Aitareyabrahmana 6.3.p2

6.3.p2

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