsch. der D. M. G. XXXIV, p. 319 seq.). See also Haug's Transl. of the Ait. Br. pp. 41-43; Weber, Ind. Stud. IX.pp. 218-220.
1 The Upasadah, consisting of three offerings of ghee to Agni, Soma, and Vishnu, followed by a Homa, have to be performed twice daily, for at least three days (the normal number at the Agnishtoma). The first day's performance is called (from the corresponding Hom) the 'ayahsaya' (lying in iron, made of iron), the second day's 'ragahsaya' (silvern), and the third day's 'hari saya'(golden). If there are six, or twelve Upasad days, each of the three varieties of performance has assigned to it an equal number of successive days; and if there are more than twelve the three varieties are to be performed alternately.
For the anuvâkyâs and yâgyås, as well as the kindling-verses (sâmidhenîs) to be recited at the Upasads, see Ait. Br. I, 26; Åsv. IV, 8.
For other versions of this myth, see Ait. Br. I, 23; Taitt, S. VI, 2, 3.
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