Aitareyabrahmana 4.23

4.23

Prajāpati desired: / 'May I propagate, may I become more.' / He performed ascetic heat. / Having performed ascetic heat, he saw this twelve-day sacrifice within his own limbs and his vital breaths. / He fashioned it twelvefold from his own limbs and vital breaths; / he fetched it; he sacrificed with it. / Thereupon indeed he flourished in himself; he propagated with offspring and cattle. / He flourishes in himself, he propagates with offspring and cattle, who knows thus. / He desired: / 'How indeed might I encompass this twelve-day sacrifice on all sides with the gāyatrī and attain all success?' / He encompassed it with splendour from in front, / with metres from the middle, and with syllables from above. / Having encompassed the twelve-day sacrifice on all sides with the gāyatrī, he attained all success. / He attains all success who knows thus. / He who knows the gāyatrī as winged, possessed of eyes, luminous, and radiant, / goes to the heavenly world by means of the gāyatrī that is winged, possessed of eyes, luminous, and radiant. / This twelve-day sacrifice is indeed the gāyatrī that is winged, possessed of eyes, luminous, and radiant. / Its two wings are the two atirātra sacrifices on both sides; its two eyes are the two agniṣṭoma sacrifices inside; / its body is the eight ukthya sacrifices in the middle. / By means of the gāyatrī that is winged, possessed of eyes, luminous, and radiant, he goes to the heavenly world / who knows thus.