Aitareyabrahmana 3.49

3.49

agniṣṭomaṃ vai devā aśrayantokthāny asurās,
te samāvadvīryā evāsan, na vyāvartanta.
tān Bharadvāja ṛṣīṇām apaśyad:
ime vā asurā uktheṣu śritās, tān eṣāṃ na kaś cana paśyatīti,
so 'gnim udahvayad
ehy ū ṣu bravāṇi te 'gna itthetarā gira ity
asuryā ha vā itarā giraḥ
so 'gnir upottiṣṭhann abravīt:
kiṃ svid eva mahyaṃ kṛśo dīrghaḥ palito vakṣyatīti
Bharadvājo ha vai kṛśo dīrghaḥ palita āsa
so 'bravīd:
ime vā asurā uktheṣu śritās, tān vo na kaś cana paśyatīti
tān Agnir aśvo bhūtvābhyatyadravad.
yad Agnir aśvo bhūtvābhyatyadravat, tat sākamaśvaṃ sāmābhavat,
tat sākamaśvasya sākamaśvatvaṃ
tad āhuḥ:
sākamaśvenokthāni praṇayed,
apraṇītāni vāva tāny ukthāni yāny anyatra sākamaśvād iti
pramaṃhiṣṭhīyena pranayed, ity āhuḥ,
pramaṃhiṣṭhīyena vai devā asurān ukthebhyaḥ prāṇudanta
tat prāhaiva pramaṃhiṣṭhīyena nayet, pra sākamaśvena

iii. 49 (xv. 5). In the Agniṣṭoma the gods took refuge, in the Ukthas the Asuras; they were of equal strength; they could not be discriminated. These Bharadvāja among the seers saw ‘These Asuras are resting in the Ukthas; them no one of these (gods) sees.’ He called to Agni ‘Come, I shall proclaim to thee, O Agni, other words.’ Other words are those of the Asuras. Agni, rising up, said ‘What does this lean, tall, grey-haired

one desire to say to me?' Bharadvāja was lean, tall, and grey haired. He replied 'These Asuras are resting in the Ukthas; them no one of you sees.' Agni, becoming a horse, rushed to and beyond them; in that Agni, having become a horse, rushed to and beyond them, that was the origin of the Sākamaçva Sāman; that is why the Sākamaçva has its name. They say 'He should begin the Ukthas with the Sākamaçva; the Ukthas have no proper beginning other than the Sākamaçva.' 'With the Pramaṅhiṣṭhīya he should begin,' they say. By means of the Pramaṅhiṣṭhīya the gods repelled the Asuras from the Ukthas. Thus he may begin with the Pramaṅhiṣṭhīya, or with the Sākamaçva.