v. 6. 9.
a That fire which is kept in the pan is consecrated of fires; if he were to put it down their embryos would be liable to abortion, and that would be like descending after consecration. He sets it on a throne, to support and prevent the falling of embryos, and he makes thus a consecration.
b (The fire) in the pan is an embryo, the sling is the womb; if he were to remove the pan from the sling, he would strike the embryo from the womb; the sling has six ropes; man is sixfold [1], the body, the head, four limbs; verily in himself he bears it.
c The fire is Prajapati, his breasts are the pan and the mortar; his offspring live on them; in that he puts down the pan and the mortar, with them the sacrificer milks the fire in yonder world.
d The fire is the year, its bricks are arranged threefold, those of Prajapati, of Visnu [2], of Viçvakarman; the Prajapati (bricks) are the days and nights; in that he keeps (the fire) in the pan, he puts down the Prajapati (bricks); in that he takes up the kindling-sticks, and the trees are Visnu’s, verily he puts down the Visnu (bricks); in that he piles the fire with bricks, and Viçvakarman is this (earth), verily he puts down the Viçvakarman (bricks). Therefore they say, ‘Threefold is Agni.’
e This thus should the sacrificer himself pile; if another pile his fire, if he should not prosper him with sacrificial gifts, he would appropriate his fire; him who piles his fire he should prosper with sacrificial gifts; verily thus he preserves his fire.
v. 6. 10.
Prajapati piled the fire as the year by the seasons; by the spring he piled its front half, by the summer its right wing, by the rains its tail, by the autumn its left wing, by the winter its middle. By the Brahman class he piled its front half, by the lordly class its right wing, by cattle its tail, by the people its left wing, by hope its middle. He who knowing thus piles the fire piles it with the seasons; verily he wins all [1]; they hearken to him who has piled the fire, he eats food, he is resplendent. The first layer is this (earth), the mortar the plants and trees; the second is the atmosphere, the mortar the birds; the third is yonder (sky), the mortar the Naksatras; the fourth the sacrifice, the mortar the sacrificial fee; the fifth the sacrificer, the mortar offspring; if he were to pile it with three layers, he would obstruct the sacrifice, the fee, the self, offspring; therefore should it be piled with five layers; verily he preserves all. In that there [2] are three layers, (it is) since Agni is threefold; in that there are two (more), the sacrificer has two feet, (it is) for support; there are five layers, man is five fold; verily he preserves himself. There are five layers, he covers (them) with five (sets of) mortar, these make up ten, man has ten elements; he preserves man in his full extent. Again the Viraj has ten elements, the Viraj is food; verily he finds support in the Viraj and the eating of food. The sixth layer is the year, mortar is the seasons; there are six layers, six (sets of) mortar, they make up twelve, the year has twelve months; verily he finds support in the year.
The Horse Sacrifice (continued)
v. 6. 11.
The red, the dark red, the jujube red, these are for Prajapati; the brown, the reddish-brown, the parrot brown, these are for Rudra. The white, the white-eyed, the white-necked, these have the fathers as their deities. Three black barren cows are for Varuna, three white barren cows for the Sun; the dusky-spotted hornless ones are for Mitra and Brhaspati.
v. 6. 12.
The dappled, the one with cross-lines dappled, the one with dappled marks running up, these are for the Maruts; the bright, the ruddy woolled, the white, are for Sarasvati; the piebald, the grey piebald, the slightly piebald, these are for the All-gods; three dark barren cows are for Pusan, three ruddy barren cows for Mitra; the red-spotted hornless ones are for Indra and Brhaspati.
v. 6. 13.
The white limbed, the one with white limbs on one side the one with white limbs on both sides, these are for Indra and Vayu; the one with white ear-holes, that with one white ear-hole, the one with both white ear-holes, they are for Mitra and Varuna; the one with a pure tail, the one with a completely pure tail, the one with a tail in lumps, these are for the Açvins; three barren cows of varied colours are for the All-gods, three white for the supreme lord; the white-spotted hornless ones are for Soma and Pusan.
v. 6. 14.
The humped, the bull, the dwarf (animal), these are for Indra and Varuna; the one with white hump, the white-backed, the white-rumped, these are for Indra and Brhaspati; the white-footed, the white-lipped, the white-browed, these are for Indra and Visnu; the three white-flecked barren cows are for Viçvakarman; the three with piebald bellies are (to be offered) to Dhatr; the white-spotted hornless ones are for Indra and Pusan.
v. 6. 15.
Three long-eared ones are for Yama; three white-footed for Soma; three ichneumons are (to be offered) to Agni, the youngest; three ruddy eighteen-month-old (sheep), these are for the Vasus; three red gallinules, these are for the Rudras; the brown-spotted hornless ones are for Soma and Indra.
v. 6. 16.
Three small-eared are for Visnu; three with red-tipped ears are (to be offered) to Visnu, the wide strider; three with dewlaps are (to be offered) to Visnu, the wide goer; three of two and a half years old are for the Adityas; three of three years old are for the Angirases; the yellow spotted hornless ones are for Indra and Visnu.
v. 6.17.
To Indra, the king, are (to be offered) three white-backed; to Indra, the overlord, three with white humps; to Indra, the self-ruler, three with white buttocks; three four-year-old (cows) are for the Sadhyas; three draught cows are for the All-gods; the black-spotted hornless ones are for Agni and Indra.
v. 6. 18.
To Aditi are (to be offered) three ruddy-spotted; to Indrani three black-spotted; to Kuhu three red-spotted; three calves to Raka; three heifers to Sinivali; the red-spotted hornless ones are for Agni and Visnu.
v. 6. 19.
Three reddish-brown ones are for Soma; to Soma, the king, are (to be offered) three dappled ones; the cloud-formed are for Parjanya; three goats with dewlaps are (to be offered) to Indrani; three ewes are for Aditi; those of auspicious mark and hornless are for sky and earth.
v. 6. 20.
There are three black-spotted for Varuna; to Varuna, the king, are (to be offered) three red-spotted; to Varuna, destroyer of foes, three ruddy-spotted; three of varied colours are for the All-gods; three dappled for all the deities; the white-spotted hornless ones are for Indra and Surya.
v. 6. 21.
To Soma, self-ruler, there are (to be offered) two oxen which drag the cart; to Indra and Agni, the givers of force, two camels; to Indra and Agni, givers of might, two sheep that drag the plough; two heifers are for earth; to the quarters are (to be offered) two mares; two heifers are for earth; two females are for the Viraj two heifers are for earth; two oxen that drag the carriage are (to be offered) to Vayu; two black, barren cows are for Varuna; two bulls with high horns, destructive, are for the sky.
v. 6. 22.
In the morning eleven beasts of the ox kind are offered; the goat with spots, the blue jay, the Vidigaya, these are for Tvastr. For Surya there are nine white barren cows to be offered; those for Agni, Indra and Agni, and the Açvins are offered at the great stake.
v. 6. 23.
There are three reddish-brown ones for spring; three dappled ones for summer; three piebald (deer) for the rains; three dappled for autumn; three with dappled thighs for winter; three smeared over for the cool season; to the year are (offered) those with hanging bellies.