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The high altar said, 'Through me ye shall obtain all your desires.' The gods
desired, 'Let us overcome the Asuras our foes.' They sacrificed (with the
words),'Thou art a lioness, overcoming rivals; hail!' They over came the
Asuras, their foes. Having overcome the Asuras, their foes, they felt desire,
'May we obtain offspring.' They sacrificed (with the words), 'Thou art a
lioness, bestowing fair offspring, hail!' They obtained offspring. They having
obtained offspring [1] felt desire, 'May we obtain cattle.' They sacrificed
(with the words), 'Thou art a lioness, bestowing increase of wealth; hail!'
They obtained cattle. Having obtained cattle, they felt desire, 'May we obtain
support.' They sacrificed (with the words), 'Thou art a lioness, winning (the
favour of) the Adityas; hail!' They found support here. Having found support
here, they felt desire, 'May we approach the deities for blessings.' They
sacrificed (with the words), 'Thou art a lioness; bring the gods to the pious
[2] sacrificer; hail!' They approached the deities for blessings. He sprinkles
five times; the Pankti has five syllables, the sacrifice is fivefold; verily he
wins the sacrifice. He sprinkles transversely; therefore cattle move their
limbs transversely, for support. 'For beings thee!' (with these words) he takes
up the ladle; of the gods that are that is the share; verily he therewith
delights them. He puts round the enclosing-sticks of Butea frondosa, for
the holding apart of these worlds [3]. Agni had three elder brothers. They
perished when carrying the offering to the gods. Agni was afraid, 'This one
here will come to ruin.' He went away. The (night) he spent among the trees was
with the Butea frondosa: the (night) among the plants was with the Sugandhitejana;
the (night) among the cattle was between the horns of a ram. The gods sought to
start him forth. They found him, and said to him [4],' Return to us; bear the
offering for us.' He said, 'Let me choose a boon. Whatever of the offering when
taken up falls outside the enclosing sticks, let that be the portion of my
brothers.' Therefore whatever of the offering when taken up falls outside the
enclosing-sticks, that is their portion; verily therewith be delights them. He
reflected, 'My brothers of old perished because they had bones. I will shatter
bones.' The bones he shattered became the Buteafrondosa, the flesh which
died on them bdellium. In that he brings together these paraphernalia, verily
thus be brings Agni together. 'Thou art the rubble of Agni', he says, for the
paraphernalia are the rubble of Agni. Or rather they say, 'These
enclosing-sticks of Buteafrondosa which lie around are in truth his
brothers.'
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