Aitareyabrahmana 4.29: adhyāya 20, khaṇḍaḥ 1-4

4.29

Agnir vai devatā prathamam ahar vahati,
trivṛt stomo rathaṃtaraṃ sāma gāyatrī chando
yathādevatam enena yathāstomaṃ yathāsāma yathāchandasaṃ rādhnoti
ya evaṃ veda
yad vā eti ca preti ca, tat prathamasyāhno rūpaṃ.
yad yuktavad yad rathavad yad āśumad yat pibavad,
yat prathame pade devatā nirucyate,
yad ayaṃ loko 'bhyudito,
yad rāthaṃtaraṃ yad gāyatraṃ yat kariṣyad:
etāni vai prathamasyāhno rūpāṇy
upaprayanto adhvaram iti prathamasyāhna ājyam bhavati
preti prathame 'hani prathamasyāhno rūpaṃ
vāyav ā yāhi darśateti praügam.
eti prathame 'hani prathamasyāhno rūpam
ā tvā rathaṃ yathotaya, idaṃ vaso sutam andha iti
marutvatīyasya pratipadanucarau.
rathavac ca pibavac ca prathame 'hani prathamasyāhno rūpam
indra nedīya ed ihītīndranihavaḥ pragāthaḥ.
prathame pade devatā nirucyate, prathame 'hani prathamasyāhno rūpam
praitu brahmaṇas patir iti brāhmaṇaspatyaḥ.
preti prathame 'hani prathamasyāhno rūpam
agnir netā, tvaṃ soma kratubhiḥ, pinvanty apa iti dhāyyāḥ.
prathameṣu padeṣu devatā nirucyante, prathame 'hani prathamasyāhno rūpam
pra vā indrāya bṛhata iti marutvatīyaḥ pragāthaḥ.
preti prathame 'hani prathamasyāhno rūpam
ā yātv indro 'vasa upa na iti sūktam.
eti prathame 'hani prathamasyāhno rūpam
abhi tvā śūra nonumo, 'bhi tvā pūrvapītaya iti
rathaṃtaram pṛṣṭham bhavati.
rāthaṃtare 'hani prathame 'hani prathamasyāhno rūpaṃ
yad vāvāna purutamam purāṣāḷ iti dhāyy,ā vṛtrahendro nāmāny aprā ity.
eti prathame 'hani prathamasyāhno rūpam
pibā sutasya rasina iti
sāmapragāthaḥ pibavān prathame 'hani prathamasyāhno rūpaṃ
tyam ū ṣu vājinaṃ devajūtam iti tārkṣyam purastāt sūktasya śaṃsati.
svastyayanaṃ vai tārkṣyaḥ, svastitāyai
svastyayanam eva tat kurute,
svasti saṃvatsarasya pāram aśnute ya evaṃ veda

iv. 29 (xx. 1). Agni as deity bears the first day, the Trivṛt Stoma, the Rathantara Sāman, the Gāyatrī metre. With it according to the deity, the Stoma, the Sāman, the metre, he prospers who knows thus. That which has (the words) 'hither' and 'forward' is a symbol of the first day. That which contains (the word) 'yoke', (the word) 'car', (the word) 'swift', (the word) 'drink', (the fact) that the deity is mentioned in the first Pada, that this world is referred to, that which is connected with the Rathantara, which is connected with the Gāyatrī, the future tense, these are the symbols of the first day. 'Advancing forward up to the sacrifice' is the Ājya of the first day; (the word) 'forward' on the first day is a symbol of the first day. 'O Vāyu, come hither, O lovely one' is the Praüga; (the word) 'hither'

on the first day is a symbol of the first day. ‘Thee like a car forward’ and ‘This Soma juice, O bright one, hath been pressed’ are the strophe and antistrophe of the Marutvatīya; that which contains (the words) ‘car’ and ‘drink’ on the first day is the symbol of the first day. ‘O Indra come nearer’ is the Pragātha invoking Indra; in the first Pada the god is mentioned, on the first day it is a symbol of the first day. ‘Let Brahmaṇaspati move forward’ is (the Pragātha) to Brahmaṇaspati; (the word) ‘forward’ on the first day is a symbol of the first day. ‘Agni the leader’, ‘Thou, O Soma, with inspiration’ and ‘They swell the waters’ are the inserted verses; in the first Padas the deities are mentioned; on the first day it is a symbol of the first day. ‘Forward to Indra, the great’ is the Marutvatīya Pragātha; (the word) ‘forward’ on the first day is a symbol of the first day. ‘Let Indra come hither for help to us’ is the hymn; (the word) ‘hither’ on the first day is a symbol of the first day. ‘Towards thee, O hero, we utter praise’ and ‘Towards thee for the first drink’ are the Rathantara as Pṛṣṭha, on the Rathantara day, the first day, it is a symbol of the first day. ‘Since many a time he hath conquered, enduring’ is the inserted verse; in ‘Indra hath made good (ā ... aprāḥ) his names as slayer of Vṛtra’, (the word) ‘hither (ā)’ on the first day is a symbol of the first day. ‘Drink of the pressed juice full of sap’ is the Pragātha of the Sāman; containing (the word) ‘drink’ on the first day it is a symbol of the first day. In ‘This steed, god-strengthened’ he recites the Tārkṣya (hymn) before the hymn; Tārkṣya is safe passage; (verily it serves) to secure safety. Verily he secures a safe journey, he attains the other side of the year who knows thus.