Aitareyabrahmana 4.5

4.5

The gods indeed took resort to the day, the asuras to the night. They were equal in virility; they did not separate. Indra said: 'Who and I shall pursue these asuras into the night from here?' He found no one among the gods; they feared the darkness of the night, death. Therefore even now, having stepped away only a little distance at night, one is afraid, for the night is like darkness, like death. The metres indeed followed him. Because the metres followed him, therefore Indra and the metres carry the night. No nivid is recited, nor puroruc, nor dhāyyā, nor any other deity, for Indra and the metres carry the night. They drove them away turn by turn with the rounds. In that they drove them away turn by turn with the rounds, that is the round-ness of the rounds. By the first round they drove them away from the earlier part of the night; by the middle one from midnight; by the last one from the later part of the night. 'We are in pursuit even into the night,' they said. 'These metres are indeed night-penetrating,' he used to say, for they carried Indra across, who was afraid of the darkness of the night, of death; that is the night-penetrating nature of the night-penetrating [metres].