Aitareyabrahmana 2.23

2.23

The pressings of the gods indeed were not held firm. They saw these sacrificial cakes; / they offered them at each pressing to hold firm the pressings. / Thereupon their pressings were held firm. / Because sacrificial cakes are offered at each pressing, it is solely to hold firm the pressings; / for in that way theirs were held firm. / The gods placed these in front (puraḥ), which is why they are puroḍāśas; that is the puroḍāśa-nature of the puroḍāśas. / On this they say: 'One should offer sacrificial cakes at each pressing: an eight-pot-sherd one at the morning pressing, / an eleven-pot-sherd one at the midday pressing, a twelve-pot-sherd one at the third pressing; / for such is the form of the pressings, such the form of the metres.' / That should not be regarded. / All these sacrificial cakes that are offered at each pressing belong to Indra; / therefore he should offer them only on eleven pot-sherds. / On this they say: / 'One should eat of the sacrificial cake from wherever it is smeared with clarified butter, for the protection of the drinking of Soma, / for with clarified butter as a bolt Indra slew Vṛtra.' / That should not be regarded. What is clarified is the sacrificial offering; / what is clarified is the drinking of Soma. Therefore he should eat of it from wherever he pleases. / From all sides indeed these ancestral offerings flow to the sacrificer, which are these sacrificial offerings: / melted butter, parched grains, barley mush, puffed rice, sacrificial cake, and curd-mixture. / From all sides ancestral offerings flow to him who knows thus.