Aitareyabrahmana 2.3

2.3

tiṣṭhed yūpā+ḥ \ anuprahare+t ity āhus
tiṣṭhet paśukāmasya
devebhyo vai paśavo 'nnādyāyālambhāya nātiṣṭhanta.
te 'pakramya prativāvadato 'tiṣṭhaṇ:
nāsmān ālapsyadhve nāsmān iti.
tato vai devā etaṃ yūpam vajram apaśyaṃs, tam ebhya udaśrayaṃs;
tasmād bibhyata upāvartanta, tam evādyāpy upāvṛittās.
tato vai devebhyaḥ paśavo 'nnādyāyālambhāyatiṣṭhanta
tiṣṭhante 'smai paśāvo 'nnadyāyālambhāya
ya evaṃ veda yasya caivaṃ viduṣo yūpas tiṣṭhaty
anupraharet svargakānasya
tam u ha smaitam pūrve 'nv eva praharanti
yajamāno vai yūpo yajamānaḥ prastaro, 'gnir vai devayoniḥ;
so 'gner devayonyā āhutibhyaḥ sambhūya hiraṇyaśarīra ūrdhvaḥ
svargaṃ lokam eṣyatīty
atha ye tebhyo 'vara āsaṃs ta etaṃ svarum apaśyan yūpaśakalaṃ.
taṃ tasmin kāle 'nupraharet.
tatra sa kāma upāpto yo 'nupraharaṇe, tatra sa kāma upāpto yaḥ sthāne
sarvābhyo vā eṣa devatābhya ātmānam ālabhate yo dīkṣate.
'gniḥ sarvā devatāḥ, Somaḥ sarvā devatāḥ.
sa yad agnīṣomīyam paśum
ālabhate, sarvābhya eva tad devatābhyo yajamāna ātmānaṃ niṣkrīṇīte
tad āhur:
dvirūpo 'gnīṣomīyaḥ kartavyo, dvidevatyo hīti.
tat-tan nādṛtyam. pīva iva kartavyaḥ.
pīvorūpā vai paśavaḥ, kṛśita iva khalu vai yajamāno bhavati.
tad yat pīvā paśur bhavati, yajamānam eva tat svena medhena samardhayati
tad āhur:
nāgnīṣomīyasya pāśor aśnīyāt,
puruṣasya vā eṣo 'śnāti yo 'gnīṣomīyasya pāśor aśnāti;
yajamāno hy etenātmānaṃ niṣkrīṇīta iti
tat-tan nādṛtyaṃ.
vārtraghnaṃ vā etad dhavir yad agnīṣomīyo.
'gnīṣomābhyāṃ vā īndro vṛtram ahaṃs, tāv enam abrūtām:
āvābhyāṃ vai vṛtram avadhīr, varaṃ te vṛṇāvāha īti.
vṛṇāthām iti. tāv etam eva varam avṛṇātāṃ: śvaḥsutyāyām paśuṃ.
sa enayor eṣo 'cyuto, varavṛto hy enayos.
tasmāt tasyāśitavyaṃ caiva līpsitavyaṃ ca

ii. 3 (vi. 3). 'Should the post stand? Or should he throw it (into the fire)?' they say. It should stand for one desiring cattle. Cattle would not serve the gods for slaying as food. They having departed kept disputing; 'Ye shall not slay us, not us.' Then the gods saw this post as a thunderbolt; they raised it up against them; fearing it they came back; verily even to-day they come up to it. Thereafter the cattle served the gods for slaying as food. Cattle serve for slaying as food him who knows thus and for whom knowing thus the post continues standing. He should throw (it) after for one who desires heaven; the ancients used to throw it after, (thinking) 'the post is the sacrificer, the strew the sacrificer; Agni is the birthplace of the gods; he, having come into existence from Agni as the birthplace of the gods from the oblation, with a body of gold will go aloft to the world of heaven.' Then those who were later than they saw this chip as a fragment of the post ; it should be thrown after at this time; thence is obtained the desire in the throwing after, thence the desire is obtained which is in the standing. Himself to all the deities he offers who consecrates himself; all the deities are Agni; all the deities are Soma; in that he offers a victim to Agni and Soma, verily thus the sacrificer redeems himself from all the deities. They say, 'As victim for Agni and Soma should be offered one of two colours, for it is for two deities.' That is not to be regarded. It should be offered as fat; cattle are characterized by fat; the sacrificer becomes emaciated as it were; in that the victim is fat, verily thus he makes the sacrificer prosper with his own fat. They say, 'He should not eat of the

victim for Agni and Soma; of a man he eats who eats of the victim for Agni and Soma, for thereby the sacrificer redeems himself.' That is not to be regarded. (The victim) for Agni and Soma is an oblation connected with the slaying of Vṛtra; by means of Agni and Soma Indra slew Vṛtra; they said to him, 'Through us two thou hast slain Vṛtra; let us choose a boon from thee.' 'Choose' (he said). They chose this boon, the victim on the pressing day of to-morrow. This is regularly performed for those two, for it is chosen as a boon for them. Therefore should the victim be partaken of, and one should be fain to take it.