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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
noose those children of his that are as yet unborn: this is why there are the same number of dishes) exceeded by one.
23. (In the form of) dishes they are, because it is from dishes that food is eaten; and of barley they are prepared, because it was when they (the creatures) had eaten the barley corn that Varuna seized them. From the winnowing basket she offers, because food is prepared by means of the winnowing basket. The wife offers (together with her husband): thus he delivers his offspring from Varuna's noose through conjugal union.
24. She offers previously to the sacrifice, previously to the oblations, since the people do not eat offerings, and the Maruts are the people. Now when Pragâpati's creatures, being seized by Varuna, became rent all over, and sat and lay them down, breathing in and breathing out, then the Maruts destroyed their sin; and so do the Maruts now destroy the sin of his (the sacrificer's) offspring. This is why she offers previously to the sacrifice, previously to the oblations.
25. He offers in the southern fire, with the text (III, 45), 'Whatever (sin we have committed) in the village and forest,'—for both in the village and in the forest sin is committed ;—'whatever in society and in our own self,'-by whatever (we have committed) in society,' he means to say against man;' and by whatever in our own self' (indriya), he means to say "against the gods ;'—'whatever sin
According to Kâty. V, 5, 11, either the mistress alone offers, or she together with her husband. In the latter case, the offeringformula (as well as the dedicatory formula, This to the Maruts') is pronounced by both.
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