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a
Thy kindling-sticks, O Agni, thine abodes,
Thy tongues, O all-knower, thy light,
Thy cracklings, thy drops,
With these pile thyself, well knowing.
The fire is an extended
sacrifice; what of it is performed, what not? What the Adhvaryu in piling the
fire omits, that of himself he omits. 'Thy kindling-sticks, O Agni, thine [1]
abodes', he says; this is the self piling of the fire; verily the fire piles
the fire, the Adhvaryu omits nothing from himself.
b
To the four quarters let the fires advance;
May he bear this sacrifice for us, well knowing;
Making rich the ghee, immortal, full of heroes,
The holy power is the kindling-stick of the libations.
The tortoise is put down
for the world of heaven; 'To the four quarters let the fires advance', he says
[2]; verily by it he recognizes the quarters; 'May he bear this sacrifice for
us, well knowing', he says, for guidance to the world of heaven; 'The holy
power is the kindling-stick of the libations', he says. By means of the holy
power the gods went to the world of heaven; in that he puts down (the tortoise)
with (a verse) containing the word 'holy power', by the holy power the
sacrificer goes to the world of heaven.
c The fire is Prajapati here; cattle are the offspring; the form the metres;
all colours of bricks should he make; verily by the form he wins offspring,
cattle, the metres; verily also he piles it winning it for offspring, cattle,
the metres.
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