Aitareyabrahmana 4.26

4.26

The consecration departed from the gods.
They pursued it with the two spring months,
[but] they did not reach it with the two spring months.
They pursued it with the two summer [months], with the two rainy [months], with the two autumn [months],
with the two winter months;
[but] they did not reach it with the two winter months.
They pursued it with the two dewy months;
with the two dewy months they reached it.
He reaches what he desires to reach, nor does a rival reach him, who knows this.
Therefore, for whomever the sacrificial session's consecration comes ready,
he should be consecrated just when these two dewy months have arrived.
He is consecrated directly when the consecration has arrived;
he grasps the consecration face to face.
Therefore, just when these two dewy months have arrived,
both domestic cattle and wild ones take on thinness and coarseness;
they enter, as it were, into the form of consecration.
He slaughters an animal offering for Prajāpati before the consecration.
For it he should recite seventeen kindling verses.
Seventeenfold indeed is Prajāpati, for the attainment of Prajāpati.
Its āprī verses are those of Jamadagni.
Regarding this they say:
'Since in other animal sacrifices the āprī verses correspond to the ṛṣi [of the sacrificer],
why then in this [rite] are they solely those of Jamadagni for all?'
The Jamadagni [verses] are all-formed, all-complete;
this animal offering is all-formed, all-complete.
That they are Jamadagni [verses] is for all-formedness, for all-completeness.
Its animal sacrificial cake belongs to Vāyu.
Regarding this they say:
'Since the animal offering belongs to another deity,
why then is the animal sacrificial cake prepared for Vāyu?'
'Prajāpati is the sacrifice, for the freshness of the sacrifice,' he should say.
And because it belongs to Vāyu, it does not thereby depart from Prajāpati, for Vāyu is indeed Prajāpati.
That has been stated by the ṛṣi:
'The purifying [Vāyu] is Prajāpati.'
And if it is a sacrificial session, having deposited the fires together they should sacrifice, all should be consecrated, all should press [Soma].
He breaks up [the camp] toward spring.
Spring is invigorating nourishment; he breaks up [the camp] toward food and invigorating nourishment.