Śāṅkhāyana (Kauṣītaki) Āraṇyaka 2.10

2.10

ŚĀ 2.10
With [the verse], 'Indra, when the soma is pressed,' he commences the Auṣṇiha eighty, [with the words], 'I know him of increased strength; for great is he,' which contains [a word meaning] 'increase' and [a word meaning] 'great.' It contains 'increase' and contains 'great.' For great indeed is this day. When recited, these eighties amount to seven hundred and twenty verses. Seven hundred and twenty indeed are the days and nights of a year; thus by means of the eighties he obtains the days and nights of a year. Some indeed make up [the verses into] Uṣṇihs from Gāyatrīs by means of the sāman cadences. Some also take back four-syllable [units]: from the Bārhata eighty, he takes out eighty four-syllable [units]; from the Kākubha Pragāthas, twenty-four four-syllable [units]; these are one hundred and four four-syllable [units]; he places them onto the one hundred and four Gāyatrīs. In this way those Gāyatrīs become Uṣṇihs. One should not heed this. Right here it is accomplished [with]: 'Sing a chant to Indra.' Now, as to why he recites this at the end: [he thinks,] 'Let me ascend to the Vaśa with fully completed Uṣṇih [verses].'