1. They now remove two burning samidhs (from the Âhavanîya fire). That fire, indeed, is now worn out, (and therefore useless) for the after-offerings, since it has been carrying the sacrifice to the gods: 'Let us perform the after-offerings in such (fire) as is not out-worn!' thus they think, and for this reason they remove those two burning samidhs (from the fire).
2. Thereupon they again move them close (to the fire). Thereby they cause the fire to increase again and to be no longer out-worn: 'Let us perform what part of the sacrifice remains still unaccomplished in such (fire) as is not out-worn!' so think they, and for this reason they again move them close (to the fire).
3. He (the Âgnîdhra) then puts on the kindling-stick
4. The Hotri consecrates it (the kindling-stick), with the formula (Vâg. S. II, 14 a), 'This, O Agni, is thy kindler; mayest thou grow and increase by it; and may we also grow and increase!' for even as before he recited over the fire when it was being kindled, so also now he recites. This is the Hotri's duty; but the sacrificer himself may pronounce the consecratory formula, if he think that the Hotri does not know it 2.
5. He (the Âgnîdhra) then sweeps (the fire) together. He thereby harnesses it: 'Thus harnessed, may it convey (to the gods) what part of the sacrifice still remains unaccomplished!' thus he thinks, and for this reason he sweeps it together. He sweeps
6. He sweeps (each time), with the formula (Vâg. S. II, 14 b), 'O Agni, food-gainer, I cleanse thee, the food-gainer, who hast hastened to the food!' On the former occasion he said, 'thee who art about to hasten (to the food),' for on that occasion he was indeed about to hasten thither; now, however, he says, who hast hastened (to the food),' for now he has indeed hastened thither: for this reason he says 'thee who hast hastened.'
7. He now makes the after-offerings. Whatever gods he invokes by means of this sacrifice, and for whichever of them this sacrifice is performed, to all offering has now been made; and to all those to whom offering has been made, he now, after that, offers once more: hence the name 'after-offerings.'
8. Now this is why he makes the after-offerings. The after-offerings assuredly are the metres 2, and the metres are the cattle of the gods: hence as cattle, when harnessed, here convey (burdens) for men, so in like manner the metres, being harnessed,
10. In the first place he makes offering to the Barhis (sacrificial-grass covering). Though the smallest metre, the gâyatrî is yoked first of the metres 1; and this on account of its strength, since, having become a falcon, it carried off the Soma from heaven 2. They consider it unseemly, however, that the gâyatrî, being the smallest metre, should be yoked first of the metres; and the gods accordingly arranged the metres here, at the after-offerings, so as it ought to be, 'lest there should be a confusion.'
11. In the first place, then, he offers to the Barhis. The Barhis indeed is this world; the Barhis is the plants: hence he thereby bestows plants on this world, and these plants are firmly rooted in this world. Now this entire universe (gagat) is contained in this (metre), and therefore the latter is (called) gagatî: this is why they have placed the gagatî metre first.
12. In the second place he offers to Narâsamsa.
13. Then Agni is the last (to whom offering is made). Agni assuredly is the gâyatrî; and therefore they placed the gâyatrî last. In this way they established the metres in complete and proper order; and hence no confusion here takes place.
14. The Adhvaryu 3 says (to the Hotri), 'Pronounce the offering-prayer (yâgyâ) to the gods!' and the Hotri (begins his prayer) at all (the three offerings) with 'The divine . . . .' For the metres assuredly are the gods of the gods, since they are their cattle, and cattle means a home, and a home is a safe resting-place. The after-offerings, doubtless, are the metres: therefore the Adhvaryu says, 'Pronounce the offering-prayer to the gods!' and at all of them the Hotri begins with 'The divine . . . 4.'
16. The reason, then, why he offers with the formula 'for abundant obtainment of abundant gift 2,'
231:1 See I, 4, 1, 38. The Adhvaryu takes the fresh stick (samidh), asks the permission of the Brahman to step forward for the after-offerings; and orders the Âgnîdhra to put the stick on, and trim, the fire. Whilst the Brahman mutters his formula (Vâg. S. II, 12-13), 'This thy sacrifice, O divine Savitri, they proclaimed to Brihaspati, the Brahman,' &c. (see I, 7, 4, 21), the Âgnîdhra executes the Adhvaryu's orders. Kâty. III, 5, I; II, 2, 21.
231:2 That is to say (as would appear), if the Hotri follows a school which does not recognise this particular ceremony as belonging to the Hotri's ritual. Thus the Âsval. Sr. makes no mention of it, and hence a Hotri belonging to the Sâkala or Bâshkala sâkhâs would not undertake the recitation of this consecratory formula. The Sâṅkhây. Sr., on the other hand, does prescribe it (cf. Hillebrandt, Neu- and Volim. p. 135, note 4), and a Hotri of the Kaushîtaki-sâkhâ would accordingly claim it as his privilege or duty to consecrate the samidh. For a somewhat different view, cf. Weber, Ind. Stud. X, 155; V, 408.
232:1 See I, 4, 4, 14. While, on the former occasion, the Âgnîdhra in sweeping moved round the fire, on the present occasion he remains standing on the north side of it. Katy. III, 5, 4.
232:2 See I, 3, 2, 8, 9.
233:1 See, for instance, I, 3, 4, 6.
233:2 For this myth, see I, 7, 1, 1.
234:1 That is, because man (nara) speaks, chants, (samsati) in it.
234:2 Either because both are in the middle (viz. the trishtubh of the three chief metres, and the air between heaven and earth), or because they consist of eleven parts (viz. the trishtubh of eleven syllables, and the air having ten directions, Sat. Br. VI, 2, 2, 34; VIII, 4; 2, 13, with itself as the eleventh), or because they are both connected with Rudra. Comm.
234:3 As on previous occasions, the Adhvaryu first calls on the Âgnîdhra, 'Bid (Agni) hear (o srâvaya)!' and the latter responds by 'Yea, may (he) hear (astu sraushat)!' This is repeated before each of the two other after-offerings. See I, 5, 2, 16.
234:4 The drift of the argument of this paragraph is not quite clear to me. The after-offerings have for their deities the metres, and hence the latter are apparently called the deities of the deities, that is, of the
235:2 Vasuvane vasudheyasya.(vetu); perhaps better, as Sâyana, on Taitt. S. II, 6, 9, takes it, 'May he partake of the gift of wealth for the (sacrificer's) obtainment of wealth.' 'For the wealth-desirer of wealth-gift' = 'for the desirer of wealth-possession,' St. Petersb. Dict. Our author apparently takes it in the sense of 'for the obtainer of wealth and for the receiver of wealth;' and Mahîdhara (Vâg. S. XXII, 48; XXVIII, 12) interprets it 'for the giving (or obtainment) of wealth and for the depositing of treasure (i.e. for burying a treasure in the sacrificer's house!)' Harisvâmin takes vasuvaue as vocative; but the accent is against his view.
236:1 See I, 5, 3, 18.
