Aitareyabrahmana 8.10

8.10

devāsurā vā eṣu lokeṣu saṃyetire.
ta etasyām prācyāṃ diśi yetire, tāṃs tato 'surā ajayaṃs.
te dakṣiṇasyāṃ diśi yetire, tāṃs tato 'surā ajayaṃs.
te pratīcyāṃ diśi yetire, tāṃs tato 'surā ajayaṃs.
ta udīcyāṃ diśi yetire, tāṃs tato 'surā ajayaṃs.
ta etasminn avāntāradeśe yetire ya eṣa prāṅ udaṅ, te ha tato jigyus
taṃ yadi kṣatriya upadhāvet senayoḥ samāyatyos:
tathā me kuru yathāham imāṃ senāṃ jayānīti:
sa yadi tatheti brūyād, vanaspate vīḍvaṅgo hi bhūyā ity
asya rathopastham abhimṛśyāthainam brūyād
ātiṣṭhasvaitāṃ te diśam abhimukhaḥ saṃnaddho ratho 'bhi pravartatāṃ,
sa udaṅ sa pratyaṅ sa dakṣiṇā sa prāṅ so 'bhy amitraṃ ity
abhīvartena haviṣety evainam āvartayed,
athainam anvīkṣetāpratirathena śāsena sauparṇeneti
jayati ha tāṃ senāṃ
yady u vā enam upadhāvet saṃgrāmaṃ saṃyatiṣyamāṇas:
tathā me kuru yathāham imaṃ saṃgrāmaṃ saṃjayānīty,
etasyām evainaṃ diśi yātayej.
jayati ha taṃ saṃgrāmaṃ
yady u vā enam upadhāved rāṣṭrād aparudhyamānas:
tathā me kuru yathāham idaṃ rāṣṭram punar avagachānīty,
etām evainaṃ diśam upaniṣktamavet.
tathā ha rāṣṭram punar avagachaty
upasthāyāmitrāṇāṃ vyapanuttim bruvan gṛhān abhyety:
apa prāca indra viśvām̐ amitrān iti,
sarvato hāsmā anamitram abhayam bhavaty, uttarottariṇīṃ ha śriyam aśnute,
'śnute ha prajānām aiśvaryam ādhipatyaṃ
ya evam etām amitrāṇāṃ vyapanuttim bruvan gṛhān abhyety
etya gṛhān paścād gṛhyasyāgner upaviṣṭāyānvātabdhāya
ṛtvig antataḥ kaṃsena caturgṛhītas tisra ājyāhutīr aindrīḥ
prapadaṃ juhoty anārtyā ariṣṭyā ajyānyā abhayāya

viii. 10 (xxxvii. 6). The gods and the Asuras strove for these worlds; they strove for the eastern quarter; the Asuras drove them thence; they strove for the southern quarter; the Asuras drove them thence; they strove for the western quarter; the Asuras drove them thence; they strove for the northern quarter; the Asuras drove them thence; they strove for this inter-

mediate quarter, the north-east; they thence defeated them. If, when two armies meet, a Kṣatriya runs up to him (saying) ‘So do for me that I shall conquer that army’, and if he reply ‘Be it so’, he should touch the body of his chariot with ‘O tree, be thou strong limbed’ and then say to him

‘Do thou mount, to this quarter for thee let the chariot, well tied, advance, to the north (let it advance), to the west, to the south, to the east, against the foe.’

With ‘With the attacking oblation’ he should make him turn; then he should look at him with the Apratiratha, Çāsa, and Sauparṇa hymns. He conquers that army. If again he runs up to him when about to engage in battle (saying) ‘So do for me that I shall conquer in this battle’, he should make him contend in this quarter; he conquers in this battle. If again he run up to him, being expelled from his kingdom (saying) ‘So do for me that I may be restored to this kingdom’, he should make him go away to this quarter; so does he again become restored to his kingdom. After the paying of reverence, he goes to the house saying (the verse) for the driving away of foes, ‘Drive away, O Indra, all my foes to the east’; from all sides freedom from foes and danger becomes his, prosperity ever increasing he attains, he attains sovereignty and overlordship over people who goes to the house saying thus this (verse) for the driving away of foes. Having gone to the house he sits down behind the household fire and holds on to the priest who at the end offers three butter libations to Indra, in four portions, with the bowl, in the Prapad way, for freedom from distress, injury, loss, and danger.