Aitareyabrahmana 2.4

2.4

With the Āprī hymns they propitiate [the deities]. The Āprī verses are splendour and priestly lustre; thereby he enriches him with splendour and priestly lustre. He offers to the kindling sticks. The kindling sticks are the breath-channels, for the breath-channels kindle all this whatever exists; thereby he propitiates the breath-channels and places the breath-channels in the sacrificer. He offers to Tanūnapāt. Tanūnapāt is the breath, for it protects the bodies; thereby he propitiates the breath and places the breath in the sacrificer. He offers to Narāśaṃsa. Men are offspring, praise is speech; thereby he propitiates offspring and speech, and places offspring and speech in the sacrificer. He offers to the sacred refreshments. The refreshments are food; thereby he propitiates food and places food in the sacrificer. He offers to the sacrificial grass. The sacrificial grass is cattle; thereby he propitiates cattle and places cattle in the sacrificer. He offers to the doors. The doors are rain; thereby he propitiates rain and places rain and food in the sacrificer. He offers to Dawn and Night. Dawn and Night are day and night; thereby he propitiates day and night and places the sacrificer in day and night. He offers to the two divine hotṛ priests. The two divine hotṛ priests are out-breath and in-breath; thereby he propitiates out-breath and in-breath and places out-breath and in-breath in the sacrificer. He offers to the three goddesses. The three goddesses are out-breath, in-breath, and diffused breath; thereby he propitiates them and places them in the sacrificer. He offers to Tvaṣṭṛ. Tvaṣṭṛ is speech, for speech fashions, as it were, all this; thereby he propitiates speech and places speech in the sacrificer. He offers to the lord of the forest. The lord of the forest is the breath; thereby he propitiates the breath and places the breath in the sacrificer. He offers to the svāhā-utterances. The svāhā-utterances are foundation; thereby in the end he establishes the sacrifice upon a foundation. With them he should propitiate according to the seer [of the sacrificer's family]. In that he propitiates according to the seer, he does not separate the sacrificer from his kinship.