Aitareyabrahmana 6.9: adhyāya 28, khaṇḍaḥ 1-8

6.9

ā tvā vahantu haraya iti prātaḥsavana unnīyamānebhyo 'nvāha
vṛṣaṇvatīḥ pītavatīḥ sutavatīr madvatī rūpasamṛddhā
aindrīr anvāhaindro vai yajño
gāyatrīr anvāha, gāyatraṃ vai prātaḥsavanaṃ
nava nyūnāḥ prātaḥsavane 'nvāha, nyūne vai retaḥ sicyate
daśa madhyaṃdine 'nvāha,
nyūne vai retaḥ siktam madhyaṃ striyai prāpya sthaviṣṭham bhavati
nava nyūnās tṛtīyasavane 'nvāha, nyūnād vai prajāḥ prajāyante
tad yad etāni kevalasūktāny anvāha,
yajamānam eva tad garbham bhūtam prajanayati yajñād devayonyai
te haike sapta-saptānvāhuḥ sapta prātaḥsavane sapta mādhyaṃdine
sapta tṛtīyasavane:
yāvatyo vai puronuvākyās tāvatyo yājyāḥ,
sapta vai prāñco yajanti sapta vaṣaṭkurvanti,
tāsām etāḥ puronnvākyā iti vadantas
tat tathā na kuryād.
yajamānasya ha te reto vilumpanty atho yajamānam eva,
yajamāno hi sūktaṃ
navabhir vā etam maitrāvaruṇo 'smāl lokād antarikṣalokam abhi pravahati,
daśabhir antarikṣalokād amuṃ lokam abhy -- antarikṣaloko hi jyeṣṭho --
navabhir amuṣmāl lokāt svargaṃ lokam abhi
na ha vai te yajamānāṃ svargaṃ lokam abhi voḷhum arhanti
ye sapta-saptānvāhus
tasmāt kevalaśa eva sūktāny anubrūyāt

vi.9 (xxviii. 1). ‘Let the bays carry thee hither’ he recites at the morning pressing for the (goblets) being filled, (verses) containing (the words) ‘strong’, ‘drink’, ‘pressed’, and ‘be drunk’ and so perfect in form. They are (verses) to Indra which he recites; the sacrifice is connected with Indra. They are Gāyatrīs which he recites; the morning pressing is connected with the Gāyatrī. Nine small (verses) he recites at the morning pressing; in what is small is seed poured; ten at the midday he recites; seed poured in the small having attained the middle part of the woman becomes most firm; nine small (verses) he recites at the third pressing: from what is small are offspring born. In that he repeats the whole of the hymns, verily thus he propagates the sacrificer as an embryo from the sacrifice as the womb of the gods. Some recite seven verses each, seven at the morning pressing, seven at the midday (pressing), seven at the third pressing; saying ‘The offering verses should be as many as the invitatory verses; seven eastward say the offering verses, seven say the vaṣaṭ call; these are the invitatory verses of those’. That he should not do so; they injure the seed of the sacrifice and moreover the sacrificer himself, for the hymn is the sacrificer. By nine (verses) the Maitrāvaruṇa carries him from this world to the world of the atmosphere, by ten from the world of the atmosphere to yonder world, for the world of the atmosphere is the longest, with nine from

yonder world to the world of heaven. They cannot bear the sacrificer to the world of heaven who recite sets of seven. Therefore as wholes should he recite the hymns.