1. Inasmuch as there are three Anushtubh verses 3 (on the first day), therefore the horse, when standing, stands on three (feet); and inasmuch as (they are made into) four Gâyatrî verses, therefore the horse, when stepping out, scampers off on all (four) feet. For that Anushtubh, doubtless, is the highest metre, and the horse is the highest of animals; and the Katushtoma is the highest of Stomas: by means of what is highest he thus causes him (the Sacrificer) to reach the highest position.
2. The Sakvarî verses are the (Hotri's) Prishtha (of the second day): there is a different metre for
4. The Vâmadevya is the Maitrâvaruna's Sâman 1; for the Vâmadevya is Pragâpati, and the horse is of Pragâpati's nature: he thus supplies it with its own deity.
5. The Pârthurasma is the Brahma-sâman 2; for the horse is restrained by means of reins 3 (rasmi), but when unrestrained, unchecked, and unsteadied, it would be liable to go to the furthest distance: thus when the Pârthurasma is the Brahma-sâman, it is for the safe keeping of the horse.
6. The Samkriti 4 is the Akhâvâka's Sâman;--
7. The fire-altar is the twenty-one-fold one 2, the Stoma the twenty-one-fold one, and there are twenty-one sacrificial stakes; even as bulls or stallions 3 would clash together, so do these Stomas 4, the
9. As to this they say, 'If there were a twelvefold altar, and eleven stakes, it would be as if one were to drive on a cart drawn by one beast.' There are the twenty-one-fold altar, the twenty-one-fold Stoma, and twenty-one stakes: that is as when one drives with side-horses.
10. That twenty-one-fold one, indeed, is the head of the sacrifice; and, verily, he who knows three heads on the Asvamedha, becomes the head of kings. There are the twenty-one-fold altar, the twenty-one-fold Stoma, and twenty-one stakes: these are the three heads on the Asvamedha; and, verily, he who thus knows them becomes the head of kings. And, indeed, he who knows the three tops on the Asvamedha, becomes the top of kings;--there are the twenty-one-fold altar, the twenty-one-fold Stoma, and twenty-one stakes: these, indeed, are the three tops on the Asvamedha; and, verily, he who thus knows them becomes the top of kings.
332:3 That is, for the Bahishpavamâna-stotra of the Katushtoma, see p. 329, note.
333:1 That is, the hymn-tune of the second Prishtha-stotra chanted for the Maitrâvaruna (who responds thereto by the recitation of the second Nishkevalya-sastra): the Mahâ-Vâmadevya on the text 'kayâ nas kitra bhuvat' (S. V. II, 32-34; figured for chanting in Bibl. Ind. ed. III, p. 89) is ordinarily used for this stotra both in the Agnishtoma, and in the Ukthya, form of sacrifice.
333:2 That is, the tune of the third, or Brâhmanâkhamsin's, Prishthastotra. For the sâmans commonly used for this stotra see part ii, p. 434, note 1. The Pârthurasma-sâman may be chanted on either of the texts Sâmav. II, 352-4 (figured ed. Bibl. Ind. vol. V, p. 395) or II, 355-7 (figured vol. V, p. 483). It is the latter text which is to be used on the present occasion. On the legendary origin of this sâman (which is said to represent 'strength,' and therefore to be appropriate to a Râganya) see Tândya-Br. XIII, 4, 17.
333:3 Or, is fastened by means of a rope.
333:4 The Samkriti-sâman is used with the texts Sâmav. II, 663-4 (figured ed. Bibl. Ind. V, p. 407), II, 669-70 (ib. p. 482, wrongly
334:3 The commentary seems to take both 'rishabha' and 'vrishan' here in the sense of 'bulls,' but cp. Taitt. Br. III, 8, 22, 1, 'yathâ vâ asvâ varshabhâ vâ vrishânah sam sphureran'--'even as if male horses or bulls were to clash together.'
334:4 That is, not only the twenty-one-fold Stoma, but also the other two twenty-one-fold objects, looked upon as Stomas (lit. 'means of praise').
335:1 Viz. the set of eleven (stakes), here represented as a cow; but in order to assimilate it to the Virâg, or metre consisting of ten syllables, the eleventh stake is made the teat or udder of the cow.
