Aitareyabrahmana 3.11

3.11

sauryā vā etā devatā yan nividas.
tad yat purastād ukthānām prātaḥsavane dhīyante
madhyato madhyaṃdine 'ntatas tṛtīyasavana,
ādityasyaiva tad vratam anuparyāvartante
paccho vai devā yajñaṃ samabharaṃs, tasmāt paccho nividaḥ śasyante
yad vai tad devā yajñaṃ samabharaṃs, tasmād aśvaḥ samabhavat.
tasmād āhur: aśvaṃ nividāṃ śaṃstre dadyād iti,
tad u khalu varam eva dadati
na nividaḥ padam atīyād
yan nividaḥ padam atīyād, yajñasya tac chidraṃ kuryād,
yajñasya vai chidraṃ sravad yajamāno 'nu pāpīyān bhavati.
tasmān na nividaḥ padam atīyān
na nividaḥ pade viparihared.
yan nividaḥ pade vipariharen, mohayed yajñam, mugdho yajamānaḥ syāt.
tasmān na nividaḥ pade vipariharen
na nividaḥ pade samasyed.
yan nividaḥ pade samasyed, yajñasya tad āyuḥ sāṃhāret,
pramāyuko yajamānaḥ syāt.
tasmān na nividaḥ pade samasyet
predam brahma predaṃ kṣatram ity ete eva samasyed,
brahmakṣatrayoḥ saṃśrityai.
tasmād brahma ca kṣatraṃ ca saṃśrite
na tṛcaṃ na caturṛcam ati manyeta nividdhānam,
ekaikaṃ vai nividaḥ pādam ṛcaṃ sūktam prati.
tasmān na tṛcaṃ na caturṛcam ati manyeta nividdhānaṃ,
nividā hy eva stotram atśastam bhavaty
ekām pariśiṣya tṛtīyasavane nividaṃ dadhyād
yad dve pariśiṣya dadhyāt, prajananaṃ tad upahanyād,
garbhais tat prajā vyardhayet.
tasmād ekām eva pariśiṣya tṛtīyasavane nividaṃ dadhyān
na sūktena nividam atipadyeta
yena sūktena nividam atipadyeta,
na tat punar upanivarteta, vāstuham eva tad
anyat taddaivataṃ tacchandasaṃ sūktam āhṛtya tasmin nividaṃ dadhyān
mā pra gāma patho vayam iti purastāt sūktasya śaṃsati
patho vā eṣa praiti yo yajñe muhyati.
mā yajñād indra somina iti, yajñād eva tan na pracyavate
mānta sthur no arātaya ity, arātīyata eva tad apahanti
yo yajñasya prasādhanas tantur deveṣv ātataḥ \ tam āhutaṃ naśīmahīti
prajā vai tantuḥ, prajām evāsmā etat saṃtanoti
mano nv ā huvāmahe nārāśaṃsena someneti
manasā vai yajñas tāyate, manasā kriyate
saiva tatra prāyaścittiḥ prāyaścittiḥ

iii. 11 (xi. 11). The Nivids are deities connected with the sun; in that they are inserted before the litanies at the morning pressing, in the middle at the midday pressing, at the end at the third pressing, verily thus they follow the course of the sun. By quarters the gods gathered together the sacrifice; thereby by sentences are the Nivids recited. In that the gods gathered together the sacrifice, therefore the horse came into being; therefore they say ‘A horse should he give to the reciter of Nivids’; that boon indeed do they give. He should not pass over a sentence of the Nivid; if he were to pass over a sentence of the Nivid, he would make a break in the sacrifice; as the break in the sacrifice grows the sacrificer becomes worse. Therefore should he not pass over a line of the Nivid. He should not invert two sentences of the Nivid; if he were to invert two sentences of the Nivid, he would confuse the sacrifice; the sacrificer would be confused. Therefore he should not invert two sentences of the Nivid. He should not unite two sentences of the Nivid; if he were to unite two sentences of the Nivid, he would contract the life of the sacrifice, the sacrificer would be likely to die. Therefore he should not unite two sentences of the Nivid. ‘Forward this holy power; forward this lordly power,’ these two only should he unite, to unite the lordly power with the holy power; therefore are the lordly and the holy powers united. He should not go beyond (a hymn) of three or four verses for inserting a Nivid; each single sentence of a Nivid is a counterpart to a verse, (even) to a hymn; therefore one must not go beyond (a hymn) of three or four verses for inserting a Nivid, for by the Nivid in itself the Stotra is exceeded in recitation. Having left one (verse) over should he insert a Nivid at the third pressing; if he were to insert having left two over, he would injure the propagative power; thus he would deprive people of embryos; therefore having left one only over, he should insert a Nivid at the third pressing. He should not go past the Nivid with the

hymn; if with a hymn he goes past the Nivid, he should not return there; verily that stays in its place; having taken another hymn of the same deity and metre he should insert in it the Nivid. ‘Let us depart not from the way’ he recites before the hymn; he goes from the way who is confused at the sacrifice. ‘Not from the sacrifice with Soma, O Indra’ (he says); verily thus he falls not away from the sacrifice. ‘May not evil spirits stand within us’ (he says); verily thus he smites away those who plot evil. ‘That which accomplisheth the sacrifice The web spread out among the gods, May we accomplish, when offered’ (he says ). The web is offspring; verily thus he secures offspring for him (he says ). ‘Mind we invoke with Soma for Narāçaṅsa’ (he says ); by mind the sacrifice is carried on, by mind it is performed. This here is the expiation.