Aitareyabrahmana 1.16

1.16

agnaye mathyamānāyānubrūhīty āhādhvaryur
abhi tvā devā savitar iti sāvitrīm anvāha
tad āhur:
yad agnaye mathyamānāyānu vācāhātha kasmāt sāvitrīm anvāheti
Savitā vai prasavānām īśe, savitṛprasūtā evainaṃ tan manthanti.
tasmāt sāvitrīm anvāha
mahī dyauḥ pṛthivī ca na iti dyāvāpṛthivīyām anvāha
tad āhur:
yad agnaye mathyamānāyānu vācāhātha kasmād dyāvāpṛthivīyām anvāheti.
dyāvāpṛthivībhyāṃ vā etaṃ jātaṃ devāḥ paryagṛhṇaṃs,
tābhyām evādyāpi parigṛhītas.
tasmād dyāvāpṛthivīyām anvāha
tvām agne puṣkarād adhīti tṛcam āgneyaṃ gāyatram anvāhāgnau mathyamāne,
svayaivainaṃ tad devatayā svena chandasā samardhayaty
atharvā nir amanthateti rūpasamṛddhaṃ etad vai yajñasya samṛddhaṃ
yad rūpasamṛddhaṃ, yat karma kriyamāṇam ṛg abhivadati
sa yadi na jāyeta yadi ciraṃ jāyeta, rākṣoghnyo gāyatryo 'nūcyā
agne haṃsi ny atriṇam ity etā
rakṣasām apahatyai
rakṣāṃsi vā enaṃ tarhy ālabhante, yarhi na jāyate yarhi ciraṃ jāyate
sa yady ekasyām evānūktāyāṃ jāyeta yadi dvayor, atho ta bruvantu
jantava iti jātāya jātavatīm abhirūpām anubrūyād
yad yajñe 'bhirūpaṃ tat samṛddha
ā yaṃ haste na khādinam iti
hastābhyāṃ hy ena manthanti
śiśuṃ jātam iti. śiśur iva vā eṣa prathamajāto yad agnir
na bibhrati \ viśām agniṃ svadhvaram iti
yad vai devānāṃ neti tad eṣām o+m iti
pra devaṃ devavītaye bharatā vasuvittamam iti prahriyamāṇāyābhirūpā
yad yajñe 'bhirūpaṃ tat samṛddham
āsve yonau ni ṣīdatv ity
eṣa ha vā asya svo yonir yad agnir agner
ā jātaṃ jātavedasīti
jāta itaro, jātavedā itaraḥ
priyaṃ śiśītātithim ity. eṣa ha vā asya priyo 'tithir yad agnir agneḥ
syona ā gṛhaptim iti, śāntyām evainaṃ tad dadhāty
agnināgniḥ sam idhyate kavir gṛhapatir yuvā \
havyavād juhvāsya ity abhirūpā
yad yajñe 'bhirūpaṃ tat samṛddhaṃ
tvaṃ hy agne agninā vipro vipreṇa san sateti
vipra itaro vipra itaraḥ, sanu itaraḥ sann itaraḥ
sakhā sakhyā samidhyasa ity. eṣa ha vā asya svaḥ sakhā yad agnir agnes
tam marjayanta sukratum puroyāvānam ājiṣu \
sveṣu kṣayeṣu vājinam iti
eṣa ha vā asya svaḥ kṣayo yad agnir agner
yajñena yajñam ayajanta devā ity uttamayā paridadhāti
yajñena vai tad devā yajñam ayajanta yad agnināgnim ayajanta,
te svargaṃ lokam āyaṃs
tāni dharmāṇi prathamāny āsan \
te ha nākam mahimānaḥ sacanta yatra pūrve sādhyāḥ santi devā iti
chandāṃsi vai Sādhyā devās, te 'gre 'gnināgnim ayajanta,
te svargaṃ lokam āyann
ādityāś caivehāsann Aṅgirasaś ca, te 'gre 'gnināgnim ayajanta,
te svargaṃ lokam āyan
saiṣā svargyāhutir yad agnyāhutir.
yadi ha va apy abrāhmaṇokto yadi duruktokto yajate
'tha haiṣāhutir gachaty eva devān, na pāpmanā saṃsṛjyate
gachaty asyāhutir devān nāsyāhutiḥ pāpmanā saṃsṛjyate ya evaṃ veda
tā etās trayodaśānvāha rūpasamṛddhā
etad vai yajñasya samṛddhaṃ yad rūpasamṛddhaṃ,
yat karma kriyamāṇam ṛg abhivadati
tāsāṃ triḥ prathamām anvāha trir uttamāṃ, tāḥ saptadaśa sampadyante.
saptadaśo vai Prajāpatir:
dvādaśa māsāḥ pañcartavas.
tāvān saṃvatsaraḥ, saṃvatsaraḥ Prajāpatiḥ
prajāpatyāyatanābhir evābhī rādhnoti ya evaṃ veda
triḥ prathamāṃ trir uttamām anvāha,
yajñasyaiva tad barsau nahyati sthemne balāyāvisraṃsāya

i. 16 (iii. 5). ‘Recite for Agni being kindled’ the Adhvaryu says; ‘To thee, O god Savitṛ,’ (this verse) to Savitṛ he recites. They say ‘Since it is for Agni being kindled that he recites by order, then why does he recite (a verse ) to Savitṛ?’ Savitṛ is lord of instigations; verily thus on the instigation of Savitṛ they kindle him; therefore he recites (a verse) to Savitṛ. ‘May the two great ones, sky and earth, for us,’ (this verse) to sky and earth he recites; they say, ‘Since it is for Agni being kindled that he recites by order, then why does he recite (this verse) to sky and earth?’ By means of sky and earth him when born the gods grasped; by these two even to-day is he grasped; therefore he recites (this verse) to sky and earth. ‘Thee, O Agni, from the lotus’ this triad in Gāyatrī to Agni he recites when the fire is being kindled; verily thus with his own deity, his own metre he makes him successful. ‘Atharvan kindled forth’ is perfect in form; that in the sacrifice is perfect which is perfect in form, that rite which as it is performed the verse describes. If he is not born, if he is long in being born, then should be repeated Gāyatrī verses, Rakṣas slaying, namely, ‘O Agni strike down the foe’ for the smiting away of the Rakṣases. The Rakṣases seize them when he is not born and is long in being born. If he is born when one only has been recited, or when two, then he should recite an appropriate (verse ) containing (the word) ‘born’, ‘Let men say’ for him when born. That which in the sacrifice is appropriate is perfect. ‘Whom with the hand like a quoit’ (he says ), for with the hands they kindle him.

'The child born' (he says); Agni is a first-born child as it were; 'Like (it) they bear, Agni of the folk, good sacrificer' (he says); *om* is for them what *na* is for the gods. 'Forward bear the god to the feast for the gods, best winner of wealth' is the appropriate (verse ) for him when being taken forward; that which in the sacrifice is appropriate is perfect. 'Let him seat himself in his own place of birth' (he says); he is his own place of birth in that Agni is Agni's. 'Born in the all-knower' (he says ); one is born, one is the all-knower. 'Quicken the dear guest' (he says); he is his dear guest in that Agni is Agni's. 'On a smooth (place) the lord of the house' (he says); verily thus he places him in health. 'By Agni is Agni kindled, the sage, the lord of the house, the youthful, bearer of the oblation, with the ladle in his mouth' is the appropriate (verse ); that which in the sacrifice is appropriate is perfect. 'For thou, O Agni, by Agni, sage by the sage, good by the good' (he says ); one is a sage, the other a sage; one is good, the other good. 'Friend with friend thou art enkindled' (he says); he is his own friend in that Agni is Agni's. 'Him they make bright, the skilled, the victor in contests, the mighty one in his own dwellings' (he says ); he is his own house in that Agni is Agni's. 'With the sacrifice the sacrifice the gods sacrificed', with the last he concludes; with the sacrifice the gods sacrificed the sacrifice in that with Agni they sacrificed to Agni; they went to the world of heaven. 'These laws were first; these greatnesses resort to the sky, where are the ancient Sādhya gods' (he says ); the Sādhya gods are the metres; they first sacrificed to Agni with Agni; they went to the world of heaven. The Ādityas and the Aṅgirases were here; they first sacrificed with Agni to Agni; they went to the world of heaven; the libation to Agni is a heavenly libation. Even if he who sacrifices is not a Brāhmaṇa or is wrongly spoken of, nevertheless his libation goes to the gods and is not united with evil; his libation goes to the gods, and is not united with evil, who knows thus. These thirteen he recites perfect in form; that in the sacrifice is perfect which is perfect in form, that rite which as it is performed the verse describes. Of these he recites the first thrice, the last thrice. They make up seventeen; Prajāpati is seventeenfold,

the months are twelve, the seasons five; so great is the year; Prajāpati is the year; verily thus with these which have their abode in Prajāpati he prospers who knows thus. He recites the first thrice, the last thrice; verily thus he ties the ends of the sacrifice, for steadiness, for might, to prevent slipping.