Aitareyabrahmana 1.4

1.4

'Thou art spacious, O Agni,' and 'O Soma, those [remedies] of thine that give delight': he should recite these two as the introductory verses of the two ghee portions for him who has not sacrificed before. 'With thee they expand the sacrifice': by this he expands the sacrifice for him. 'Agni with ancient thought' and 'O Soma, we with our songs to thee': [he should recite these] for him who has sacrificed before. 'Ancient' mentions past ritual action. But that need not be regarded. 'Agni shall smite the obstacles' and 'Thou, O Soma, art the lord of truth': he should use these two smiting Vṛtra. For he slays Vṛtra to whom the sacrifice approaches; therefore the two verses smiting Vṛtra should be used. 'Agni is the mouth, the first of the deities,' and 'O Agni and Viṣṇu, supreme is this your ascetic heat, great': these two are the offering and invitatory verses of the offering to Agni and Viṣṇu. They are dedicated to Agni and Viṣṇu, congruous in form. For that is successful in the sacrifice which is congruous in form, when the verse expresses the rite being performed. Agni and Viṣṇu are the guardians of the consecration among the gods; they two rule over the consecration. In that the offering is dedicated to Agni and Viṣṇu, it is so that those two who rule over the consecration, being pleased, may bestow the consecration; so that those two who are consecrators may consecrate. They are two triṣṭubh verses, for the attainment of full faculties.