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a The fire is a bird; if the piler of the fire were to eat of a bird, he
would be eating the fire, he would go to ruin. For a year should he observe the
vow, for a vow goes not beyond a year.
b The fire is an animal; now an animal destroys him who moves up to it face to
face; therefore he should go up to it from behind while it is looking towards
the front, to prevent injury to himself.
c 'Brilliance art thou, grant me brilliance, restrain earth [1], guard me from
the earth. Light art thou, grant me light, restrain the atmosphere, guard me
from the atmosphere. Heavenly light art thou, grant me heavenly light, restrain
the heavenly light, guard me from the sky', he says; by these are these worlds
supported; in that he puts them down, (it is) for the support of these worlds.
Having put down the naturally perforated (bricks) he puts down the gold bricks;
the naturally perforated are these worlds, gold is light; in that having put
down the naturally perforated [2] he puts down the gold bricks; verily he makes
these worlds full of light by means of them; verily also by them these worlds
shine forth for him.
d Those flames of thine, O Agni, which rising in
the sun,
With rays envelop the sky,
With all of them bring us to brilliance, to man.
Those flames of yours in the sun, O gods,
Those flames in cattle, in horses,
O Indra and Agni, with all of these
Grant us brilliance, O Brhaspati.
Grant us brilliance [3] in our Brahmans,
Place brilliance in our princes,
Brilliance in Viçyas and Çudras;
With thy flame grant me brilliance.
The glory and power of him who has piled the fire go apart twofold, or to
the fire which he has piled or to the man who has sacrificed. In that he offers
these libations, he places in himself power and fame.
e He who having piled the fire steps on it is liable to go to ruin. 'To thee I
come praising with holy power'; with this verse addressed to Varuna [4] should
he offer; that is the soothing of the fire and the protection of himself.
f He who piles the fire is made into an offering; just as an offering spills,
so he spills who having piled the fire approaches a woman; with clotted curds
for Mitra and Varuna he should sacrifice; verily he approaches unity with Mitra
and Varuna, to avoid his spilling.
g He who knows the fire to rest on the seasons, for him the seasons go in
order; he finds support. The fire resting on the seasons is the year [5]; the
head is the spring, the right side summer, the tail the rains, the left side
autumn, the middle winter, the layers the first half-months, the mortar the second
half-months, the bricks the days and nights; this is the fire resting on the
seasons; he who knows thus, for him the seasons go in order; he finds support.
h Prajapati, desirous of supremacy, put down the fire; then did he attain
supremacy; he who knowing thus piles the fire attains thus supremacy.
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