Aitareyabrahmana 2.6

2.6

daivyāḥ śamitāra ārabhadhvam uta manuṣyā ity āha
ye caiva devānāṃ śamitāro ye ca manuṣyāṇāṃ tān eva tat saṃśāsty
upanayata medhyā dura āśāsānā medhapatibhyām medham iti
paśur vai medho, yajamāno medhapatir;
yajamānam eva tat svena medhena samardhayaty
atho khalv āhur:
yasyai vāva kasyai ca devatāyai paśur ālabhyate saiva medhapatir iti
sa yady ekadevatyaḥ paśuḥ syān medhapataya iti brūyād,
yadi dvidevatyo medhapatibhyām iti, yadi bahudevatyo medhapatibhya ity.
etad eva sthitam
prāsmā agnim bharateti
paśur vai nīyamānaḥ sa mṛtyum prāpaśyat, sa devān nānvakāmayataituṃ.
taṃ devā abruvann:
ehi, svargaṃ vai tvā lokaṃ gamayiṣyāma iti.
sa tathety abravīt, tasya vai me yuṣmākam ekaḥ purastād aitv iti.
tatheti. tasyāgniḥ purastad ait, so 'gnim anuprācyavata
tasmad āhur: āgneyo vāva sarvaḥ paśur, Agniṃ hi so 'nuprācyavateti
tasmād v asyāgnim purastād dharanti
stṛṇīta barhir ity.
oṣadhyātmā va, paśuḥ, paśum eva tat sarvātmānaṃ karoty
anv enam mātā manyatām anu pitānu bhrātā
sa garbhyo 'nu sakhā sayūthya iti.
janitrair evainaṃ tat samanumatam ālabhanta
udīcīnām̐ asya pado ni dhattāt, sūryaṃ cakṣur gamayatād,
vātam prāṇam anvavasṛjatād, antarikṣam asuṃ,
diśaḥ śrotram, pṛthivīṃ śarīram ity.
eṣv evainaṃ tal lokeṣv ādadhāty
ekadhāsya tvacam āchyatāt, purā nābhyā apiśaso vapām utkhidatād,
antar evoṣmāṇaṃ vārayadhvād iti. paśuṣv eva tat prāṇān dadhāti
śyenam asya vakṣaḥ kṛṇutāt, praśasā bāhū, śalā doṣaṇī,
kaśyapevāṃsāchidre śroṇī, kavaṣorū, srekaparṇāṣṭhīvantā.
ṣaḍviṃśatir asya vaṅkrayas, ta anuṣṭhyoccyāvayatād,
gātraṃ-gatram asyānūnaṃ kṛṇutād ity aṅgāny evāsya tad gātrāṇi prīṇāty
ūvadhyagoham pārthivaṃ khanatād ity āhauṣadhaṃ vā ūvadhyam,
iyaṃ vā oṣadhīnām pratiṣṭhā,
tad enat svāyām eva pratiṣṭhāyām antataḥ pratiṣṭhāpayati

ii. 6 (vi. 6). ‘O divine slayers and O human (slayers) make ready’ he says; the slayers of the gods and those of man, them thus he instructs. ‘Bring ye (it) to the doors of sacrifice, ordaining the sacrifice for the lords of the sacrifice’ (he says). The sacrifice is the victim; the lord of the sacrifice the sacrificer; verily thus he makes the sacrificer prosper with his own sacrifice. Or rather they say, ‘To whatever deity the victim is slaughtered, that is the lord of the sacrifice.’ If the victim be for one deity, ‘for the lord of the sacrifice’ he should say; if for two deities, ‘for the two lords of the sacrifice’; if for many deities ‘for the lords of the sacrifice’. That is the rule. ‘Forward for him bear Agni’ (he

says); the victim as it was borne along saw death before it, and was not willing to go to the gods; the gods said to it, 'Come; we shall make you go to the world of heaven.' It replied 'Be it so; but let one of you go before me.' 'Be it so' (they replied). Before it went Agni; it followed after Agni. Therefore they say, 'Every animal is connected with Agni, for after Agni it followed.' Therefore also they bear Agni before it. 'Spread the strew' (he says); the victim has plants as its body; verily thus he makes the victim have its full body. 'May its mother approve it, its father, its brother from the same womb, its comrade from the same flock' (he says); verily thus they slay it with the approval of its generators. 'Place its feet north; make its eye go to the sun; let loose its breath to the wind, its life to the atmosphere, its ear to the quarters, its body to earth' (he says); verily it he thus places in these worlds. 'Flay off its skin in one piece; before cutting the navel force out the omentum; keep its breath within' (he says); verily thus he places the breaths in cattle. 'Make its breast an eagle, its two front legs hatchets, its two fore feet spikes, its shoulders two tortoises as it were, its loins uncut, its thighs two door leaves, its knees oleander leaves; its ribs are twenty-six; them in order remove; make each limb of it perfect' (he says); verily thus its members and its limbs he delights. 'Make a hole in the earth to cover the offal' he says; the offal is connected with plants; this (earth) is the support of plants; verily thus at the end he establishes it in its own support.