Aitareyabrahmana 6.2

6.2

tad āhuḥ:
kiyatīibhir abhiṣṭuyād iti.
śatenety āhuḥ.
śatāyur vai puruṣaḥ śatavīryaḥ śatendriya,
āyuṣy evainaṃ tad vīrya indriye dadhāti
trayastriṃśatā vety āhus.
trayastriṃśato vai sa devānām pāpmano 'pāhaṃs,
trayastriṃśad vai tasya devā ity
aparimitābhir abhiṣṭuyād.
aparimito vai Prajāpatih.
Prajāpater vā eṣā hotrā yad grāvastotrīyā,
tasyāṃ sarve kāmā avarudhyante.
sa yad aparimitābhir abhiṣṭauti, sarveṣāṃ kāmānām avaruddhyai
sarvān kāmān avarunddhe ya evaṃ veda
tasmād aparimitābhir evābhiṣṭuyāt
tad āhuḥ:
katham abhiṣṭuyād ity.
akṣaraśā+ḥ \ caturakṣaraśā+ḥ \ pacchā+ḥ \ ardharcaśā+ḥ \ ṛkśā+ḥ iti \
tad yad ṛkśo na tad avakalpate,
'tha yat paccho no eva tad avakalpate,
'tha yad akṣaraśaś caturakṣaraśo vi tathā chandāṃsi
lupyeran bahūni tathākṣarāṇi hīyerann.
ardharcaśa evābhiṣṭuyāt, pratiṣṭhāyā eva
dvipratiṣṭho vai puruṣaś catuṣpādāḥ paśavo,
yajāmanam eva tad dvipratiṣṭhaṃ catuṣpātsu paśuṣu pratiṣṭhāpayati.
tasmād ardharcaśa evābhiṣṭuyāt
tad āhur:
yan madhyaṃdine-madhyaṃdina eva grāvṇo 'bhiṣṭauti,
katham asyetarayoḥ savanayor abhiṣṭutam bhavatīti.
yad eva gāyatrībhir abhiṣṭauti, gāyatraṃ vai prātaḥsavanaṃ,
tena prātaḥsavane;
'tha yaj jagatībhir abhiṣṭauti, jāgataṃ vai tṛtīyasavanaṃ,
tena tṛtīyasavana
evam u hāsya madhyaṃdine-madhyaṃdina eva grāvṇo 'bhiṣṭuvataḥ
sarveṣu savaneṣv abhiṣṭutam bhavati ya evaṃ veda
tad āhur:
yad adhvaryur evānyān ṛtvijaḥ sampreṣyāty,
atha kasmād eṣa etām asampreṣitaḥ pratipadyata iti.
mano vai grāvastotrīyasampreṣitaṃ vā idam manas,
tasmād eṣa etām asampreṣitaḥ pratipadyate

vi. 2 (xxvi. 2). They say ‘With how many verses should he praise?’

'With a hundred' they say; man has a hundred (years of) life, a hundred strengths, a hundred powers; verily thus he places him in life, in strength, in power. 'Or with thirty-three' they say; 'he smote away the evils of thirty-three gods; thirty-three were the gods for him.' With an unlimited number should he praise; Prajāpati is unlimited. The Hotṛ function of the Grāvastut is Prajāpati's; in it all desires are won. In that he praises with an unlimited number, (it serves) to win all desires. All desires he wins who knows thus. Therefore should he praise with an unlimited number only. They say 'How is he to praise?' 'By syllables?' 'By sets of four syllables?' 'By Padas?' 'By half-verses?' 'By verses?' By verses does not fit, nor again does by Padas fit; as to by syllables or sets of four syllables, the metres would be broken up so, many syllables would so be omitted. By half verses only should he praise, for support. Man has two supports, cattle four feet; verily thus he makes the sacrificer with two supports find support in four-footed cattle. Therefore should he praise by half verses only. They say 'Since it is at the midday only that he praises the pressing stones, how is the praising at the other pressings performed by him?' In that he praises with Gāyatrī verses, and the morning pressing is in Gāyatrī, thereby (is the praise accomplished) at the morning pressing; in that he praises with Jagatī verses, and the third pressing is in Jagatī, thereby at the third pressing. So by him who knows thus, although he praises the pressing stones only at the midday, is praising accomplished in all the pressings. They say 'Seeing that the Adhvaryu directs the other priests, then why does he undertake this without a direction?' The office of the Grāvastut is mind; mind requires no direction; therefore he undertakes this without a direction.