Śāṅkhāyana (Kauṣītaki) Āraṇyaka 1.3

1.3

ŚĀ 1.2
Its ājya recitation consists of twelve verses, beginning with 'The guest of every clan' (viśoviśo vo atithim). Twelve indeed are the months of the year, [and this is] for attaining the year. In it there are two metres: Gāyatrī metres and Anuṣṭubh metres. He recites in addition this twenty-five-verse hymn, 'Men [churn] Agni with their reflections from the two fire-sticks' (agniṃ naro dīdhitibhiraraṇyoḥ). For the stoma praise is twenty-five-fold. That recitation is indeed prosperous which conforms to the stoma praise. In it there are two metres: Virāj metres and Triṣṭubh metres. These amount to four. Fourfold indeed is all this, [and this is] for attaining all this. The Praüga recitation is in the Triṣṭubh metre. Triṣṭubh is Indra's own metre, because he makes him prosper through his own metre. 'May not indeed those who are strengthened by reverence' (kuvid aṅga namasā ye vṛdhāsaḥ) is addressed to Vāyu, containing the word 'great' and containing the word 'strengthen'. It contains 'great', for this day contains 'great'. Immediately after it is the triplet addressed to Indra and Vāyu, 'As great as the span of the bodies, as great as the strength' (yāvattarastanvo yāvadojaḥ), having the characteristic form 'as many men seeing with the eye' (yāvannaraścakṣasā dīdhyānāḥ). 'Varuṇa, up [rises] your beautiful-faced eye' (ud vāṃ cakṣurvaruṇa supratīkam) is addressed to Mitra and Varuṇa, having the characteristic form 'the sun, spreading out, goes between the two gods' (devayoreti sūryastatanvān). 'Who will hear, which one of those worthy of sacrifice?' (ka u śravat katamo yajñiyānām) is addressed to the Aśvins, having the characteristic form 'whom the daughter of the Sun chose' (yaṃ sūryasya duhitāvṛṇīta). 'How has he grown great? Of which Hotṛ?' (kathā mahām avṛdhat kasya hotuḥ) is addressed to Indra, containing the word 'great' and containing the word 'strengthen'. It contains 'great', for this day contains 'great'. 'Who is your protector, O Vasus? Who your defender?' (ko vastrātā vasavaḥ kau varūtā) is addressed to the All-Gods, having the characteristic form 'Varuṇa, Mitra, from the stronger mortal' (sahīyaso varuṇa mitra martāt). 'And may that Sarasvatī, being pleased with us' (uta syā naḥ sarasvatī juṣāṇā) is addressed to Sarasvatī, having the characteristic form 'the fortunate one unclosed the doors of the enclosed [pen]' (dvārāvṛtasya subhago vyāvaḥ). This is the Praüga recitation composed by Vāmadeva, in the Triṣṭubh metre, containing the interrogative ka, arranged in triplets. Vāmadeva is Prajāpati; thus they attain all desires in Prajāpati. On this they say: the morning soma-pressing should not be in the Triṣṭubh metre; it confuses the opening of the sacrifice whose metres are fixed; it should be just like the one-day soma rite. For the one-day soma rite is Brahman; this day is Brahman; through Brahman he thus makes Brahman prosper.