Aitareyabrahmana 6.24

6.24

devā vai vale gāḥ paryapaśyaṃs, tā yajñenaivepsaṃs,
tāḥ ṣaṣṭhenāhnāpnuvaṃs.
te prātaḥsavane Nabhākena valam anabhayaṃs.
taṃ yad anabhayā+n \ aśrathayann evainaṃ tat.
ta u tṛtīyasavane vajreṇa vālakhilyābhir vācaḥ
kūṭenaikapadayā valaṃ virujya gā udājaṃs
tathaivaitad yajamānāḥ prātaḥsavane Nabhākena valaṃ nabhayanti.
taṃ yan nabhayantī+m̐ \ śrathayanty evainaṃ tat.
tasmād dhotrakāḥ prātaḥsavane nābhākāṃs tṛcāñ chaṃsanti
yaḥ kakubho nidhāraya iti maitrāvaruṇaḥ,
pūrvīṣ ṭa indropamātaya iti brāhmaṇācchaṃsī,
tā hi madhyam bharāṇām ity achāvākas
ta u tṛṭīyasavane vajreṇa vālakhilyābhir vācaḥ
kūṭenaikapadayā valaṃ virujya gā āpnuvanti
pacchaḥ prathamaṃ ṣaḍ vālakhilyānāṃ sūktāni viharaty,
ardharcaśo dvitīyam, ṛkśas tṛtīyaṃ.
sa paccho viharan pragāthe-pragātha evaikapadāṃ dadhyāt, sa vācaḥ kūṭas
tā etāḥ pañcaikapadāś.
catasro daśamād ahna, ekā mahāvratād
athāṣṭākṣarāṇi māhānāmanāni padāni.
teṣāṃ yāvadbhiḥ sampadyeta tāvanti śansen,
netarāṇy ādriyetā/thārdharcaśo
viharaṃs tāś caivaikapadāḥ śaṃset
tāni caivāṣṭākṣarāṇi māhānāmanāni padāny
atha ṛkśo viharaṃs tāś caivaikapadāḥ śaṃset
tāni caivāṣṭākṣarāṇi māhānāmanāni padāni
sa yat prathamaṃ ṣaḍ vālakhilyānāṃ sūktāni viharati,
prāṇaṃ ca tad vācaṃ ca viharati.
yad dvitīyaṃ, cakṣuś ca tan manaś ca viharati.
yat tṛtīyaṃ, śrotraṃ ca tad ātmānaṃ ca viharati.
tad upāpto vihāre kāma,
upāpto vajre vālakhilyāsūpāpto vācaḥ kūṭa ekapadāyām, upāptaḥ prāṇakḷptyām
avihṛtān eva caturtham pragāthāñ chaṃsati.
paśavo vai pragāthāḥ, paśūnām avaruddhyai
nātraikapadāṃ vyavadadhyād
yad atraikapadāṃ vyavadadhyād, vācaḥ kūṭena yajamānāt paśūn nirhaṇyād.
ya enaṃ tatra brūyād:
vācaḥ kūṭena yajamānāt paśūn niravadhīr,
apaśum enam akar iti, śaśvat tathā syāt
tasmāt tatraikapadāṃ na vyavadadhyād
vy evottame sūkte paryasyati, sa eva tayor vihāras
tad etat Saubalāya Sarpir Vātsiḥ śaśaṃsa.
sa hovāca:
bhūyiṣṭhān ahaṃ yajamāne paśūn paryagrahaiṣam,
akaniṣṭhā u mām āgamiṣyantīti.
tasmai ha yathā mahadbhya ṛtvigbhya evaṃ nināya.
tad etat paśavyaṃ ca svargyaṃ ca śastraṃ, tasmād etac chaṃsati

vi. 24 (xxix. 8). The gods saw the cows in a cave; they sought to win them with the sacrifice; they obtained them with the sixth day. At the morning pressing with Nabhāka's (hymn) they tore open (nabh) the cave; in that they tore it open, verily thus they loosened it. On the third pressing having destroyed the cave with the Vālakhilyās as the thunderbolt and (the verse) of one Pada as the hammer of speech, they drove out the cows. Verily thus also the sacrificers tear open the cave at the morning pressing with Nabhāka's (hymn); in that they tear it open, verily thus they loosen it. Therefore the Hotrakas at the morning pressing recite triplets by Nabhāka. 'When supporting the summits', the Maitrāvaruṇa, 'O Indra, ancient are thine addresses', the Brāhmaṇācchaṅsin; 'The middle of conflicts', the Achāvāka. At the third pressing having destroyed the cave with the Vālakhilyās as the thunderbolt and (the verse) of one Pada as the hammer of speech they obtain the cows. First he transposes by Padas the six hymns of the Vālakhilyās, by half verses the second time, by verses the third time. When transposing by Padas he should place (a verse) of one Pada in each Pragātha; that is the hammer of speech. There are five (verses) of one Pada; four from the tenth day, one from the Mahāvrata. There are the Mahānāmnī Padas of eight syllables; he should recite as many of these as he requires to complete; he should disregard the others. When transposing by half verses he should recite these (verses) of one Pada, and these eight-syllable Padas of the Mahānāmnīs. When trans-

posing by verses, he should recite these (verses) of one Pada and these eight-syllable Padas of the Mahānāmnīs. In that he transposes for the first time the six hymns of the Vālakhilyās, verily thus he transposes breath and speech; in that for the second time, thus he transposes eye and mind; in that for the third, thus he transposes ear and self. Thus is the desire in the transposition obtained, in the Vālakhilyās as the thunderbolt, in (the verse) of one food as the hammer of speech, in the arrangement of the breaths. For the fourth time he recites the Pragāthas without transposition; the Pragāthas are cattle; (they serve) to win cattle. He should not here insert (the verse) of one Pada; if he were to insert (the verse) of one Pada, by the hammer of speech he would strike off cattle from the sacrificer. If a man were to say to him then ‘You have struck off cattle from the sacrificer, you have made him without cattle’, it would certainly be so. Therefore he should not insert (the verse) of one Pada. He inverts the last two hymns; this is their transposition. This to Saubala Sarpis Vātsi recited; he said ‘I have secured the most abundant cattle in this sacrifice; not the least will come to me.’ To him he gave (fees) as to great priests. That recitation is rich in cattle and heavenly; therefore he recites it.