Aitareyabrahmana 1.28

1.28

Agnaye praṇīyamānāyānubrūhīty āhādhvaryuḥ
pra devaṃ devyā dhiyā bharatā jātavedasam \
havya no vakṣad ānuṣag iti gāyātrīm brāhmaṇasyānubrūyād
gāyatro vai brāhmaṇas, tejo vai brahmavarcasaṃ gāyatrī;
tejasaivainaṃ tad brahmavarcasena samardhayatī/mam
mahe vidathyāya śūṣam iti triṣṭubhaṃ rājanyasyānubrūyāt
traiṣṭubho vai rājanya, ojo vā indriyaṃ vīryaṃ triṣṭub;
ojasaivainaṃ tad indriyeṇa vīryeṇa samardhayati
śaśvat kṛtva īḍyāya pra jabhrur iti
svānām evainaṃ tac chraiṣṭhyaṃ gamāyati
śṛṇotu no damyebhir anīkaiḥ śṛṇotv agnir divyair ajasra ity
ājarasaṃ hāsminn ajasro dīdāya ya evaṃ vedā/yam
iha prathamo dhāyi dhātṛbhir iti jagatīṃ vaiśyasyānubrūyāj
jāgato vai vaiśyo, jāgatāḥ paśavaḥ; paśubhir evainaṃ tat samardhayāti
vaneṣu citraṃ vibhvaṃ viśe-viśa ity abhirūpā.
yad yajñe 'bhirūpaṃ tat samṛddham
ayam u ṣya pra devayur ity
anuṣṭubbi vācaṃ visṛjate
vāg vā anuṣṭub, vācy eva tad vācaṃ visṛjate
'yam u ṣya iti yad āhāyam u syāgamaṃ yā purā Gandharveṣv
avātsam ity eva tad vāk prabrūte
'yam agnir uruṣyatīty
ayaṃ vā Agnir uruṣyaty
amṛtād iva janmana ity, amṛtatvam evāsmiṃs tad dadhāti
sahasaś cit sahīyān devo jīvātave kṛta iti
devo hy eṣa etaj jīvātave kṛto yad Agnir
iḷāyās tvā pade vayaṃ nābhā pṛthivyā adhīty
etad vā iḷāyās padaṃ yad uttaravedīnābhir
jātavedo ni dhīmahīti, nidhāsyanto hy enam bhavanty
agne havyāya voḷhava iti, havyaṃ hi vakṣyau bhavaty
agne viśvebhiḥ svanīka devair ūrṇāvantam prathamaḥ sīda yonim iti
viśvāir evainaṃ tad devaiḥ sahāsādayati
kulāyinaṃ ghṛtavantāṃ savitra iti, kulāyam iva hy etad yajñe kriyate
yat paitudāravāḥ paridhayo gulgulūrṇāstukāḥ sugandhitejanānīti.
yajnāṃ naya yajamānāya sādhv iti, yajñam eva tad ṛjudhā pratiṣṭhāpayati
sīda hotaḥ sva u loke cikitvān ity, Agnir vai devānāṃ hotā,
tasyaiṣa svo loko yad uttaravedīnābhiḥ
sādayā yajñaṃ sukṛtasya yonāv iti,
yajamāno vai yajño, yajamānāyaivaitām āśiṣam āśāste
devāvīr devān haviṣā yajāsy agne bṛhad yajamāne vayo dhā iti;
prāṇo vai vayaḥ, prāṇam eva tad yajamāne dadhāti
ni hotā hotṛṣadane vidāna ity; Agnir vai devānāṃ hotā,
tasyaitad dhotṛṣadanaṃ yad uttaravedīnābhis
tveṣo dīdivām̐ asadat sudakṣa ity, āsanno hi sa tarhi bhavaty
adabdhavratapramatir vasiṣṭha ity, Agnir vai devānāṃ vasiṣṭhaḥ
sahasrambharaḥ śucijihvo agnir ity,
eṣā ha vā asya sahasrambharatā yad enam ekaṃ santam bahudhā viharanti
pra ha vai sāhasram poṣam āpnoti ya evaṃ veda
tvaṃ dūtas tvam u naḥ paraspā ity uttamayā paridadhāti
tvaṃ vasya ā vṛṣabha praṇetā \
agne tokasya nas tane tanūnām aprayuchan dīdyad bodhi gopā ity
Agnir vai devānāṃ gopā; Agnim eva tat sarvato goptāram paridatta ātmane
ca yajamānāya ca yatraivaṃ vidvān etayā paridadhāty,
atho saṃvatsarīṇām evaitāṃ svastiṃ kurute
tā etā aṣṭāv anvāha rūpasamṛdhā.
etad vai yajñasya samṛddhaṃ yad rūpasamṛddhaṃ,
yat karma kriyamāṇam ṛg abhivadati
tāsāṃ triḥ prathamām anvāha trir uttamāṃ, tā dvādaśa sampadyante:
dvādasa vai māsāḥ saṃvatsaraḥ, saṃvatsaraḥ Prajāpatiḥ.
prajāpatyāyatanābhir evābhī rādhnoti ya evaṃ veda.
triḥ prathamāṃ trir uttamām anvāha,
yajñasyaiva tad barsau nahyati sthemne balāyāvisraṃsāya

i. 28 (v. 2). ‘Recite for Agni as he is being brought forward,’ the Adhvaryu says. ‘Forth the god with the thought divine, Do ye bear the all-knower, May he bear our libations daily,’ this Gāyatrī verse should he recite for a Brahman; the Brahmin is connected with the Gāyatrī; the Gāyatrī is brilliance and splendour; verily thus with brilliance and with splendour he makes him prosper. ‘To him the mighty, meet for assembly, the strengthening hymn,’ this Triṣṭubh he should recite for a Rājanya; the Rājanya is connected with the Triṣṭubh; the Triṣṭubh is force, power, and strength; verily thus with force, power, and strength he makes him prosper. ‘Ever uttering they have brought forward to the one worthy of praise’ (he says); verily, thus he makes him attain pre-eminence over his own people. ‘Let him bear

us with the splendours of his home; let Agni hear us immortal with his divine (splendour); until old age on him he shines immortal, who thus knows.' 'He here first hath been set down by the ordainers', this Jagatī verse should he recite for a Vaiçya; the Vaiçya is connected with the Jagatī; cattle are connected with the Jagatī; verily thus with cattle he makes him prosper. 'Variegated in the woods, manifested for every people' is an appropriate (verse); that which in the sacrifice is appropriate is perfect. 'Here the godly', in this Anuṣṭubh he utters speech; the Anuṣṭubh is speech; verily thus in speech he utters speech. In that he says 'Here', verily thus speech declares 'Here am I come who aforetime have dwelt with the Gandharvas.' 'Agni protecteth here' (he says), Agni here protects; 'As from the immortal race'; verily thus he confers immortality upon him. 'Stronger than the strong the god made for life' (he says), for Agni is a god made] for life. 'Thee in the footstep of the sacrificial food, on the navel of the earth' (he says); the navel of the high altar is the footstep of the sacrificial food. 'O All-knower, we deposit thee' (he says), for they about to deposit him. 'O Agni, to carry the oblation' (he says), for he is about to carry the oblation. 'O Agni of fair face, with all the gods, sit first on the birthplace rich in wool' (he says); verily thus he makes him sit with all the gods. 'Making a nest, rich in ghee, for Savitṛ' (he says); a nest as it were is made in the sacrifice by the enclosing sticks of Pitudāru wood, bdellium, the wool tufts, and the fragrant grasses. 'Lead the sacrifice well for the sacrificer' (he says); verily thus he establishes straight the sacrifice. 'Sit, O Hotṛ, in thine own place, discerning' (he says); the Hotṛ of the gods is Agni; the navel of the high altar is his own place. 'Do thou place the sacrifice in the birthplace of good deeds' (he says); the sacrifice is the sacrificer; verily thus for the sacrificer he invokes this benediction. 'Seeking the gods, do thou sacrifice to the gods with oblation, O Agni, do thou accord great power to the sacrificer' (he says); power is breath; verily thus he places breath in the sacrificer. 'The Hotṛ in the Hotṛ's seat, well knowing' (he says); the Hotṛ of the gods is Agni; the navel of the high altar is his Hotṛ's seat. 'Shining, resplendent, he hath sat, the well skilled' (he says), for he is seated here. 'With vows and foresight undeceived, most bright' (he says); Agni is the most bright of the gods. 'Bearing a thousand, Agni, of pure tongue' (he says); for this is his character of bearing

a thousand, that him being but one they carry apart in many directions; prosperity a thousandfold he obtains who knows thus. ‘Thou art a herald, thou also our protector from afar,’ with this last (verse ) he concludes. ‘Thou, O strong one, art the leader to greater wealth; O Agni, for ourselves, our children and offspring, be thou the guardian, resplendent and never failing’ (he says); Agni is the guardian of the gods; verily thus does he place Agni as a guardian on all sides for himself and for the sacrificer, when one knowing thus concludes with this (verse); moreover, thus he produces prosperity for a year. Eight he recites, perfect in form; that in the sacrifice is perfect which is perfect in form, that rite which as it is being performed the verse describes. Of these he recites the first thrice, the last thrice; they make up twelve; the year has twelve months; Prajāpati is the year; verily thus with those that have their abode in Prajāpati he prospers who knows thus. He repeats the first thrice, the last thrice; verily thus he ties the two ends of the sacrifice, for firmness, for might, to avoid slipping.