1. Many 1 are the oblations, in the building of the fire-altar, as well as at any other (special ceremony) than the building of the fire-altar. For there are supernumerary rites,--supernumerary are those which are (performed) over and above another rite: of these 2 are the building of the altar (Agnikityâ), the Râgasûya, the Vâgapeya, and the Asvamedha; and because they are over and above the other (normal) rites, therefore they are supernumerary.
3. Now were he to prepare only the one for Agni and Vishnu, and not the other two oblations, then only the initiation (offering) of the (Soma) sacrifice would be performed, and not those of Agni (the fire-altar); and were he to prepare only the other two oblations, and not the one to Agni and Vishnu, only the initiation (offering) of Agni would be performed, and not that of the sacrifice.
4. He prepares both that of the sacrifice, and those of Agni, for this rite is both a rite of sacrifice, and a rite of fire: first (comes) that of the sacrifice, and then that of the fire, for the rite of the fire is an accessory rite.
5. Now as regards that (cake) for Agni and Vishnu, its mystic import is the same as what is (implied) in a preparatory ceremony. And the (cake) on twelve potsherds for Vaisvânara is for
7. And why he prepares those two (other) oblations,--Vaisvânara is the ruling power, and that Âditya pap is the people: he thus makes both the ruling power and the people. The Vaisvânara (cake) he prepares first, and having thereby made the ruling power, he makes the people.
8. That (Vaisvânara cake) is one single (oblation), having one single deity: he thus makes the ruling power to be concentrated in one (person), and excellence to be concentrated in one. The other, the pap, has many deities, for the pap is a multiplicity of rite-grains, and those Âdityas are a multiplicity of gods: he thus bestows multiplicity on the people. Thus much as to the deities.
9. Now as regards the self (or body of Agni). The Vaisvânara (cake) is the head, and that Âditya pap is the body: he thus makes both the head and the body. The Vaisvânara (cake) he prepares first; and having thereby made the head, he then makes the body.
10. That (Vaisvânara cake) is one single (oblation), for the head is, as it were, one only; and the
12. He then offers the Audgrabhana (libations) 1, for by the Audgrabhanas (elevatory libations) the gods raised themselves from this world to the heavenly world: and inasmuch as (thereby) they raised themselves (ud-grabh), they are called 'audgrabhana;'--and in like manner does the Sacrificer, by means of the Audgrabhanas, now raise himself from this world to the heavenly world.
13. There are many of these, in the building of the fire-altar as well as at any other (special ceremony): the significance of this has been told. They are of both kinds: (the significance) of this has been told;--first those of the sacrifice, and then those of the fire: (the significance) of this also has been told.
14. He offers five of the sacrifice 2,--the sacrifice is fivefold: as great as the sacrifice is, as great as is its measure, by so much he thus pours it forth as seed. Seven (libations) of the fire,--the fire(-altar) consists of seven layers 3; seven seasons are a year, and
16. 'Mind, Wisdom, Agni, the Impulse, hail!'--from the mind indeed this sacred rite originated at first, and he now impels it for this rite.
17. 'Thought, knowledge, Agni, the Impulse, hail!'--from thought, indeed, this sacred rite originated at first, and he now impels it for this rite.
18. 'The distinction of Speech, Agni, the Impulse, hail!'--from speech, indeed, this sacred rite originated at first, and he now impels it for this rite.
19. 'To Pragâpati, to Manu, hail!'--Mann, forsooth, is Pragâpati, for he thought out (man) all this (universe); and Pragâpati, indeed, of old performed this rite, and he now makes use of him for this rite.
20. 'To Agni Vaisvânara, hail!'--Agni Vaisvânara, doubtless, is the year; and the year, indeed,
22. Now some offer these Audgrabhana libations into the fire-pan itself, saying, 'These, surely, are offered for (special) objects of desire, and that fire-pan is the Sacrificer's self: we thus secure for the Sacrificer's self all his objects of desire.' Let him not do so; for the fire which is kindled (in the fire-pan) is the essence of the completed sacrifice and of those libations, and when he puts the fire-pan on the fire, after the sacrifice has been completed and the Audgrabhanas offered, then the sacrifice mounts it (the pan), and it bears the sacrifice: let him, therefore, put the fire-pan on the fire only after the sacrifice is complete, and the Audgrabhanas have been offered.
23. It is covered with a layer of Muñga grass, just for the purpose that it may blaze up. And as to why it is with a layer of Muñga grass, (it is done) to avoid injury, for that Muñga grass is a womb, and the womb does not injure the child; for he who is born, is born from a womb: 'May he (Agni), when he is born, be born from the womb,' thus he thinks.
246:1 Or rather, too many, more (than are required at one of the normal Soma-sacrifices),--âdhvarikebhyo bahutarâni, Sây.
246:2 That is, as would seem from Sâyana, of such ceremonies as have supernumerary, or additional, oblations to the normal ones connected with them. This discussion seems to be introduced here on account of the additional oblation (that to Vaisvânara) offered at the initiation ceremony. As an 'additional' or special, oblation at the Vâgapeya, Sâyana refers to the pap of wild rice (V, 1, 4, 12); whilst at the Râgasûya the one to Anumati (V, 2, 3, 4) is said to belong to the same category.
247:1 These and the subsequent offerings form part of the Dîkshâ, or initiation ceremony, for the Soma-sacrifice to be performed after the completion of the fire-altar. This initiation ceremony commences on the day of new moon, a week after the preparation of the ukhâ, or fire-pan. An integral part of (the first day of) this ceremony is the kindling of a fire in the ukhâ--the 'Ukhya Agni'--which ultimately serves to supply the fires for the brick altars built on the completion of the period of initiation. The Dîkshâ is, as a rule, to be performed daily for a year, during which time the fire has to be kept up in the ukhâ, and carried about by the Sacrificer for a time each day. while the cake to Agni-Vishnu here mentioned is the ordinary cake-offering prescribed for the Dîkshâ of the normal Soma-sacrifice (see III, 1, 3, 1), the Vaisvânara cake is peculiar to the Agnikayana.
249:1 See III, 1, 4, 1.
249:2 Viz. the five Audgrabhana libations of the ordinary Soma-sacrifice offered in the manner there described. See part ii, p. 20, note.
249:3 Though Agni, or the fire-altar, is commonly called the five-layered one (pañkakitika), consisting as it does of five complete VII, 1, 1, 1 seq.), and the upper one, consisting of two bricks, on which the fire is ultimately laid down. See p. 188, note 4. Hence Agni is also called 'saptakitika.'
250:1 Viz. the seven special Audgrabhana libations of the Agnikayana.
252:1 That is, underneath the layer of muñga. Both the reed-grass and the hemp are to be crushed and reduced to the condition of powder previously to their being strewed into the fire-pan.
