ii. 5. 9.

'O Agni, thou art great', he says, for Agni is great. 'O Brahman', he says, for he is a Brahman. 'O Bharata',' he says, for he bears the sacrifice to the gods. 'Kindled by the gods', he says, for the gods kindled him. 'Kindled by Manu', he says, for Manu kindled him after the gods. 'Praised by the Rsis', he says, for the Rsis praised him. 'Rejoiced in by sages', he says [1], for learned people are sages. 'Celebrated by the poets', he says, for learned people are the poets. 'Quickened by the holy power (Brahman)', he says, for he is quickened by the holy power (Brahman). 'With ghee offering', he says, for ghee is his dearest offering. 'Leader of the sacrifices', he says, for he is the leader of the sacrifices. 'Charioteer of the rites', he says, for he is the chariot of the gods. 'The Hotr unsurpassed', he says, for no one surpasses him [2]. 'Surpassing, bearing the oblation', he says, for he surpasses all. 'The mouth dish, the ladle of the gods', he says, for he is the ladle of the gods. 'The bowl from which the gods drink', he says, for he is the bowl from which the gods drink. 'O Agni, like a felly the spokes, thou dost surround the gods', he says, for he surrounds the gods. If he were to say, 'Bring hither the gods to the pious sacrificer', he would produce an enemy for him [3].2 'Bring hither the gods to the sacrificer', he says; verily with that be makes the sacrificer to grow great. 'O Agni, bring Agni hither, bring Soma hither', he says; verily he summons the gods in order. 'Bring hither the gods, O Agni; and sacrifice to them with a fair sacrifice, O Jatavedas', he says; verily he quickens Agni, and quickened by him he bears the oblation to the gods. 'Agni the Hotr' [4], he says; Agni is the Hotr of the gods; him he chooses who is the Hotr of the gods. 'We are', he says; verily he makes himself attain reality. 'Fair be to thee the deity, O sacrificer', he says; verily he invokes this blessing (on him). If he were to say 'Who hast chosen Agni as Hotr', he would surround the sacrificer with Agni on both sides, and he would be liable to perish. The ladle has the sacrificer for its deity, the Upabhrt the enemy as its deity [5]. If he were to say two as it were, he would produce an enemy for him. 'Take, Adhvaryu, the spoon (sruc) with ghee', he says; verily by it he causes the sacrificer to wax great. 'Pious', he says, for he aids the gods, 'With all boons', he says, for he aids all. 'Let us praise the gods worthy of praise; let us honour those worthy of honour; let us sacrifice to those worthy of sacrifice', he says. Those worthy of praise are men; those worthy of honour are the Pitrs; those worthy of sacrifice are the gods; verily he sacrifices to the deities according to their portions.