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286
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
fashioned it, and thereby gained this (terrestrial) world. He saw a second bird-like body, the (chant of the) Great Rite 1: he fashioned it, and thereby gained the air. He saw a third bird-like body, the Great Litany': he fashioned it, and thereby gained the sky.
2. This built Fire-altar, doubtless, is this (terrestrial) world, the Great Rite the air, and the Great Litany the sky: all these, the Fire-altar, the Great Rite, and the Great Litany, one ought therefore to undertake together, for these worlds were created together; and as to why the Fire-altar is built first, it is because of these worlds this (terrestrial) one was created first. Thus with regard to the deity.
3. Now with regard to the body. The Fire-altar is the mind, the (chant of the) Great Rite the breath, and the Great Litany speech: all these one ought therefore to undertake together, for mind, breath, and speech belong together; as to why the Fire-altar is built first, it is because the nind is prior to the breathings.
4. The Fire-altar, indeed, is the body (trunk), the Great Rite the breath, and the Great Litany speech : all these one ought therefore to undertake together, for body, breath, and speech belong together; and as to why the Fire-altar is built first, it is because of him who is produced the trunk is produced first.
5. The Fire-altar, indeed, is the head, the Great Rite the breath, and the Great Litany the body:
1 The Mahâvrata-sâman and the Mahad uktham, as we have seen (p. 282, note 5; P. III, note I), are constructed so as to correspond to the different parts of the bird-like Agni-Pragapatı.
