Satapatha Brahmana Part IV (SBE43), Julius Eggeling tr. [1897], at sacred-texts.com
9:4:2:11. He then offers (three) oblations of air;--this fire-altar is these (three) worlds, and the oblations of air are wind: he thus places the wind into these worlds, and hence there is wind here in these worlds.
9:4:2:22. He takes (the air) from outside the Vedi; for that wind which is in these worlds is already contained in this (fire-altar), and he now puts into it that wind which is beyond these worlds.
9:4:2:33. From outside the Vedi (he takes it),--for the Vedi is this (earth), and the wind which is on this (earth) is already contained in this (fire-altar): he now puts into it the wind which is beyond this (earth).
9:4:2:44 By his two hollow hands (he takes it), for only in this way is the catching of that (wind brought about). With the Svâhâ-call (he offers), for he offers just under the shafts (of the chariot),--this chariot is yonder sun: he thus places the wind on this side of the sun, and hence that one blows on this side thereof.
9:4:2:55. [He offers, with, Vâg. S. XVIII, 45], 'Thou art the cloudy ocean,'--the cloudy ocean, doubtless, is yonder world (of the sky),--'the giver of moisture,'--for that (wind) indeed gives moisture: he thus bestows on this (fire-altar) the wind which is in yonder world;--'blow thou kindly and propitiously upon me, hail!'--that is, 'blow favourably and gently upon me!'
9:4:2:66. 'Thou art the stormy (region), the troop of the Maruts,'--the stormy (region), the troop of the Maruts, doubtless, is the air-world: he thus bestows on this (fire-altar) the wind which is in the air-world;--'blow thou kindly and propitiously upon me, hail!'--that is, 'blow favourably and gently upon me!'
9:4:2:77. 'Thou art the one affording protection and worship,'--the one that affords protection and worship, doubtless, is this (terrestrial) world: he thus bestows upon this (fire-altar) the wind which is in this world;--'blow thou kindly and propitiously upon me, hail!'--that is, 'blow favourably and gently upon me!'
9:4:2:88. With three (formulas) he offers,--three are these worlds, and threefold is Agni: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus puts air into these worlds.
9:4:2:99. And as to why he offers the oblations of air: he thereby yokes that chariot of his; for it was thereby that the gods yoked that chariot for (the obtainment of) all their wishes, thinking, 'By it, when yoked, we shall obtain them;' and by that yoked (chariot) they indeed obtained their wishes; and in like manner does the Sacrificer thereby yoke that chariot of his for (the obtainment of) all his wishes, thinking, 'By it, when yoked, I shall obtain them;' and by that yoked (chariot) he indeed obtains all his wishes.
9:4:2:1010. He yokes it with the oblations of air 1,--the oblations of air are the vital airs it is thus with the
vital airs he yokes it 1. With three (oblations) he yokes it,--there are three vital airs, the out-breathing, up-breathing, and through-breathing: it is with these he thus yokes it. Just below the shaft (he offers), for just below the shaft the horse is yoked;--with his hands, for by the hands the horse is yoked;--in moving round 2, for in moving round the horse is yoked.
9:4:2:1111. The right yoke-horse he puts to first, then the left yoke-horse, then the right side-horse: for thus it is (done) among the gods, otherwise in human (practice). Let him not yoke that (chariot 3) again, lest he should yoke again the yoked one; but let him give away the vehicle, thinking, 'I shall reap the benefit of the yoking of it 4.' They carry it as far as the Adhvaryu's dwelling, holding it right upwards, for above is that (Agni). He presents it to the Adhvaryu, for it is he that performs therewith. Let him, however, (not) assign it to him (till) the time of the offering-gifts.
9:4:2:1212. He then offers the 'Lightsome 5' oblations.
[paragraph continues] For now the whole Agni was completed; he now wished for brilliance (ruk), and the gods, by means of these lightsome (oblations), endowed him with brilliance; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) now endow him therewith.
9:4:2:1313. And, again, as to why he offers the lightsome oblations. When Pragâpati was dismembered, his brilliance departed from him. When the gods restored him, they, by means of these lightsome oblations, endowed him with brilliance; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) endow him therewith.
9:4:2:1414. [He offers, with, Vâg. S. XVIII, 46-48], 'O Agni, what lights of thine in the sun 1 . . . ' 'O ye gods, what lights of yours are in the sun. . . 1'--'Bestow thou light upon our priests, (work thou light in our kings, light in our people and Sûdras, bestow light upon me by thy light)!' He thus says 'light' each time,--light is immortality: it is immortality he thus bestows upon him.
9:4:2:1515. He then offers one relating to Varuna. That whole Agni has now been completed, and he now is the deity Varuna: it is to him that he offers this oblation, and by the oblation he makes him (Agni) a deity, for that one alone is a deity to whom offering is made, but not that one to whom (offering is) not (made). With a verse addressed to Varuna (he offers): he thus gratifies him by his own self, by his own deity.
9:4:2:1616. And, again, as to why he offers one relating
to Varuna. When Pragâpati was dismembered, his strength departed from him. When the gods restored him they, by this (oblation), bestowed strength upon him; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer) bestow it upon him. With a verse addressed to Varuna (he offers),--Varuna is the ruling power, and ruling power means strength: it is thus by strength that he bestows strength upon him.
9:4:2:1717. [He offers, with, Vâg. S. XVIII, 49], 'For this I appeal to thee, worshipping thee with prayer,'--that is, 'For that I beseech thee, worshipping thee with prayer;'--'for this the Sacrificer imploreth thee with offerings,'--that is, 'for this, this Sacrificer implores thee with offerings;--'without wrath listen thou here, O Varuna!'--that is, 'without anger listen thou here to us, O Varuna!'--'take not our life from us, O far-ruler!'--he thereby gives utterance to a surrender of his own self.
9:4:2:1818. He then offers the Arkâsvamedha-santati 1 oblations. The light (arka), doubtless, is this fire (Agni), and the Asvamedha (horse-sacrifice) is yonder sun,--when created, these two were separate: by means of these oblations the gods drew them together and connected them; and in like manner does this (Sacrificer), by means of these oblations, now draw them together and connect them.
9:4:2:1919. [He offers, with, Vâg. S. XVIII, 50], 'Heaven-like heat, hail!'--the heat, doubtless, is yonder sun; he thus establishes yonder sun in Agni.
9:4:2:2020. 'Heaven-like flame, hail!'--the flame is
this Agni: he thus establishes this Agni in yonder sun.
9:4:2:2121. 'The Heaven-like shining one, hail!' the shining one, doubtless, is yonder sun: he places him again up there.
9:4:2:2222. 'Heaven -like light, hail!'--the light is this Agni: he places him again here (on the fire-altar).
9:4:2:2323. 'The heaven-like Sûrya, hail!'--Sûrya, doubtless, is yonder sun: he thus places yonder sun highest of all this (universe), whence he is the highest of all this (universe).
9:4:2:2424. These are five oblations he offers, the fire-altar consists of five layers, a year of five seasons, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, with so much he thus draws together and connects those two.
9:4:2:2525. And as to why he says, 'Heaven-like heat, hail! heaven-like flame, hail!'--these indeed are names of this fire: he thereby gratifies these, and by the offering he makes them a deity; for only that one is a deity to whom an oblation is offered, but not that to whom it is not offered. Moreover, by naming them, he thus places them on this fire-altar.
9:4:2:2626. These are five oblations he offers,--the fire-altar consists of five layers, and the year of five seasons, and Agni is the year: as great as Agni is, as great as is his measure, by so much food he thus gratifies him.
9:4:2:2727. Now as to the insertion 1 of (any other) oblations. If he should know any oblation supplied with a brâhmana (dogmatic explanation) let him offer it at
this time; for it is for (the obtainment of his) wishes that he yokes this chariot, and whatsoever oblation he offers on this occasion he offers as one that is (to be) fulfilled.
9:4:2:2828. As to this they say, 'Let him not offer (any additional oblations), lest he should do what is excessive.' Let him, nevertheless, offer them; for it is for (special) wishes that these oblations are offered, and in wishes there is nothing excessive.
236:1 That is, these oblations are, as it were, to represent the team of the chariot.
237:1 Or, he supplies him (Agni).
237:2 According to Kâty. Sr. XVIII, 6, 1, 2, the Adhvaryu first takes a double handful of air from beyond the east side of the Vedi, and offers it below the right (south) shaft; then from beyond the north side to be offered up below the left shaft, and lastly from beyond the south side to be offered below the shaft where the right side-horse would be yoked. In each case the girth (or yoke-tie) is to be carried round in the same way as if a real horse were yoked.
237:3 Sâyana takes it to mean 'that horse'; and according to Kâty. Sr. XVIII, 6, 3-5, the carriage is to be carried to the Adhvaryu's house, and, at the time when the dakshinâs are presented to the priests, it is to be given to that priest along with three horses. The Brâhmana, however, does not seem to mention the horses.
237:4 Literally, of the yoked one.
237:5. These oblations are here called 'ruṅmatî,' because the three p. 238 verses used with them contain the word 'ruk,' being prayers for the bestowal of light.
238:1 These two verses had already been used in laying down the Dviyagus bricks; see VII, 4, 2, 21.
239:1 That is, the joining together of the fire and the horse-sacrifice.
240:1 Or, location, proper place; cf. p. 138, note 1.