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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
498
of soothing-it does not injure this (earth): let him therefore set it out on an island.
15. But let him rather set it out on the Uttaravedi'; for the Uttara-vedi is the sacrifice, and the Pravargya is its head: he thus restores to the sacrifice its head.
16. The first Pravargya (pot) he sets out so as to be close to (the front side of) the navel (of the Uttara-vedi), for the northern (upper) navel is the voice, and the Pravargya is the head: he thus places the voice in the head.
17. [He does so, with Våg. S. XXXVIII, 20,] 'The four-cornered,'-four-cornered, indeed, is he who shines yonder, for the quarters are his corners therefore he says, 'Four-cornered';—
18. Mighty navel of the divine order,'the divine order being the truth, he thereby means to say, 'The mighty navel of the truth;'-'that mighty one (be) unto us of all life,' -' that mighty one (be) unto us (a bestower) of the complete (term of) life,' he thereby means to say ';
1 Kâtyâyana only lays down the rule that, in the case of the sacrifice not being accompanied with the building of a fire-altar, the Pravargya apparatus should be removed to the Uttara-vedi; whilst, in the case of one who likewise performs the Agnikayana, he would doubtless follow the indication already laid down in the Brahmana, IX, 2, 1, 19; viz. that the pot may be removed to an island, but should rather be deposited on the fire-altar (in which case, however, the 'setting out' of the apparatus would apparently have to be deferred till after the performance of the Soma-sacrifice). Âpastamba treats of the Uttara-vedi as the place where the implements are to be deposited, but finally he allows an option of other places, including an island, but not the fire-altar.
The words 'sa nah sarvâyuh saprathâh,' being here used as explanatory of 'sa no visvâyuh saprathâh,' have probably got by mistake into the Samhitâ.
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