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earth is the size of the altar; verily he deprives his enemy of so much of that [1]. Therefore they do
not deprive one who has no share. He throws it away thrice; these worlds are three; verily he
excludes him from these worlds. He throws it silently a fourth time; verily he excludes him from the
unmeasured. He uproots it; verily what of it is impure he cuts off. He uproots it; therefore the plants
perish. He cuts the root; verily he cuts the root of the enemy. If dug too deep, it has the Pitrs for its
deity; so much does he dig as is measured [2] by Prajapati as the mouth of the sacrifice. He digs
until (he reaches) support; verily he causes the sacrificer to reach support. He makes it higher on the
south; verily he makes it the form of the sacrificial ground. He makes it full of loose earth; loose
earth is offspring and cattle; verily he makes him full of offspring and cattle. He performs the
second drawing of a boundary. The earth is the size of the altar; verily having excluded his enemy
from so much of it, he performs the second drawing of a boundary for himself. Cruelly he acts [3]
in making an altar. (With the words) 'Thou art the holder, thou art the self holder', it is made
smooth, for healing. He places the sprinkling waters; the waters are Raksas-slaying; (verily they
serve) for slaying the Raksases. He places them in the path made by the sword, for the continuity of
the sacrifice. He should think of any one whom he hates; verily does he inflict trouble upon him.
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The theologians say, 'Thou hast sprinkled the offerings with water; but the waters with what?' 'With
the holy power (Brahman)', he should say, for verily he sprinkles the offerings with water, and the
waters with the holy power (Brahman). He sprinkles the kindling-wood and the sacrificial strew;
verily he makes it pure. He sprinkles the altar, the altar was rough, hairless, and impure; verily he
makes it pure. 'To the sky thee, to the atmosphere thee, to earth thee', (with these words) he places
the sacrificial strew and sprinkles it [1]; verily he sprinkles it for these worlds. Cruelly indeed does
he act in that he digs. He pours down the waters, for healing. He takes the bunch in front; verily he
makes it the chief. He takes so much as is measured by Prajapati as the mouth of the sacrifice. He
spreads the sacrificial strew, the sacrificial strew is offspring, the altar is the earth; verily he places
offspring on the earth. He strews it so as not to be very discernible; verily he makes him not very
discernible by offspring and cattle [2]. He puts the bundle over the sacrificial strew, the strew is
offspring, the bundle the sacrificer; verily he makes the sacrificer superior to the non-sacrificer.
Therefore the sacrificer is superior to the non-sacrificer. He puts (grass) between, for separation. He
anoints it; verily he makes it into an offering and causes it to go to the world of heaven. He anoints
it in three places; these worlds are three; verily he anoints it for these worlds. He does not break off
(its edges); if he were to break them off, it would not go aloft for the sacrificer. He pushes it
upwards as it were [3], for the world of heaven is upwards as it were. He depresses it; verily he
brings down rain for him. He should not put forward the points too much; if he were to do so, there
would be a violent torrent to destroy the Adhvaryu. He should not throw it (so that the roots are) in
front. If he were to do this, he would thrust the sacrificer from the world of heaven. He puts it
forward (with its points) to the east; verily he makes the sacrificer go to the world of heaven. He
should not spread (the bunch) in all directions. If he were to spread (it) in all directions [4], a
daughter would be born to him. He strews it upwards, for upwards is as it were connected with a
man; verily a male child is born to him. If he were to smooth it with the sword or the poking-stick,
that would be his ruin. He smooths it with his hand, for the protection of the sacrificer. The
theologians say, 'What in the sacrifice is the sacrificer' 'The bundle' (is the reply). 'Where in it is the
world of heaven?' 'The Ahavaniya (fire)' he should reply. In that he puts the bundle on the
Ahavaniya, he makes the sacrificer [5] go to the world of heaven. The sacrificer is rent in that they
smooth the bundle; he throws the strew along after it, for calming. The Adhvaryu has no support,
and he is liable to be seized by shivering. (With the words), 'Thou art firm (dhruva)', he strokes it;
the Dhruva is this (earth); verily he finds support in it, and shivers not. 'Has he gone, O Agnidh? he
says. If (the Agnidh) were to say, 'Agni has gone?' he would make Agni go into the fire, and
exclude the sacrificer from the world of heaven. So he should say only 'Has he gone?' Verily he
makes the sacrificer go to the world of heaven.
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Keith: Taittiriya-Samhita, Translation - Page 118 of 341