Yagnavalkya said: 'By the Brahman priest, who is the mind (manas), who is the moon. For the mind is the Brahman of the sacrifice, and the mind is the moon, and he is the Brahman. This constitutes freedom, and perfect freedom. These are the complete deliverances (from death).'

Next follow the achievements.

7. 'Yagnavalkya,' he said, 'how many Rik verses will the Hotri priest employ to-day at this sacrifice?'

'Three,' replied Yagnavalkya.

'And what are these three?'

'Those which are called Puronuvakya, Yagya, and, thirdly, Sasya .'

'What does he gain by them?'

'All whatsoever has breath.'

8. 'Yagnavalkya,' he said, 'how many oblations (ahuti) will the Adhvaryu priest employ to-day at this sacrifice?'

'Three,' replied Yagnavalkya.

'And what are these three?'

'Those which, when offered, flame up; those which, when offered, make an excessive noise; and those which, when offered, sink down .'

'What does he gain by them?'

'By those which, when offered, flame up, he gains the Deva (god) world, for the Deva world flames up, as it were. By those which, when offered, make an excessive noise, he gains the Pitri (father) world, for the Pitri world is excessively (noisy) . By those which, when offered, sink down, he gains the Manushya (man) world, for the Manushya world is, as it were, down below.'

9. 'Yagnavalkya,' he said, 'with how many deities does the Brahman priest on the right protect to-day this sacrifice?'

'By one,' replied Yagnavalkya.

'And which is it?'

'The mind alone; for the mind is endless, and the Visvedevas are endless, and he thereby gains the endless world.'

10. 'Yagnavalkya,' he said, 'how many Stotriya hymns will the Udgatri priest employ to-day at this sacrifice?'

'Three,' replied Yagnavalkya.

'And what are these three?'

'Those which are called Puronuvakya, Yagya, and, thirdly, Sasya.'

'And what are these with regard to the body (adhyatmam)?'

'The Puronuvakya is Prana (up-breathing), the Yagya the Apana (down-breathing), the Sasya the Vyana (back-breathing).'

'What does he gain by them?'

'He gains the earth by the Puronuvakya, the sky by the Yagya, heaven by the Sasya.'

After that Asvala held his peace.

Footnotes

^121:1 Madhyandina text, p. 1067.

^121:2 Palakaturbhagah padah suvarnasya. Comm.