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174
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
39. Some people offer Agni's butter-portion in the north-eastern part (of the fire), and Soma's butter-portion in the south-eastern part, thinking, .Thereby we place the eyes in the front (of the head). This, however, is rather unintelligible; for the several dishes of sacrificial food (havis) represent the body of the sacrifice; when therefore he offers in front of (or before the havis, he thereby places the eyes in the front. Let him rather make the offerings (in that part of the fire) where he thinks the fiercest blaze is; for only by being offered in blazing (fire) are oblations successfuli.
40. Having recited (at the butter-portions) a Rikverse as anuvâkyà (invitatory formula), he recites by way of yâgyâ (offering-prayer) the (formula containing the word) pleased;' thereby these boneless eyes are set in what is bone. If, on the other hand, after reciting a Rik-verse as anuvâkyâ, he
1 Kåty. III, 3, 20-22 admits either mode of offering the butterportions. These oblations are effected in the following way: The Adhvaryu, having called on the Hotri to recite the anuvâkyâ, takes with the dipping-spoon (sruva) butter from the dhruva and puts it into the guhd; he then draws some with the sruva from the butterpot and replenishes the dhruva with it according to the Kanvas, with the text May the dhruva fatten with the havis-butter, sacrifice after sacrifice, for those who go to the gods,—the udder of Sarya in the lap of Aditi : may the earth flow abundantly at this sacrifice I'l. The same process is then repeated three (additional) times with a Gamadagni four times): hence the offering is said to consist of four (or five) cuttings. The Hotri then recites the anuvâkya (see note on I, 6, 3, 27), which is followed by the Adhvaryu's call om srâvaya' and the Agnidhra's response 'astu sraushat.' Thereupon the Hotri, having been called upon by the Adhvaryu to give the offering-prayer to Agni (or Soma), recites the respective yâgya, at the concluding vaushat of which the oblation is poured into the fire, (whilst the sacrificer utters the usual dedicatory formula, 'This for Agni (Soma), not for me!')
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