Aitareyabrahmana 4.3

4.3

athātaś chandāṃsy eva vyatiṣajaty.
ā tvā vahantu haraya, upo ṣu śṛṇuhī gira iti
gāyatrīś ca paṅktīś ca vyatiṣajati.
gāyatro vai puruṣaḥ, pāṅktāḥ paśavaḥ.
puruṣam eva tat paśubhir vyatiṣajati, paśuṣu pratiṣṭhāpayati.
yad u gāyatrī ca paṅktiś ca, te dve anuṣṭubhau;
teno vāco rūpād anuṣṭubho rūpād vājrarūpān naiti
yad indra pṛtanājye,
'yaṃ te astu haryata ity uṣṇihaś ca bṛhatīś ca vyatiṣajaty.
auṣṇiho vai puruṣo, bārhatāḥ paśavaḥ.
puruṣam eva tat paśubhir vyatiṣajati, paśuṣu pratiṣṭhāpayati.
yad uṣṇik ca bṛhatī ca, te dve anuṣṭubhau;
teno vāco rūpād anuṣṭubho rūpād vajrarūpān naity
ā dhūrṣu asmai, brahman vīra brahmakṛtiṃ juṣāṇa iti
dvipadāṃ ca triṣṭubhaṃ ca vyatiṣajati.
dvipād vai puruṣo, vīryaṃ triṣṭup.
puruṣam eva tad vīryeṇa vyatiṣajati, vīrye pratiṣṭhāpayati.
tasmāt puruṣo vīrye pratiṣṭhitaḥ sarveṣām paśunāṃ vīryavattamo.
yad u dvipadā ca viṃśatyakṣarā triṣṭup ca, te dve anuṣṭubhau;
teno vāco rūpād anuṣṭubho rūpād vajrarūpan naity
eṣa brahmā, pra te mahe vidathe śaṃsiṣaṃ harī iti
dvipadāś ca jagatīś ca vyatiṣajati.
dvipād vai puruṣo, jāgatāḥ paśavaḥ.
puruṣam eva tat paśubhir vyatiṣajati, paśuṣu pratiṣṭhāpayati.
tasmāt puruṣaḥ paśuṣu pratiṣṭhito 'tti cainān adhi ca tiṣṭhati, vaśe cāsya.
yad u dvipadā ca ṣoḷaśākṣarā jagatī ca, te dve anuṣṭubhau;
teno vāco rūpād anuṣṭubho rūpād vajrarūpān naiti
trikadrukeṣu mahiṣo yavāśiram,
pro ṣv asmai puroratham ity atichandasaḥ śaṃsati.
chandasāṃ vai yo raso 'tyakṣarat, so 'tichandasam abhy atyakṣarat,
tad atichandaso 'tichandastvaṃ.
sarvebhyo vā eṣa chandobhyaḥ saṃnirmito yat ṣoḷaśī.
tad yad atichandasaḥ śaṃsati,
sarvebhya evainaṃ tac chandobhyaḥ saṃnirmimīte
sarvebhyaś chandobhyaḥ saṃnirmitena ṣoḷaśinā rādhnoti ya evaṃ veda

iv. 3 (xvi. 3). Then he intertwines the metres. In ‘Let the bay steed carry thee hither’ and ‘Do thou hearken to our words’ he intertwines Gāyatrī and Paṅkti verses; man is connected with the Gāyatrī; cattle are connected with the Paṅkti; verily thus he intertwines man with cattle, in cattle he makes him find support. The Gāyatrī and the Paṅkti are two Anuṣṭubhs; thereby he does not depart from the symbol of speech, the symbol of the Anuṣṭubh, and the symbol of the thunderbolt. In ‘What time, O Indra, in the conflict’ and ‘Let this delightful one be to you’ he intertwines Uṣṇih and Bṛhatī verses; man is connected with the Uṣṇih, cattle with the Bṛhatī; verily thus he intertwines man with cattle, in cattle he makes him find support. The Uṣṇih and the Bṛhatī are two Anuṣṭubhs; thereby he does not depart from the symbol of speech, the symbol of the Anuṣṭubh, and the symbol of the thunderbolt. In ‘On the yokes for him’ and ‘O Brahman, O hero, rejoicing in the making of holy power’ he intertwines (a verse) of two Padas and a Triṣṭubh; man has two feet, the Triṣṭubh is strength; verily thus he intertwines man with cattle; in strength he makes him find support; therefore man, being established in strength, is the strongest of all cattle. In that (the verse) of two Padas has twenty syllables and there is a Triṣṭubh, there are two Anuṣṭubhs; thereby he does not depart from the symbol of speech, the symbol of the Anuṣṭubh, and the symbol of the thunderbolt. In ‘This Brahman’ and ‘I shall declare to thee the bay steeds in the great assembly’ he intertwines (verses) of two Padas and Jagatīs; man has two feet; cattle are connected with the

Jagatī; verily thus he intertwines man with cattle; in cattle he makes him find support. Therefore man, being established in cattle, both eats them and masters them; and these are in his power. In that (the verse) of two Padas has sixteen syllables, and there is a Jagatī, there are two Anuṣṭubhs; thereby he does not depart from the symbol of speech, the symbol of the Anuṣṭubh, and the symbol of the thunderbolt. In 'In the bowls the buffalo the barley-mixed' and 'Forward for him, with his chariot forward' he recites Atichandas verses; the sap of the metres that flowed over, that flowed over to the Atichandas verse; that is why the Atichandas has its name. The Ṣoḍaçin is fashioned out of all the metres. In that he recites Atichandas verses, verily thus he fashions it out of all the metres. With the Ṣoḍaçin fashioned out of all the metres he prospers who knows thus.