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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
trishtubh verses, for the trishtubh is this (earth); or gagati verses, for the gagati is this (earth). Still, however, they should be virag verses.
21. The priests' fee for (offering to) her consists of a cow; for this (earth) is, as it were, a cow : she milks out for men all their desires. The cow is a mother, and this (earth) also is a mother, for she bears the men: for this reason the priests' fee is a cow. This is one mode (of performing those offerings).
22. Then there is this other. He simply offers a cake on eight potsherds to Agni, and thereby, implicitly, to Agni Pavamâna, Agni Påvaka, and Agni Suki; and immediately after he visibly sets him up (as Agni). For this reason he offers (a cake) to Agni', and then a potful of boiled rice to Aditi. The treatment of the potful of rice in that case) is the same (as before).
SECOND BRÂHMANA. 1. Now, in performing that sacrifice, they slay it; and in pressing out the king (Soma), they slay him; and in quieting and immolating the victim, they slay it. The haviryagña they slay with the mortar and pestle, and with the two mill-stones.
2. When slain, that sacrifice was no longer vigorous. By means of dakshinas (gifts to the priests) the gods again invigorated it: hence the name dakshina, because thereby they invigorated (dakshay) that
1 According to the Kanva recension, the anuvâkyâ and yâgyâ, in that case, should consist of the verses containing the word mûrdhan ('head'), viz. Vâg. S. XIII, 14, 15; cf. Sat. Br. I, 6, 3, 12.
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