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SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA.
384 Nakshatras that is the Sadadohas; and what food there is in the Nakshatras that is the earth-fillings (between the layers of bricks), the oblations and the fire-logs; and what is called 'nakshatras' that is the space-filling (brick) :-thus this comes to make up the whole Agni, and the whole Agni comes to be the space-filler; and, verily, whosoever knows this, thus comes to be that whole (Agni) who is the space-filler.
6. Now, these (amount to) twenty-one Brihatis?; and the heavenly world being the twenty-one-fold one2 and the Brzhatî (the great one)--this (altar) thus comes to be equal to the heavenly world, and to the twenty-one-fold Stoma (hymn-form) and the Brihati metre.
7. But, indeed, that Fire-altar also is the Metres; for there are seven of these metres, increasing by four syllables 3 ; and the triplets of these make seven hundred and twenty syllables, and thirty-six in addition thereto. Now what seven hundred and twenty bricks there are of these, they are the three hundred and sixty enclosing-stones and the three hundred and sixty Yagushmatis; and what thirty-six there are in addition, they are the thirteenth month, and the body of this altar),the trunk (consisting of) thirty, the feet of two,
1 The Brı hatî verse consisting of 36 syllables, this makes a total of 756 syllables, or the same amount as that of the days and nights of the year, plus the days (36) of the intercalary month.
2 Viz. inasmuch as the sun is 'the twenty-first,' cf. I, 3, 5, II; VI, 2, 2, 3: svargas tv âditya iti surake(tu)rûpo vá lokah svargah ekavimsatisakhyapurakah. Sấy.
* The seven metres, increasing by four syllables from 24 up to 48, consist together of 252 syllables, and hence the triplets of them amount to 756 = 720 + 36 syllables.
