Aitareyabrahmana 6.14

6.14

athāha:
yad etās tisra ukthinyo hotrāḥ, katham itarā ukthinyo bhavantīty
ājyam evāgnīdhrīyāyā uktham, marutvatīyam potrīyāyai,
vaiśvadevaṃ neṣṭrīyāyai.
tā vā etā hotrā evaṃnyaṅgā eva bhavanty
athāha:
yad ekapraiṣā anye hotrakā,
atha kasmād dvipraiṣaḥ potā dvipraiṣo neṣṭeti
yatrādo gāyatrī suparṇo bhūtvā somam āharat,
tad etāsāṃ hotrāṇām Indra ukthāni parilupya hotre pradadau:
yūyam mābhyahvayadhvaṃ yūyam asyāvediṣṭeti.
te hocur devā:
vāceme hotre prabhāvayāmeti, tasmāt te dvipraiṣe bhavata.
ṛcāgnīdhrīyām prabhāvayāṃ cakrus,
tasmāt tasyaikayarcā bhūyasyo yājyā bhavanty
athāha:
yad dhotā yakṣad dhotā yakṣad iti maitrāvaruno hotre preṣyaty,
atha kasmād ahotṛbhyaḥ sadbhyo hotraśaṃsibhyo
hotā yakṣad dhotā yakṣad iti preṣyatīti
prāṇo vai hotā prāṇaḥ sarva ṛtvijaḥ,
prāṇo yakṣat prāno yakṣad ity eva tad āhā/thāhāsty
udgātṝṇām praiṣā+ḥ \ nā+m̐ iti astīṭi brūyād.
yad evaitat praśāstā japaṃ japitvā studhvam ity āha,
sa eṣām praiṣo
'thāhāsty achāvākasya pravarā+ḥ \ nā+m̐ iti \ astīti brūyād.
yad evainam adhvaryur āhāchāvāka vadasva yat te vādyam ity,
eṣo 'sya pravaro
'thāha:
yad aindrāvaruṇam maitrāvaruṇas tṛtīyasavane śaṃsaty,
atha kasmād asyāgneyau stotriyānurūpan bhavata ity.
Agninā vai mukhena devā asurān ukthebhyo nirjaghnus,
tasmād asyāgneyau stotriyānurūpan bhavato
'thāha:
yad aindrābārhaspatyam brāhmaṇācchāṃsī tṛtīyasavane śaṃsaty
aindrāvaiṣṇavam achāvākaḥ,
katham enayor aindrāḥ stotriyānurūpā bhavantītī,ndro
ha sma vā asurān ukthebhyaḥ prajigāya, so 'bravīt:
kaś cāhaṃ cety.
ahaṃ cāhaṃ ceti ha sma devatā anvavayanti.
sa yad Indraḥ pūrvaḥ prajigāya,
tasmād enayor aindrāḥ stotriyānurūpā bhavanti.
yad v ahaṃ cāhaṃ ceti ha sma devatā anvavayus,
tasmān nānādevatyāni śaṃsataḥ

vi. 14 (xxviii. 6). Further he says ‘Seeing that these three Hotṛ’s offices are possessed of litanies, how have the others litanies?’ The Ājya is the litany of the Agnīdh’s office, the Marutvatīya of the Potṛ’s, the Vaiçvadeva of the Neṣṭr’s; these Hotṛ’s offices contain the characteristics accordingly. Further he says ‘Seeing that some Hotrakas have one direction only given to them, then why has the Potṛ two directions given, and the Neṣṭṛ two?’ When the Gāyatrī yonder having become an eagle brought the Soma, Indra having cut off the litanies of these Hotṛ’s offices gave them to the Hotṛ (saying) ‘You have called to me; you have known this’. The gods said ‘With speech let us strengthen these two Hotṛ’s offices’. Therefore have they two directions. By speech they strengthened the Agnīdh’s office; therefore his offering verses are one verse larger. Further he says ‘Seeing that the Maitrāvaruṇa gives directions to the Hotṛ with ‘Let the Hotṛ say the offering verse; let the Hotṛ say the offering verse’, then why does he give directions with ‘Let the Hotṛ say the offering verse; let the Hotṛ say the offering verse’ to the Hotrāçaṅsins who are not Hotṛs?’ The Hotṛ is the breath; all the priests are the breath; verily thus he says in effect ‘Let breath say the offering verse; let breath say the offering verse’. Then he says ‘Is there a direction for the Udgātṛs, or is there not?’ ‘There is’ he should reply. In that the Praçāstṛ, after muttering, says ‘Do ye chant’, this is their direction. Further he says ‘Is there a choosing of the Achāvāka? Or not?’ ‘There is’ he should reply. In that the Adhvaryu says to him, ‘O Achāvāka, say what is to be said by you’, this is the choice of him. Further he says ‘Seeing that at the third pressing the Maitrāvaruṇa recites (a litany) to Indra and Varuṇa, then why are the strophe and antistrophe addressed to Agni?’ With Agni as their head the gods smote away the Asuras from the litanies; therefore its strophe and antistrophe are addressed to Agni. Further he says ‘Seeing that the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin recites (a litany) to Indra and Bṛhaspati at the third pressing,

and the Achāvāka one to Indra and Viṣṇu, how are their strophes and antistrophes addressed to Indra?' Indra drove away the Asuras from the litanies; he said 'With me who?' With 'I' and 'I' the deities followed after; in that Indra was the first to drive away, therefore their strophes and antistrophes are addressed to Indra; in that with 'I' and 'I' the deities followed after, therefore do they recite to various deities.