Aitareyabrahmana 3.14

3.14

Agnir vai devānāṃ hotāsīt, tam mṛtyur bahiṣpavamāne 'sīdat.
so 'nuṣṭubhājyam pratyapadyata, mṛtyum eva tat paryakrāmat.
tam ājye 'sīdat. sa praügeṇa pratyapadyata, mṛtyum eva tat paryakrāmat
tam mādhyaṃdine pavamāne 'sīdat.
so 'nuṣṭubhā marutvatīyam pratyapadyata, mṛtyum eva tat paryakrāmat.
tam mādhyaṃdine bṛhatīṣu nāśaknot sattum.
prāṇā vai bṛhatyaḥ, prāṇān eva tan nāśaknod vyavaituṃ.
tasmān mādhyaṃdine hotā bṛhatīṣu stotriyeṇaiva pratipadyate.
prāṇā vai bṛhatyaḥ, prāṇān eva tad abhi pratipadyate
taṃ tṛtīyapavamāne 'sīdat.
so 'nuṣṭubhā vaiśvadevam pratyapadyata, mṛtyum eva tat paryakrāmat.
taṃ yajñāyajñīye 'sīdat.
sa vaiśvānarīyeṇāgnimārutam pratyapadyata, mṛtyum eva tat paryakrāmad.
vajro vai vaiśvānarīyam pratiṣṭhā yajñāyajñīyaṃ,
vajreṇaiva tat pratiṣṭhāyā mṛtyuṃ nudate.
sa sarvān pāśān sarvān sthāṇūn mṛtyor atimucya svasty evodamucyata,
svasty eva hotonmucyate sarvāyuḥ sarvāyutvāya
sarvam āyur eti ya evaṃ veda

iii. 14 (xii. 3). Agni was the Hotṛ of the gods ; for him death waited in the Bahiṣpavamāna (Stotra); he began the Ājya (Çastra) with an Anuṣṭubh; verily thus he evaded death. For him it waited in the Ājya (Stotra); he began with the Praüga; verily thus he evaded death. For him it waited in the Mādhyamdina Pavamāna; he began the Marutvatīya with an Anuṣṭubh; verily thus he evaded death. For him it could not wait in the Bṛhatī verses in the midday (pressing); the Bṛhatī verses are the breaths; verily thus it

could not penetrate the breaths. Therefore at the midday pressing Hotṛ begins with a strophe in Bṛhatī; the Bṛhatī verses are the breaths; verily thus he begins with reference to the breaths. For him it waited in the third Pavamāna; he began the Vaiçvadeva (Çastra) with an Anuṣṭubh; verily thus he evaded death. For him it waited in the Yajñāyajñīya; he began the Āgnimāruta (Çastra) with (a triplet) for Vaiçvānara; verily thus he evaded death. That for Vaiçvānara is a thunderbolt, the Yajñāyajñīya is a support; verily thus by the thunderbolt he drives away death from the support. He having unloosened all the nets, all the posts, of death, was released in safety; in safety verily is the Hotṛ released with full life, for fullness of life; a full life he lives who knows thus.