Aitareyabrahmana 6.33

6.33

Aitaśapralāpaṃ śaṃsaty
Aitaśo ha vai munir agner āyur dadarśa,
yajñasyāyātayāmam iti haika āhuḥ.
so 'bravīt putrān:
putrakā agner āyur adarśaṃ, tad abhilapiṣyāmi,
yat kiṃca vadāmi tan me mā parigāteti.
sa pratyapadyatai,tā aśvā ā plavante pratīpam prātisatvanam iti
tasyābhyagnir Aitaśāyana etyākāle 'bhihāya mukham apyagṛhṇād:
adṛpan naḥ piteti
taṃ hovācāpehy, alaso 'bhūr yo me vācam avadhīḥ.
śatāyuṃ gām akariṣyaṃ sahasrāyum puruṣam,
pāpiṣṭhāṃ te prajāṃ karomi yo mettham asakthā iti
tasmād āhur:
Abhyagnaya Aitaśāyanā Aurvāṇām pāpiṣṭhā iti
taṃ baike bhūyāṃsaṃ śaṃsanti
sa na niṣedhed, yāvatkāmaṃ śaṃsety eva brūyād.
āyur vā aitaśapralāpa
āyur eva tad yajamānasya pratārayati ya evaṃ veda
yad evaitaśapralāpā+ḥ \
chandasāṃ haiṣa raso yad aitaśapralāpaś chandassv eva tad rasaṃ dadhāti
sarasair hāsya chandobhir iṣṭam bhavati,
sarasaiś chandobhir yajñaṃ tanute ya evaṃ veda
yad v evaitaśapralāpā+ḥ \
ayātayāmā vā akṣitir aitaśapralāpo,
'yātayāmā me yajñe 'sad akṣitir me yajñe 'sad iti
taṃ vā etam aitaśapralāpaṃ śaṃsati padāvagrāhaṃ yathā nividaṃ
tasyottamena padena praṇauti yathā nividaḥ
pravalhikāḥ śaṃsati.
pravalhikābhir vai devā asurān pravalhyāthainān atyāyans,
tathaivaitad yajamānāḥ pravalhikābhir evāpriyam
bhrātṛvyam pravalhyāthainam atiyanti
tā ardharcaśaḥ śaṃsati, pratiṣṭhāyā evā/jijñasenyāḥ
śaṃsaty.
ājijñasenyābhir vai devā asurān ājñāyāthainān atyāyaṃs,
tathaivaitad yajamānā ājijñāsenyābhir evāpriyam
bhrātṛvyam ājñāyāthainam atiyanti.
tā ardharcaśaḥ śaṃsati, pratiṣṭhāyā eva
pratirādhaṃ śaṃsati.
pratirādhena vai devā asurān pratirādhyāthainān atyāyaṃs,
tathaivaitad yajamānāḥ pratirādhenaivāpriyām
bhrātṛvyam pratirādhyāthainam atiyanty
ativādaṃ śaṃsaty.
ativādena vai devā asurān atyudyāthainān atyāyaṃs,
tathaivaitad yajamānā ativādenaivāpriyam
bhrātṛvyam atyudyāthainam atiyanti.
tam ardharcaśaḥ śaṃsati, pratiṣṭhāyā eva

vi. 33 (xxx. 7). He recites the prattle of Aitaça; Aitaça, the sage, saw the life of Agni; ‘the unwearied part of the sacrifice’ say some. He said to his sons ‘My boys, I have seen the life of Agni; I shall chatter it; whatever I say do not disregard’. He began ‘These horses float up to Pratīpa Prātisatvana’; (his son) Abhyagni Aitaçāyana, having come, arriving at a wrong moment, seized his mouth (saying) ‘Our father has become out of his mind’. He said to him ‘Go hence; thou hast been a sluggard in spoiling my speech; I was about to make the cow of a hundred (years of) life, man of a thousand (years of) life; worst of all do I make thine offspring since thou here hast fastened on me’. Therefore they say ‘The Abhyagnis Aitaçāyanas are the least of the Aurvas’. Some recite it of longer length; he should not prevent it; ‘Recite as much as is desired’ he should say; the prattle of Aitaçapa is life; verily thus he prolongs the life of the sacrificer who knows thus. As to there being the prattle of Aitaça; the prattle of Aitaça is the sap of the metres; verily thus he places sap in the metres. He sacrifices with metres full of sap and with metres full of sap he extends the sacrifice who knows thus. Again as to the prattle of Aitaça; the

prattle of Aitaça is freedom from exhaustion and unfailingness; (he thinks) 'Let there be freedom from exhaustion in my sacrifice, unfailingness in my sacrifice'. He recites the prattle of Aitaça, taking it by Padas, like a Nivid. He says *om* with the last Pada as in the case of a Nivid. He recites the riddle verses. The gods having confounded the Asuras with the riddles overcame them; verily thus also the sacrificers having confounded the hated rival with the riddles overcome him. These he recites by half verses, for support. He recites the Ājijñāsenyā (verses); by means of the Ājijñāsenyā verses the gods recognizing the Asuras overcame them; verily thus also the sacrificers by means of the Ājijñāsenyā (verses) recognizing the hated rival overcome him. These he recites by half verses, for support. He recites the Pratirādha; by the Pratirādha the gods overpowered the Asuras and overcame them; verily thus also the sacrificers overpower the hated rival and overcome him. He recites the Ativāda; by means of the Ativāda the gods outspoke the Asuras and overcame them; verily thus also by means of the Ativāda the sacrificers outspeak the hated rival and overcome him. These by half verses he recites, for support.