Aitareyabrahmana 1.26

1.26

The fore-offerings and after-offerings are indeed divine armour. [The upasad] is without fore-offerings and without after-offerings, for the sharpening of the arrow, so that it does not rebound. Having stepped across once, he calls for the śrauṣaṭ, for the advancing of the sacrifice, not for stepping away. As to that, they say: 'They do what is cruel, as it were, near king Soma when they move near him with clarified butter; for with clarified butter as a thunderbolt Indra smote Vṛtra.' Now, when [saying]: 'May each shoot of yours swell, divine Soma, for Indra, the finder of the single treasure; may Indra swell for you, swell for Indra; swell us, your comrades, with gain and wisdom; may I, divine Soma, safely attain the conclusion of your pressing,' they swell the king, they thereby heal for him whatever cruelty they do, as it were, near him; and further, they make him grow. King Soma is the embryo of heaven and earth. When they hide their hands upon the prastara [saying]: 'Desired are riches, desired are blessings for our sending, for Fortune, the cosmic order to the speakers of cosmic order; homage to heaven, homage to earth,' they thereby pay homage to heaven and earth, and further, they make the two grow, they make the two grow.