Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 1.p2

1.p2

i. 1. In this world both the gods and men were. The gods going to the world of heaven said to Agni ‘Be thou for us the overseer of this world.’ To them replied Agni ‘But, since I am he among you whose contact is most dangerous, and men do not pay honour (to me), how will that become yours which is among men?’ The gods said ‘The dread forms of thee as such we will deposit apart, and then wilt thou be here for man with that form of thine which is auspicious, helpful, and worthy of sacrifice.’ Then in the waters they placed (his form as) blowing, in the wind (his form as) purifying, in the sun (his form as) bright. Then with his auspicious, helpful, and sacrificial form he burned here for men. These indeed are the forms of Agni. In that he offers to these deities, then Agni becomes delighted with his limbs and with his forms. These are three; three indeed are these worlds; verily thus he obtains these worlds. The full-moon offering is the model of the first (sacrifice), the new-moon offering of the second; thereby does he commence the newand full-moon (offerings). The invitatory and offering verses of the first contain (the words) ‘praise’ and ‘bearer of the oblation’; that is the form of the invitatory and invoking verses. Those of the second have (the word) ‘Agni’ twice, for he offers to two Agnis. The third has seventeen Sāmidhenī verses; the Iṣṭi and