Aitareyabrahmana 6.1: adhyāya 26, khaṇḍaḥ 1-3

6.1

devā ha vai sarvacarau satraṃ niṣedus, te ha pāpmānaṃ nāpajaghnire.
tān hovācārbudaḥ Kādraveyaḥ sarpaṛṣir mantrakṛd:
ekā vai vo hotrākṛtā, tāṃ vo 'haṃ karavāṇy,
atha pāpmānam apahaniṣyadhva iti.
te ha tathety ūcus.
teṣāṃ ha sma sa madhyaṃdine-madhyaṃdina evopodāsarpan,
grāvṇo 'bhiṣṭauti
tasmān madhyaṃdinemadhyaṃdina eva grāvṇo 'bhiṣṭuvanti tadanukṛti
sa ha <sma> yenopodāsarpat,
tad dhāpy etarhy Arbudodāsarpaṇī nāma prapad asti
tān ha rājā madayāṃ cakāra, te hocur:
āśīviṣo vai no rājānam avekṣate,
hantāsyoṣṇīṣeṇākṣyāv apinahyāmeti. tatheti.
tasya hoṣṇīṣeṇakṣyāv apinehus,
tasmād uṣṇīṣam eva paryasya grāvṇo 'bhiṣṭuvanti tadanukṛti
tān ha rājā madayām eva cakāra, te hocuḥ:
svena vai no mantreṇa grāvṇo 'bhiṣṭautīti,
hantāsyānyābhir ṛgbhir mantram āpṛnacāmeti. tatheti.
tasya hānyābhir ṛgbhir mantram āpapṛcus, tato hainān na madayāṃ cakāra.
tad yad asyānyābhir ṛgbhir mantram āpṛñcanti, śāntyā eva
te ha pāpmānam apajaghnire.
teṣām anv apahatiṃ sarpāḥ pāpmānam apajaghnire,
ta ete 'pahatapāpmāno hitvā pūrvāṃ jīrṇāṃ tvacaṃ navayaiva prayanty
apa pāpmānaṃ hate ya evaṃ veda

vi. 1 (xxvi. 1). The gods performed a Sattra at Sarvacaru ; they could not smite away evil. To them said Arbuda Kādraveya, the serpent seer, the maker of spells, ‘One Hotṛ’s office has not been performed by you, that will I perform for you; then will you smite away evil. They said ‘Be it so’. At each midday he crept out for them; he praised the pressing stones; therefore at each midday they praise the pressing stones in imitation of him. The way by which he crept out is now called the creeping out of Arbuda. Them the king made drunk; they said ‘It is a poisonous snake that looks at our king; come, with a turban let us bind his eyes’. ‘Be it so’ (they said); with a turban they bound his eyes; therefore winding round a turban they praise the pressing stones in imitation of him. The king still made them drunk; they said ‘With his own spell he praises the pressing stones; come, let us mingle the spell with other verses.’ ‘Be it so’ (they said); with other verses they mingled his spell; then he did not make them drunk. In that they mingle his spell with other verses, verily (it serves) for expiation. They smote away evil; in accordance with their smiting away the serpents smote away evil; having smitten away evil they lay aside their old worn out skin and go on with a new one. He smites away evil who knows thus.