Aitareyabrahmana 7.26

7.26

athāto yajamānabhāgasyaiva.
tad āhuḥ:
prāśnīyāt kṣatriyo yajamānabhāgā+m \ na prāśnīyā+t iti \
yat prāśnīyād ahutād dhutam prāśya pāpīyān syād;
yan na prāśnīyād yajñād ātmānam antariyād, yajño vai yajamānabhāgaḥ
sa brahmaṇe parihṛtyaḥ
purohitāyatanaṃ vā etat kṣatriyasya
yad brahmā,rdhātmo ha vā eṣa kṣatriyasya yat purohita.
upāha parokṣeṇaiva prāśitarūpam āpnoti,
nāsya pratyakṣam bhakṣito bhavati
yajña u ha vā eṣa pratyakṣaṃ yad brahmā.
brahmaṇi hi sarvo yajñaḥ pratiṣṭhito, yajñe yajamāno.
yajña eva tad yajñam apyatyarjanti yathāpsv āpo yathāgnāv agniṃ.
tad vai nātiricyate, tad enaṃ na hinasti.
tasmāt sa brahmaṇe parihṛtyo
'gnau haike juhvati:
prajāpater vibhān nāma lokas, tasmiṃs tvā dadhāmi saha yajamānena svāheti.
tat tathā na kuryād.
yajamāno vai yajamānabhāgo, yajamānaṃ ha so 'gnau pravṛṇakti.
ya enaṃ tatra brūyād:
yajamānam agnau prāvārkṣīḥ, prāsyāgniḥ prāṇān dhakṣyati,
mariṣyati yajamāna iti:
śaśvat tathā syāt.
tasmāt tasyāśāṃ neyād āśāṃ neyāt

vii. 26 (xxxiv. 8). Then as to the share of the sacrificer. They say 'Should a Kṣatriya eat the sacrificer's share? Or should he not eat?' If he who is not an eater of the oblations were to eat, by eating the oblation he would become worse; if he were not to eat, he would shut himself out from the sacrifice; the share of the sacrificer is the sacrifice. It is to be handed over to the Brahman. The Brahman priest is in the relation of Purohita to the Kṣatriya; the Purohita is half the self of the Kṣatriya. Secretly verily it obtains the appearance of being eaten; it is not openly consumed by him. The Brahman is manifestly the sacrifice, for in the Brahman the whole sacrifice finds support, in the sacrifice the sacrificer. They place the sacrifice in the sacrifice, as water in water, fire in fire; thus it is not superfluous, thus it harms him not. Therefore should it be handed over to the Brahman. Some make an offering in the fire with

'Prajāpati's is the world named Vibhāt; in this I place thee with
the sacrificer; hail!'

That he should not do so. The share of the sacrificer is the sacrificer; he places on the fire the sacrificer. If a man were here to say to him 'Thou hast placed the sacrificer on the fire; Agni will burn his breaths; the sacrificer will die', it would certainly be so. Therefore he should not desire this.