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II KANDA, I ADHYAYA, 4 BRAHMANA, 18.
he leaves over, and thereby those (five syllables) become of renewed efficacy; and with all the five syllables-'Bhûr bhuvah svah'-he lays down the Âhavaniya. Thus result eight syllables; for of eight syllables consists the gâyatri, and the gâyatri is Agni's metre he thus establishes that (fire) by means of its own metre.
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15. Now when the gods were about to set up their fires, the Asuras and Rakshas forbade them, saying, 'The fire shall not be produced; ye shall not set up your fires!' and because they thus forbade (raksh) them, they are called Rakshas.
16. The gods then perceived this thunderbolt, to wit, the horse. They made it stand before them, and in its safe and foeless shelter the fire was produced. For this reason let him (the Adhvaryu) direct (the Agnidhra) to lead the horse to where he
is about to churn the fire. It stands in front of him he thus raises the thunderbolt, and in its safe and foeless shelter the fire is produced.
17. Let it be one used as a leader2; for such a one possesses unlimited strength. Should he be unable to obtain a leader, it may be any kind of horse. Should he be unable to obtain a horse, it may also be an ox, since that (fire) is related (bandhu) to the ox3.
18. And when they carry that (fire) eastward*,
1 The horse is to stand east of the Gârhapatya fire-place, with its head to the west, where, behind the khara, the Adhvaryu is about to produce the fire.
* Purvavah, 'drawing in front,' i. e. a young (newly-harnessed) horse. The term may also mean 'conveying eastwards,' whence it is probably used here; cf. Taitt. Br. I, 1, 5, 6.
* See XIII, 8, 4, 6, where the ox is said to be sacred to Agni (âgneya). See also p. 292, note 1; and I, 2, 3, 6.
The following particulars, not alluded to by our author, have
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