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376
SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
built up?; mentally the cups (of Soma) were drawn thereat; mentally they chanted, and mentally they recited on (near) them,-whatever rite is performed at the sacrifice, whatever sacrificial rite there is, that was performed mentally only, as a mental performance, on those (fires or fire-altars) composed of mind, and built up of mind. And whatever it is that (living) beings here conceive in their mind that was done regarding those (mentalAgnis2):—they establish them (on the hearths) and build them up (as firealtars); they draw the cups for them; they chant on (near) them and recite hymns on them,—of that extent was the development of Mind, of that extent its creation,--so great is Mind: thirty-six thousand Arka-fircs; and each of these as great as that former (fire-altar) was.
4. That Mind created Speech. This Speech, when created, wished to become manifest,-more defined, more substantial: it sought after a self. It practised austerity: It acquired consistency. It beheld thirty-six thousand Arka-fires of its own self, composed of speech, built up of speech : with speech they were established, and with speech built up; with speech the cups were drawn thereat; with speech they chanted, and with speech they recited on them--whatever rite is performed at the sacrifice, whatever sacrificial rite there is, that was
1 That is, the ceremonies of Agnyâdhâna (establishment of the sacrificial fire) and Agnikayana (building of the fire-altar) were performed by means of these fires. Sâyana remarks that these rites were performed by the same beings (bhûtâni),' which are mentioned immediately after, as would, indeed, appear to be the case from paragraph 12.
* Yat kim ka bhätâni manasâ dhyâyanti vâkâ vadanti taih samkalpavadana dibhir eva tesham agninâm karanam. Sây.
