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[[KANDA 5]]
THE EXPLANATION OF THE PILING OF
THE FIRE ALTAR
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PRAPATHAKA I
The Placing of the Fire in the Fire-pan
He offers the Savitr offerings, for instigation. He offers with (an oblation) ladled up four times,
cattle have four feet; verily he wins cattle; the quarters are four; verily he finds support in the
quarters. The metres departed from the gods (saying), 'We will not carry your oblation without
sharing (in it)'; for them they kept this (oblation) ladled up four times, for the Puronuvakya the
Yajya, the deity, the Vasat call; in that he offers what has been ladled up four times, he delights the
metres, and they delighted carry to the gods his oblation. If he desire of a man [1], 'May he become
worse', he should offer each separately for him; verily he makes him severed from the libations; he
becomes worse. If he desire of a man, 'May he become better', he should offer all for him
continuously; verily he makes him master of the libation; he becomes better. This is the mastering
of the sacrifice. He abandons prosperity in the beginning of the sacrifice who departs from Agni as
the deity; these offerings to Savitr number eight, the Gayatri has eight syllables, Agni is connected
with the Gayatri [2]; verily he does not abandon prosperity at the beginning of the sacrifice, nor
Agni as the deity. The offerings to Savitr number eight, the libation (as a whole) is the ninth; verily
he extends the threefold (Stoma) at the beginning of the sacrifice. If he desire, 'May I confer on the
metres the glory of the sacrifice', he should make a Re verse last; verily he confers on the metres the
glory of the sacrifice. If he desire, 'May I confer on the sacrificer the glory of the sacrifice', he
should make a Yajus formula last; verily he confers on the sacrificer the glory of the sacrifice. 'By
the Rc make the Stoma to flourish', he says [3], for prosperity. With four (verses) he takes up the
spade; the metres are four; verily (he takes it up) with the metres. 'On the instigation of god Savitr',
he says, for instigation. Agni went away from the gods, he entered the reed; he resorted to the hole
which is formed by the perforation of the reed; the spade is perforated to make it his birthplace;
wherever he lived, that became black; (the spade) is stained, for perfection of form; it is pointed at
both ends, for the winning of light both hence and from yonder world; it is a fathom long; so much
is the strength in man; (verily it is) commensurate with his strength; it is unlimited in girth, to win
what is unlimited; that tree which has fruit is strong among trees, the reed bears fruit, (the spade) is
of reed, to win strength.
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That part of the sacrifice is unsuccessful which is performed with no Yajus. 'This bond of order they
grasped', (with these words) he takes up the horse's halter, to make a Yajus and to make successful
the sacrifice. 'Swiftly run hither, O steed', (with these words) he halters the horse; verily he
proclaims its greatness in this form. 'Yoke ye the ass', (with these words) (he halters) the ass; verily
he establishes the ass on the non-existent; therefore the ass is less real than the horse. 'In each need
more strong', he says [1]; verily in each need he yokes him; 'in each contest we invoke', he says; the
contest is food; verily he wins food. 'As friends, Indra to aid us', he says; verily he wins power.
Agni went away from the gods, him Prajapati found; the horse is connected with Prajapati, with the
horse he collects (it), for the finding (of Agni). Now confusion occurs in that they perform the same
thing with a better and worse (instrument), for the ass is worse than the horse [2]; they lead the
horse in front to avoid confusion; therefore the worse follows after the better. Many are the foes of
the man who waxes great, he waxes great as it were who piles the fire, the steed has a thunderbolt;
Keith: Taittiriya-Samhita, Translation - Page 217 of 341