Aitareyabrahmana 4.5

4.5

ahar vai devā aśrayanta rātrīm asurās,
te samāvadvīryā evāsan, na vyāvartanta.
so 'bravīd Indraḥ:
kaś cāhaṃ cemān ito 'surān rātrīm anv aveṣyāva iti.
sa deveṣu na pratyavindad, abibhayū rātres tamaso mṛtyos.
tasmād dhāpy etarhi naktaṃ yāvanmatram ivaivāpakramya bibheti,
tama iva hi rātrir mṛtyur iva
taṃ vai chandāṃsy evānvavāyaṃs.
taṃ yac chandāṃsy evānvavāyaṃs,
tasmād Indraś caiva chandāṃsi ca rātrīṃ vahanti.
na nivic chasyate na puroruṅ na dhāyyā nānyā devatendraś ca
hy eva chandāṃsi ca rātrīṃ vahanti
tān vai paryāyair eva paryāyam anudanta.
yat paryāyaiḥ paryāyam anudanta, tat paryāyāṇām paryāyatvaṃ
tān vai prathamenaiva paryāyeṇā pūrvarātrād
anudanta madhyamena madhyarātrād uttamenāpararātrād
api śarvaryā anusmasīty abruvann,
apiśarvarāṇi khalu vā etāni chandāṃsīti ha smāhaitāni hīndraṃ rātres
tamaso mṛtyor bibhyatam atyapārayaṃs, tad apiśarvarāṇām apiśarvaratvam

iv. 5 (xvi. 5). In the day the gods took refuge, in the night the Asuras; they were of equal strength; they could not be discriminated. Indra said ‘Who with me will attack (to drive) hence these Asuras through the night?’ He found no one among the gods, they were afraid of night, the darkness, death. Therefore now also in the night if one has gone away any distance whatever, he is afraid, for the night is darkness as it were, death as it were. The metres alone followed him; in that the metres alone followed him, therefore Indra and the metres bear the night. No Nivid is recited, nor Puroruc nor inserted verse, nor is any other deity celebrated; for Indra and the metres alone bear the night. They repelled them by going round in rounds; in that they repelled by going round in rounds, that is why the rounds have their name. Them they repelled from the first part of the night by the first round, from the middle of the night by the second, from the last part of night by the last. ‘Up from the night do we follow’ they said. ‘Bordering on night are these metres’ he used to say; for these rescued Indra when afraid from night, the darkness, death; that is why the Apiçarvaras have their name.