Aitareyabrahmana 6.21

6.21

kas tam indra tvāvasuṃ, kan navyo atasīnāṃ,
kad ū nv asyākṛtam iti kadvantaḥ pragāthā ārambhaṇīyā ahar-ahaḥ śasyante
ko vai Prajāpatiḥ, Prajāpater āptyai
yad eva kadvantā+ḥ \ annaṃ vai kam, annādyasyāvaruddhyai
yad v eva kadvantā+ḥ \
ahar-ahar vā ete śāntāny ahīnasūktāny upayuñjānā yanti,
tāni kadvadbhiḥ pragāthaiḥ śamayanti.
tāny ebhyaḥ śāntāni kam bhavanti,
tāny enāñ chāntāni svargaṃ lokam abhi vahanti
triṣṭubhaḥ sūktapratipadaḥ śaṃseyus
tā haike purastāt pragāthānāṃ śaṃsanti dhāyyā iti vadantas
tat tathā na kuryāt
kṣatraṃ vai hotā viśo hotrāśaṃsinaḥ,
kṣatrāyaiva tad viśam pratyudyāminīṃ kuryuḥ, pāpavasyasaṃ
triṣṭubho ma imāḥ sūktapratipada ity eva vidyāt
tad yathā samudram praplaverann,
evaṃ haiva te praplavante ve saṃvatsaraṃ vā dvādaśāhaṃ vāsate.
tad yathā sairāvatīṃ nāvam pārakāmāḥ samāroheyor,
evam evaitās triṣṭubhaḥ samārohanti
na ha vā etac chando gamayitva svargaṃ lokam upāvartate, vīryavattamaṃ hi
tābhyo na vyāhvayīta, samānaṃ hi chando, 'tho ned dhāyyāḥ karavāṇīti
yad enāḥ śaṃsanti:
prajñātābhiḥ sūktapratipadbhiḥ sūktāni samārohāmeti
yad evaināḥ śaṃsantīndram evaitābhir nihvayante, yatha ṛṣabhaṃ vāśitāyai.
yad v evaināḥ śaṃsanty, ahīnasya saṃtatyā, ahīnam eva tat saṃtanvanti

vi. 21 (xxix. 5). ‘Who, O Indra, him that hath thee as his wealth’, ‘What newest of praises’, and ‘What hath not been wrought by him’ are the Pragāthas containing the word ‘who’ which are recited day by day at the beginning. Prajāpati is Who; (verily they serve) to obtain Prajāpati. Moreover in that they contain (the word) ‘who’ and who is food, (they serve) to win food. Moreover as to their containing (the word) ‘who’, day by day they praise employing the Ahīna hymn, duly appeased, and it is by the Pragāthas containing (the word) ‘who’ that they appease them. Appeased they bring them prosperity (ka); appeased they carry them towards the world of heaven. The beginnings of the hymns which they recite should be in Triṣṭubh; these some recite before the Pragāthas, calling them inserted verses. That he should not do so. The Hotṛ is lordly power, the Hotrāçaṅsins are the people; verily thus they would make the people refractory to the lordly power which is a confusion. He should know ‘These my hymn beginnings are Triṣṭubhs’. Just as men set sail on an ocean so set they sail who perform the year or a twelve day (rite); just as men desiring to reach the other shore mount a ship well found, so do they mount the Triṣṭubhs. That metre having made them go to the world of heaven does not fail, for it is the strongest of all. He should not utter the call for these (verses) (thinking) ‘The metre is the same; moreover let me not make them inserted verses.’ In that they recite these (verses), (they think) ‘Let us mount the hymns with the recognized beginnings of the hymns.’ In that they recite these (verses), verily with them they summon Indra, like a bull to the cow. Moreover in that they recite them, (it serves) for the continuity of the Ahīna; verily thus they continue the Ahīna.