A History of Indian Literature v1.c8.s6.35

v1.c8.s6.35

The sacred sacrificial fire must be twirled in the ancient manner with the fire-drill;² and the producing of the fire is already in the Ṛgveda compared with the process of procreation, the lower small board being regarded as the mother, and the upper friction-stick as the father of the child Agni (the fire).³ Thus are explained the formulæ with which the fire-twirling is performed at the Soma-sacrifice, in which the two friction-sticks are addressed as the pair of lovers, Purūravas and Urvaśī,⁴ already known to us, who bring forth Āyu. The priest takes the lower friction-stick with the words: "Thou art the birth-place of Agni," lays two blades of sacred grass upon it, and says: "You are the two testicles." Then he lays the small board down with the words: "Thou art Urvaśī," touches the frying pan with the twirling-stick, saying: "Thou art Āyu," and with the words: "Thou art Purūravas" places the twirling-stick into the lower friction-stick. Thereupon he twirls with the formula: "I twirl thee with the Gāyatrī metre, I twirl thee with the Triṣṭubh metre, I twirl thee with the Jagatī metre."⁵