A History of Indian Literature v1.c8.s7.81

v1.c8.s7.81

In countless places in the Brāhmaṇas the *sacrifice* is identified with the god *Viṣṇu* and equally frequently with the creator *Prajāpati*. But the *year*, too, is identified with Prajāpati countless times, while on the other hand *Agni*, as the fire-altar, is also regarded as the *year*, because the building of the fire-altar takes a whole year. Thus we read: “Agni is the year, and the year is these worlds,” and immediately afterwards: “Agni is Prajāpati, and Prajāpati is the year.” Or, “Prajāpati, indeed, is the sacrifice and the year, the new moon night is its gate, and the moon is the bolt of the gate.”[^2) ] A prominent part is here played by the symbolism of figures. Thus we read, for example: