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X KÂNDA, 3 ADHYAYA, 5 BRAHMANA, 7.
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3. Now Agni is in front? (puras), for placing Agni in front (of them) these creatures attend upon him; and the sun is motion (karana), for as soon as he rises everything here moves about. Such is the Yagus with the preparatory performance (puraskarana 4) as regards the deities.
4. Now as regards the body. The Yagus is the breath, for whilst moving (yat) it generates (vivifies) everything here, and along with the moving breath birth takes place here: hence the Yagus is the breath.
5. And this course (gah) is space—this space which is inside the body-for along this space it (the breath) courses; and the Yagus is both the breath and space,—the 'yat' and the 'gal': hence
yagus.' And the ‘yat' (moving) is the breath, for the breath moves.
6. The Yagus, indeed, is food, for by food one is produced, and by food one moves. And food carries along that Yagus established on food, whence even different food is introduced into the same (channel of the) breath.
7. And the Mind is in front (puras), for the mind is the first of vital airs; and the eye is motion (karana), for it is in accordance with the eye that this
1 Literally, apparently, The in-front is Agni.'
2 This term, literally, 'moving in front,' seems virtually to imply the entire manual work connected with the sacrifice, and which, along with the muttering of the Yagus-formulas, forms the official duty of the Adhvaryu. It would thus include all the sacrificial performances prior to the muttering of a Yagus, as the finishing or consecratory rite. For a somewhat similar discussion, see IV, 6, 7, 20 21. The commentary introduces the present discussion thus: atha brâhmanâparanâmadheyasya puraskaranasabdasya pûrvavan nirvakanapurahsaram adhidaivam artham âha.
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