Aitareyabrahmana 1.6

1.6

atho pañcavīryaṃ vā etac chando yad virāḍ
yat tripadā tenoṣṇihāgāyatryau, yad asyā ekādaśākṣarāṇi padāni
tena triṣṭub, yat trayastriṃśadakṣarā tenānuṣṭum.
na vā ekenākṣareṇa chandāṃsi viyanti na dvābhyāṃ.
yad virāṭ tat pañcamaṃ
sarveṣāṃ chandasāṃ vīryam avarunddhe,
sarveṣāṃ chandasāṃ vīryam aśnute,
sarveṣāṃ chandasāṃ sāyujyaṃ sarūpatāṃ salokatām aśnute,
'nnādo 'nnapatir bhavaty,
aśnute prajayānnādyaṃ ya evaṃ vidvān virājau kurute
tasmād virājāv eva kartavye
preddho agna, imo agna ity ete
ṛtaṃ vāva dīkṣā satyaṃ dīkṣā, tasmād dīkṣitena satyam eva vaditavyam
atho khalv āhuḥ:
ko 'rhati manuṣyaḥ sarvaṃ satyaṃ vadituṃ;
satyasaṃhitā vai devā, anṛtasaṃhitā manuṣyā iti
vicakṣaṇavatīṃ vācaṃ vadec
cakṣur vai vicakṣaṇaṃ, vi hy enena paśyatīty
etad dha vai manuṣyeṣu satyaṃ nihitaṃ yac cakṣus
tasmād ācakṣāṇam āhur:
adrāg iti. sa yady adarśam ity āhāthāsya śrad dadhati.
yady u vai svayam paśyati, na bahūnāṃ canānyeṣāṃ śrad dadhāti
tasmād vicakṣaṇavatīm eva vācaṃ vadet, satyottarā haivāsya vāg
uditā bhavati bhavati

i. 6. Now the Virāj is a metre of five strengths; in that it has three Padas, it is the Uṣṇih and Gāyatrī; in that its Padas have eleven syllables, it is the Triṣṭubh; in that it has thirty-three syllables, it is the Anuṣṭubh, for metres are not different by reason of one syllable, nor yet by two; in that it is the Virāj, that is its fifth (strength). The strength of all the metres he wins, the strength of all the metres he attains, unity with and identity of form and world with all the metres he attains, an eater of food, a lord of food he becomes, with his offspring he attains proper food, who knowing thus uses Virāj verses. Therefore should Virāj verses be used, namely ‘Kindled, O Agni’ and ‘These, O Agni’. The consecration is holy order, the consecration is truth; therefore by one who is consecrated should truth alone be spoken. Rather they say, ‘What man ought to speak all truth; the gods are

of truth compact, but men of untruth compact.' He should speak with (the word) 'discerning'; 'the discerning is the eye, for by it he sees distinctly' (they say). Now the eye is truth deposited among men; therefore to him who narrates they say, 'Hast thou seen?' If he replies 'I have seen', then him they believe. But if a man himself sees, he believes not even many others. Therefore should he speak with (the word) 'discerning'; his speech is uttered as essentially true.