Aitareyabrahmana 2.40

2.40

"Forward to you, the divine Agni," he recites. "Forward" is breath, for all these creatures move forward following breath. Thus he brings breath into being, he prepares breath. "Shining, without predecessor," he recites. Mind indeed has shone, for nothing is prior to mind. Thus he brings mind into being, he prepares mind. "May he, for our enjoyment, [grant] protections," he recites. Speech indeed is protection; therefore to one who repeats with speech, one says, "I have given him as it were protection." Thus he brings speech into being, he prepares speech. "And favour us in our prayer," he recites. The ear indeed is prayer, for with the ear one hears prayer; in the ear prayer is established. Thus he brings the ear into being, he prepares the ear. "He is the restrainer of these, the inspired," he recites. Downward breath indeed is the restrainer, for restrained by downward breath this outward breath does not turn away. Thus he brings downward breath into being, he prepares downward breath. "He whose are the two world-halves, observant of order," he recites. The eye indeed is cosmic order. Therefore, whichever of two disputants says, "I saw directly with my eye," him they believe. Thus he brings the eye into being, he prepares the eye. "Now grant us wealth with thousands, with progeny, with nourishment," with this final [verse] he concludes. The whole self is possessed of thousands, possessed of progeny, possessed of nourishment. Thus he brings the whole self into being, he prepares the whole self. With the offering verse he sacrifices. The offering verse is a giving away, auspicious fortune indeed. Thus he brings auspicious fortune into being, he prepares auspicious fortune. Knowing thus, consisting of metres, consisting of deities, consisting of brahman, consisting of immortality, having been brought into being, he enters the deities, who knows this. Whoever knows how, consisting of metres, consisting of deities, consisting of brahman, consisting of immortality, having been brought into being, he enters the deities, that is well known. Thus with respect to the self; now with respect to the divine.