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IX KÂNDA, I ADHYAYA, 2 BRAHMANA, 4. 169
of his attains to (conformity with) the Great Litany; in this way it corresponds to the Great Litany.
SECOND BRAHMANA.
1. He then sprinkles him (Agni-Rudra, the firealtar). For the gods, having now appeased him by the Satarudriya, thereby appeased him still further; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), now that he has appeased him by the Satarudriya, still further appease him thereby.
2. With water he sprinkles him1,-water is a means of appeasing (soothing): he thus appeases him thereby. He sprinkles him all over; he thus appeases him all over. Thrice he sprinkles,-threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus appeases him.
3. And, again, as to why he sprinkles him,-that Agni (the fire-altar), doubtless, is these worlds. by water he thus encompasses these worlds, by the ocean, indeed, he encompasses them. On every side (he sprinkles the altar): hence the ocean flows round these worlds on every side. From left to right (he sprinkles). hence the ocean flows round these worlds from left to right.
4. For safety from injury it is the Agnidh who sprinkles, for the Agnidh is the same as Agni, and no one injures his own self. From a stone (he sprinkles), for from the rock water springs forth;from the arm-pit, for from the arm-pit water springs forth, from the right arm-pit2, for from the right arm-pit water springs forth.
1 Or rather, he pours water on it (the altar).
2 That is, from the lower (or hindmost) point where the right
