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494
SATAPATHA-BRÂHMANA.
meet together upon the Vedi in the Sala, (entering) by the front door.
2. The Âgnidhra then brings three bundles of faggots to the Åhavaniya, and kindling one of them, he offers (thereon) whilst holding it on a level with (the Sacrificer's) mouth. When the sacrifice had its head cut off its heat went out of it, and entered these worlds: it is with that heat he thus supplies and completes it.
3. And as to why (it is held) on a level with the mouth, - well, what is level with the mouth is, as it were, above; and above, as it were, is yonder (heavenly) world : thus he thereby supplies and completes it (the Pravargya) with that heat which had entered yonder world.
4. (He offers, with Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 18.] •What heavenly fire of thine there is, O Gharma,'—just the fire which is heavenly ;what is in the Gayatri and in the Havir.
and lay them down near the Antahpâtya peg at a few steps from the front door (whilst Apast. makes them to be put on the throneseat placed north of the Ahavaniya).
1 According to the comm. on Käty. XXVI, 7, 4, it is the Adhvarya who-after ladling four times into the offering-spoon-distributes this ghee successively over the three bundles of sticks,-viz. pouring some upon the first two whilst they are held, at the specified height over the  havanîya fire, by the Agnidh (who immediately after the offering throws them into the fire), and upon the third after it has been held knee-high by the Agnidh, and then thrown into the fire by the Adhvaryu. According to Âpastamba, who makes the Pratiprasthåtri and Adhvaryu the two performers, the third portion of the ghee is offered on the bundle of sticks whilst it is still held knee-high over the fire. As noted by Kâtyâyana, the ceremony is analogous (though reversed as regards the order of height) to the offering on the three enclosing-stones at the Satan driya ceremony, IX, 1, 1, 5 seqq.
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