[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Vedic Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda) › [Brāhmaṇas (ritual exegesis)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana) › [Aitareyabrahmana](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya) › 2.16 # Aitareyabrahmana 2.16 Aitareyabrāhmaṇa 2.16 - **Language:** Sanskrit ### [2.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya.2.16) Prajāpatau vai svayam hotari prātaranuvākam anuvakṣyati sarvā devatā: mām abhi pratipatsyati mām abhīti sa Prajāpatir aikṣata: yady ekāṃ devatām ādiṣṭām abhi pratipatsyāmītarā me kena devatā upāptā bhaviṣyantīti. sa etām ṛcam apaśyad: āpo revatīr ity. āpo vai sarvā devatā, revatyaḥ sarvā devatāḥ. sa etayarcā prātaranuvākam pratyapadyata. tāḥ sarvā devatāḥ prāmodanta: mām abhi pratyapādi mām abhīti sarvā hāsmin devatāḥ prātaranuvākam anubruvati pramodante sarvābhir hāsya devatābhiḥ prātaranuvākaḥ pratipanno bhavati ya evaṃ veda te devā abibhayur: ādātāro vai na imam prātaryajñam asurā yathaujīyāṃso balīyāṃsa evam iti. tān abravīd īndro: mā bibhīta, triṣamṛddham ebhyo 'ham prātar vajram prahartāsmīty, etāṃ vāva tad ṛcam abravīd. vajras tena yad aponaptrīyā, vajras tena yat triṣṭub, vajras tena yad vāk. tam ebhyaḥ prāharat, tenainān ahaṃś tato vai devā abhavan, parā asurā bhavaty ātmanā, parāsya dviṣan pāpmā bhrātṛvyo bhavati, ya evaṃ veda tad āhuḥ: sa vaī hotā syād ya etasyām ṛci sarvāṇi chandāṃsi prajanayed ity. eṣā vāva trir anukta sarvani chandāṃsi bhavaty, eṣā chandasām prajātiḥ > ii. 16 (vii. 6). When Prajāpati himself as Hotṛ was about to recite the morning litany, all the deities expected 'With me will he begin; with me.' Prajāpati pondered, 'If I shall begin with one specified deity, then by what means shall I obtain the other deities?' He saw this verse, 'O waters, the rich ones'; the waters are all the deities; the rich ones are all the deities. With this verse he began the morning litany. All these deities were delighted, 'With me has he begun; with me!' All the deities delight in him beginning the morning litany. By him who knows thus the morning litany is provided with all the deities. The gods were afraid, 'The Asuras will take from us this morning sacrifice, just as those that have more force and might.' To them said Indra 'Fear not; against them in the morning shall I hurl my thunderbolt thrice made perfect.' This verse did he speak; it is a thunderbolt, in that it is addressed to the son of the waters; it is a thunderbolt, in that it is a Triṣṭubh; it is a thunderbolt in that it is speech. It he hurled against them; with it he slew them; thus indeed the gods prospered, the Asuras were defeated. He prospers himself, the evil rival who hates him is defeated, who knows this. They say 'He indeed would be a Hotṛ who in this verse could produce all the metres'; this thrice repeated supports all the metres; this is the generating of the metres. > — Arthur Berriedale Keith 1920, Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25) - [Previous: 2.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya.2.15) - [Next: 2.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya.2.17) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya.2) ## Translations (2) - [Rigveda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas of the Rigveda (HOS 25)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya~en-keith.2.2.p13) — Arthur Berriedale Keith 1920, English - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya~en-mt.2.16) — English, machine translation ## Commentaries (3) - [Aitareyabrāhmaṇabhāṣya (Vedārthaprakāśa)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya!sayana.8.p18) — Sāyaṇa, Sanskrit - [Sukhapradā](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya!sadgurusisya) — Ṣaḍguruśiṣya, Sanskrit - [Vedārthaprakāśa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya!madhava-alias-sayanacarya) — Mādhava alias Sāyaṇācārya, Sanskrit ## Linked texts (2) - [A Vedic Concordance](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.bloomfield-1906.c6.1292) — Maurice Bloomfield, English - [Die Hymnen des Rigveda, Bd. I: Metrische und textgeschichtliche Prolegomena](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.literature.oldenberg-1888.c6.s1.9) — Hermann Oldenberg, German --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya.2.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.brahmana.aitreya.2.16) · Pramāṇa