Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 8.7.2

He then lays down a Lokamprinâ (space-filling brick); the Lokamprinâ, doubtless, is yonder sun, for he fills these worlds: it is thus yonder sun he thereby sets up. He lays down this (Lokamprinâ) in all the (five) layers, for those layers are these (three) worlds: he thus places the sun in (all) these worlds, whence he shines for all these worlds.

And, again, as to why he lays down a Lokamprinâ,--the Lokamprinâ, doubtless, is the nobility (or chieftaincy), and these other bricks are the peasants (or clansmen): he thus places the nobility (or chieftain), as the eater, among the peasantry. He lays it down in all the layers: he thus places the nobility, as the eater, among the whole peasantry (or in every clan).

Now this is only a single (brick): he thus makes the nobility (or the chieftaincy) and (social) distinction to attach to a single (person). And what second (such brick there is) that is its mate,--a mate, doubtless, is one half of one's own self, for when one is with a mate then he is whole and complete: (thus it is laid down) for the sake of completeness. With a single formula he lays down many bricks: he thereby endows the nobility preeminently with power, and makes the nobility more powerful than the peasantry. And the other (bricks) he lays down singly, with separate formulas: he thereby makes the peasantry less powerful than the nobility, differing in speech, and of different thoughts (from one another).

The first two (Lokamprinâs) he lays down in that (south-east) corner: he thereby places yonder sun in that quarter: from this (earth) he follows him (the sun) from that (place) there; from this (earth) he follows him from that (place) there; from this (earth) he follows hire from that (place) there; from this (earth) he follows him from that (place) there.

And in whatever place he lays down the first two (bricks), let him there lay down alongside of them the last two (bricks): for (otherwise) having once revolved round these worlds, that sun would not pass by them. Let him lay down the two last alongside the two first by reaching over them: he thus causes that sun to pass by these worlds; and hence that sun revolves incessantly round these worlds again and again (from left) to right.

[He lays them down, with, Vâg. S. XV, 59], 'Fill the space! fill the gap!'--that is, 'fill up the space! fill up the gap;'--'and lie thou steady!'--that is, 'and lie thou firm, settled!'--'Indra and Agni, and Brihaspati, have settled thee in this womb;' that is, 'Indra and Agni, and Brihaspati, have established thee in this womb.' Thus (he establishes them) by an anushtubh verse; for the Anushtubh is speech, and Indra is speech, and the space-filler is Indra. He does not settle them, for that (sun) is unsettled. He pronounces the Sûdadohas on them, for the Sûdadohas is vital air: he thus makes him (Agni) continuous and joins him together by means of the vital air.

Here now they say, 'How does that Lokamprinâ become of unimpaired strength?' Well, the Lokamprinâ is yonder sun, and he assuredly is of unimpaired strength. And the Lokamprinâ also is speech, and of unimpaired strength assuredly is speech.

Having laid down those (bricks) possessed of (special) sacrificial formulas, he covers (the altar) with the Lokamprinâ; for the bricks possessed of formulas mean food, and the Lokamprinâ means the body: he thus encloses the food in the body, whence food enclosed in the body is the body itself.

Those (bricks) possessed of formulas he places on the body (of the altar) itself, not on the wings and tail: he thus puts food into the body; and whatever food is put into the body that benefits both the body and the wings and tail; but that which he puts on the wings and tail benefits neither the body, nor the wings and tail.

On the body (of the altar) he places both (bricks) possessed of formulas and Lokamprinâs; whence that body (of a bird) is, as it were, twice as thick. On the wings and tail (he places) only Lokamprinâs, whence the wings and tail are, as it were, thinner. On the body (of the altar) he places them both lengthwise and crosswise, for the bricks are bones: hence these bones in the body run both lengthwise and crosswise. On the wings and tail (he places them so as to be) turned away (from the body), for in the wings and tail there is not a single transverse bone. And this, indeed, is the difference between a built and an unbuilt (altar): suchlike is the built one, different therefrom the unbuilt one.

The Svayamâtrinnâ (naturally-perforated brick) he encloses with Lokamprinâ (bricks); for the naturally-perforated one is the breath, and the 'space-filler' is the sun: he thus kindles the breath by means of the sun, whence this breath (of ours) is warm. With that (kind of brick) he fills up the whole body: he thereby kindles the whole body by means of the sun, whence this whole body (of ours) is warm. And this, indeed, is the difference between one that will live and one that will die: he that will live is warm, and he that will die is cold.

From the corner in which he lays down the first two (Lokamprinâs) he goes on filling up (the altar) by tens up to the Svayamâtrinnâ. In the same way he goes on filling it up from left to right behind the naturally-perforated one up to (the brick on) the cross-spine. He then fills it up whilst returning to that limit.

The body (of the altar) he fills up first, for of (a bird) that is produced, the body is produced first, then the right wing, then the tail, then the left (wing): that is in the rightward (sunwise) way, for this is (the way) with the gods, and thus, indeed, yonder sun moves along these worlds from left to right.

The Lokamprinâ, doubtless, is the same as the vital air; he therewith fills up the whole body (of the altar): he thus puts vital air into the whole body. If he were not to reach any member thereof, then the vital air would not reach that member of him (Agni); and whatever member the vital air does not reach, that, assuredly, either dries up or withers away: let him therefore fill up therewith the whole of it.

The wings and tail he builds on to the body, for the wings and tail grow on to the body; but were he first to lay down those (bricks) turned away (from the body), it would be as if he were to take a limb from elsewhere and put it on again.

Let him not lay down either a broken (brick) or a black one; for one that is broken causes failure, and sickly is that form which is black: 'Lest I should make up a sickly body,' he thinks. Let him not throw aside an unbroken (brick), lest he should put what is not sickly outside the body. Whatever (bricks), in counting from the dhishnya hearths, should exceed a Virâg, and not make up another, such (bricks) indeed cause failure: let him break them and throw them (ut-kir) on the heap of rubbish (utkara), for the heap of rubbish is the seat of what is redundant: thus he thereby settles them where there is. the seat of that which is redundant.

Now, then, of the measures of the bricks. In the first and last layers let him lay down (bricks) of a foot (square), for the foot is a support; and the hand is the same as the foot. The largest (bricks) should be of the measure of the thigh-bone, for there is no bone larger than the thigh-bone. Three layers should have (their bricks) marked with three lines, for threefold are these worlds; and two (layers may consist) of (bricks) marked with an indefinite number of lines, for these two layers are the flavour, and the flavour is indefinite; but all (the layers) should rather have (bricks) marked with three lines, for threefold are all these worlds.

Now, then, of the location of (special) bricks. Any (special) brick he knows, provided with a formula, let him place in the middle (third) layer; for the middle layer is the air, and the air, doubtless, is the location of all beings. Moreover, bricks with (special) formulas are food, and the middle layer is the belly: he thus puts food into the belly.

Here, now, they say, 'Let him not lay down (such special bricks) lest he should do what is excessive.' But he may, nevertheless, lay them down; for such bricks are laid down for (the fulfilment of special) wishes, and in wishes there is nothing excessive. But let him rather not lay them down, for just that much the gods then did.