Aitareyabrahmana 3.3.p27

3.3.p27

be regarded; the wives of the gods he should celebrate first. Agni Gārhapatya places seed in the wives; verily thus in these wives with Agni Gārhapatya openly he places seed, for propagation. He is propagated with offspring and cattle, who knows thus. Therefore a sister, though of the same womb, lives as inferior to a wife, though of a different womb. He celebrates Rākā; Rākā is it that sews this suture in man which is in the organ. Male sons are born for him who knows thus. He celebrates Pāviravī; Pāviravī is speech, Sarasvatī; verily thus he places speech in speech. They say ‘Should he recite (the verse) to Yama first? Or that for the fathers?’ That to Yama should he recite first. ‘This strew, O Yama, do thou sit upon’; the first drink is the king's; therefore should he recite (the verse ) to Yama first. ‘Mātali with the sages, Yama with the Aṅgirases’, he recites after (it) for the sages. The sages are inferior to the gods, but above the fathers; therefore he recites it after (the verse to Yama). ‘Let them arise, the lower, the higher’, (these verses ) to the fathers he recites. ‘The midmost fathers, loving the Soma’ (he says); the lowest, the highest and the midmost, all these without omission he delights. ‘I have found the kindly fathers’ he recites as the second (verse). ‘Who sitting on the strew (the drink) pressed with the call’ (he says); ‘sitting on the strew’ is a reference to their dear abode (the strew); verily thus with their dear home he makes them prosper. With a dear home he prospers who knows thus. ‘May there be this homage to the fathers to-day’ he recites, containing the making of homage, at the end; therefore at the end is homage paid to the fathers. They say ‘Should he recite (the verses) to the fathers separating (them) with the call? Or without separating (them) with the call.’ He should recite separating (them) with the call; the good of the sacrifice to the fathers is incomplete ; he who recites separating (them) with the call completes the incomplete sacrifice to the fathers; therefore it is to be recited separating (them) with the call.