Aitareyabrahmana 1.28

1.28

The adhvaryu says: 'Recite for Agni as he is being led forward.' 'Bring forth the divine Jātavedas with divine thought, that he may convey our sacrificial offerings in succession'—[with this] gāyatrī verse he should recite for a brāhmaṇa. The brāhmaṇa belongs to the gāyatrī; splendour and priestly lustre are the gāyatrī; he thus prospers him with splendour and priestly lustre. 'To this great one worthy of gathering, [offer] strength'—[with this] triṣṭubh verse he should recite for a rājanya. The rājanya belongs to the triṣṭubh; vital power, sensory faculty, and virility are the triṣṭubh; he thus prospers him with vital power, sensory faculty, and virility. When [it says]: 'Constantly have they brought him forward to be praised,' he thereby makes him attain pre-eminence among his own people. 'May he hear us with his household faces, may the unceasing Agni hear with his heavenly [faces]'—the unceasing [fire] shines upon him until old age, who knows thus. 'He who was placed here first by the creators'—[with this] jagatī verse he should recite for a vaiśya. The vaiśya belongs to the jagatī; cattle belong to the jagatī; he thus prospers him with cattle. 'Wonderful in the woods, widespread for each clan'—[this verse] is adapted. What in the sacrifice is adapted, that is prosperous. 'And this one here, devoted to the gods'—with an anuṣṭubh verse he releases speech. Anuṣṭubh is speech; in speech itself he releases speech. When it says 'And this one here,' Speech says: 'Here I, who previously dwelt among the Gandharvas, have come.' 'This Agni protects'—this Agni indeed protects. 'From deathless birth, as it were'—he thereby places immortality in him. 'Stronger even than strength, the god made for life'—for this god, Agni, was made for life. 'In the place of Iḷā we place you, upon the navel of the earth'—the navel of the high altar is indeed the place of Iḷā; 'O Jātavedas, we deposit you,' for they are about to deposit him; 'O Agni, to bear the sacrificial offering,' for he is about to bear the sacrificial offering. 'O Agni of fair face, sit down first in the woollen lap with all the gods'—he thereby causes him to sit down together with all the gods. 'The nest-maker, rich in clarified butter, for the generator'—for this is made like a nest in the sacrifice, namely: enclosing-sticks of pine-wood, bdellium, tufts of wool, and sweet-scented reeds. 'Lead the sacrifice straight for the sacrificer'—he thereby establishes the sacrifice straight. 'Sit down, O hotṛ, knowing, in your own place'—Agni is indeed the hotṛ of the gods; the navel of the high altar is his own place. 'Seat the sacrifice in the lap of good deed'—the sacrifice is the sacrificer; he thus prays for this blessing for the sacrificer. 'Favouring the gods, sacrifice to the gods with the sacrificial offering; Agni, place high vitality in the sacrificer'—vitality is the breath of life; he thereby places the breath of life in the sacrificer. 'The hotṛ has sat down, knowing, in the seat of the hotṛ'—Agni is indeed the hotṛ of the gods; the navel of the high altar is this seat of the hotṛ. 'The splendid, the shining, the skilful one has sat down'—for he is then seated. 'Of unviolated vows, most wise, the best'—Agni is indeed the best of the gods. 'Possessing a thousandfold nourishment, Agni of pure tongue'—this indeed is his possessing thousandfold nourishment, that being one, they distribute him in many ways; he who knows thus attains a thousandfold thriving. 'You are the messenger, you are our protector beyond'—with this final verse he concludes. 'You, the bull, the bringer of greater wealth, O Agni, shining without neglect, be the guardian of our offspring and of our bodies'—Agni is indeed the guardian of the gods; where one knowing thus concludes with this verse, he provides Agni as a guardian on all sides for himself and for the sacrificer; and further, he secures this year-long welfare. These eight [verses] he recites congruous in form. That indeed is prosperous in the sacrifice which is congruous in form, when the verse describes the action being performed. Of these he recites the first three times, and the last three times; they become twelve: twelve months are the year; Prajāpati is the year. He who knows thus prospers by means of these having the domain of Prajāpati. He recites the first three times, and the last three times; he thereby binds the two borders of the sacrifice for firmness, for strength, so that it does not come undone.