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170
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
5. [He sprinkles the stone, with, Vâg. S. XVII, 1], 'The food that is lying in the rock, in the mountain,'-for that food, water, is indeed contained in the rock, in the mountains;-'the drink that is gathered from waters, plants and trees,' -for from all that that drink is indeed gathered;'that sap and food bring ye unto us, O Maruts, as bountiful givers!'-for the Maruts are the rulers of the rain. With 'In the rock is thy hunger,' he (after watering the altar) sets down (the pitcher on the stone): he thus lays hunger into the stone, whence the stone is not fit for eating. But hard also is the stone, and hard is hunger: he thus puts the hard along with the hard. With, 'In me thy food!' he takes up (the pitcher): he thereby takes up the food into his own self. Thus (he does) a second and a third time.
6. Having (finally) set down the pitcher, he perambulates thrice (the altar); for when (in sprinkling) he walks all round it, he, as it were, makes light of him (Agni-Rudra). He now makes amends to him, for (his own) safety.
7. And, again, as to why he perambulates it,-he then (in sprinkling the altar) goes after him1 (AgniRudra): thereupon he now recovers his own self unto life, and so does he by that self of his obtain all vital power.
8. Thrice he perambulates it, for thrice he walks round it (whilst sprinkling): thus as many times as he walks round it, so many times does he perambulate it.
wing joins the body of the altar. He there places a stone, from which he begins the sprinkling of the altar.
1 See IX, I, 1, 33.
