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II KÂNDA, 5 ADHYAYA, 2 BRÂUMANA, 8.
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fires, is that thereby one frees the creatures from Varuna's noose both ways-on the one side (he frees) the upright, and on the other those looking to the ground: this is why there are two altars and two fires.
6. On the northern (uttara) altar he raises the uttara-vedi (upper or north altar), not on the southern one. Varuna, doubtless, is the nobility, and the Maruts are the people: he thus makes the nobility superior (uttara) to the people; and hence people here serve the Kshatriya, placed above them. This is why he raises the uttara-vedi on the northern, not on the southern altar.
7. In the first place there are those five oblations 1 For by means of those five oblations Pragapati produced the creatures, with them he freed the creatures both ways from Varuna's noose,—on the one side (he freed) the upright, and on the other those that tend to the ground: this is why there are those five oblations.
8. Then follows a cake on twelve potsherds for Indra and Agni. Indra and Agni indeed are the out-breathing and in-breathing : thus this is like
texts Våg. S. V, 11; whereupon he pours out on it crosswise the spoonful of clarified butter, with the texts V, 12; and lays, with the mantras V, 13, three enclosing-sticks (paridhi) of pîtadâru wood round the navel' (see I, 3, 4, 2 seq.), and puts bdellium, fragrant reed-grass, and the front-hair of a ram on the navel' as a foundation (sambhâra, see II, 1, 1, 1 seq.) for the fire, which is then laid down thereon. On a hearth-mound (khara), a cubit square, formed on the southern altar, the Pratiprasthâtri also lays down his fire, after performing the usual fivefold lustration (see p. 2). Thereupon the pranîtâ-water is brought forward in the way set forth at I, 1, 1, 12 seq. Kâty. V, 3, 9-4, 21. For a different mode of transferring the fire to the special fire-places, see p. 396, note i.
i See II, 5, 1, 11, with note.
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