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him he thus casts out. He unites them; therefore the vital airs are united within. He does not
combine them; therefore the vital airs are not combined. He pours water over; therefore the vital
airs are moist within. (The water) he pours is mixed with barley [2]; barley is strength, the
sounding-holes are the vital airs; verily he places strength in the vital airs. He spreads over the
strew; therefore the vital airs are hairy within. He besprinkles (the holes) with butter; butter is
brilliance, the sounding-holes are the vital airs; verily he places brilliance in the vital airs. The
pressing-boards are the jaws of the sacrifice; he does not join them, for the jaws are not joined; or
rather at a long Soma sacrifice they should be joined, for firmness. The oblation-holder is the head
of the sacrifice [3], the sounding-holes are the vital airs, the pressing-boards the jaws, the skin the
tongue, the pressing-stones the teeth the Ahavaniya the mouth, the high altar the nose, the Sadas the
stomach. When he eats with his tongue on his teeth, (the food) goes to the mouth; when it goes to
the mouth, then it goes to the stomach, therefore they press (the juice) with the pressing-stones on
the oblation-holder over the skin, sacrifice in the Ahavaniya, retire towards the west, and consume
(the Soma) in the Sadas. He who knows the milking of the Viraj in the mouth of the sacrifice milks
her; the Viraj is this (cow), the skin is its hide, the pressing-boards its udder, the sounding-holes its
teats, the pressing-stones its calves, the priests the milkers, Soma the milk. He, who knows thus,
milks her.
[[6-3-1]]
PRAPATHAKA III
The Exposition of the Soma Sacrifice (continued)
From the pit he scatters (earth) on the altars; the pit is the birthplace of the sacrifice; (verily it
serves) to unite the sacrifice with its birthplace. The gods lost by conquest the sacrifice; they won it
again from the Agnidh's altar; the Agnidh's altar is the invincible part of the sacrifice. In that he
draws off the altar fires from that of the Agnidh, he renews the sacrifice from the invincible part of
it. Conquered as it were they go who creep to the Bahispavamana (Stotra) when the Bahispavamana
has been sung [1], he says, 'Agnidh, draw off the fires, spread the strew, make ready the sacrificial
cake.' Verily having re-won the sacrifice they keep renewing it. At two pressings he draws off by
means of embers, at the third with (flaming) splinters, to give it glory verily he completes it. The
altars guarded the Soma in yonder world they took away the Soma from them; they followed it and
surrounded it. He who knows thus [2] wins an attendant. They were deprived of the Soma drink;
they besought the gods for the Soma drink; the gods said to them, 'Take two names each; then shall
ye gain it, or not.' Then the altars became fires (also); therefore a Brahman who has two names is
likely to prosper. Those which came nearest gained the Soma drink viz. the Ahavaniya, the
Agnidh's altar, the Hotr's, and the Marjaliya; therefore they sacrifice on them. He leaves them out in
uttering the cry for sacrifice, for [3] they were deprived of the Soma drink. The gods drove away the
Asuras who were in front by the sacrifices which they offered on the eastern side, and the Asuras
who were behind by those which they offered on the western side. Soma libations are offered in the
east, seated to the west he besprinkles the altars; verily from behind and from in front the sacrificer
smites away his enemies; therefore offspring are engendered behind, and are brought forth in front
[4]. The altars are the breaths; if the Adhvaryu were to go past the altars to the west, he would
mingle the breaths, he would be liable to die. The Hotr is the navel of the sacrifice; the expiration is
above the navel, the inspiration is below; if the Adhvaryu were to go past the Hotr to the west, he
would place the expiration in the inspiration, he would be liable to die. The Adhvaryu should not
accompany the song; the Adhvaryu's strength is his voice; if the Adhvaryu were to accompany the
song, he would confer his voice on the Udgatr [5], and his voice would fail. The theologians say,
'The Adhvaryu should not go beyond the Sadas to the west before the Soma offering is completed.
Then how is he to go to offer the sacrifices in the southern fire? Because that is the end of the fires.
But how are the gods to know whether it is the end or not?' He goes round the Agnidh's altar to the
north and offers the sacrifices in the southern fire; verily he does not mingle the breaths. Some of
the altars are besprinkled, some not; those which he besprinkles he delights; those which he does
not besprinkle he delights by indicating them.
Keith: Taittiriya-Samhita, Translation - Page 279 of 341