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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
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to say 'with juice;' and when he says 'with possession of cattle,' he means to say 'with abundance.'
28. He then steps up to the Gârhapatya, and renders homage to it, with the text (ib. 22 b), 'Thee, O Agni, illuminer of the night', we approach day by day with prayer, paying homage unto thee.' He thus renders homage to it in order that it may not injure him.
29. [He continues, ib. 23 seq.], 'Thee that rulest over the sacrifices, the brilliant guardian of the sacred rite, thriving in thine own house;'-whereby he means to say, 'thine own house is this (house) of mine: make it ever more flourishing for us!'
30. 'O Agni, be thou accessible unto us, even as a father is to his son! lead us unto well-being!'— whereby he says, 'As a father is easy of access to his son, and the latter in no wise injures him, so be thou easy of access to us, and may we in no wise injure thee!'
31. Then the dvipadâ verses (Vâg. S. III, 25, 26), 'O Agni, be ever nigh unto us, a kindly guardian and protector! as wealthy Agni, famed for wealth, come hither and bestow on us glorious riches! Thee, the most bright and resplendent, we now approach for happiness to our friends: be with us, hear our call, and keep us safe from every evil-doer!'
32. Now when he approaches the Âhavanîya, he prays for cattle: he therefore approaches it with metres great and small, since cattle are of great and small size. And when he approaches the Gârha
Doshâvastar, 'the illuminer of the dusk;' or perhaps, as Professor Ludwig proposes, 'We approach thee, day by day, at dusk and dawn (in the evening and morning), with prayer.'
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