Aitareyabrahmana 5.1

5.1

The All-Gods as deities carry the third day;
the stoma is seventeenfold, the sāman Vairūpa, the metre jagatī.
According to deity, according to stoma, according to sāman, according to metre he succeeds through this,
who knows thus.
What has an identical conclusion, that is the characteristic of the third day;
what has 'horse' (aśva), what has 'end' (anta), what is repeated, what is turned back,
what has 'ra-ta', what has 'turned around' (paryasta), what has 'three' (tri), what is the form of the end,
where the deity is stated in the final verse-quarter, where that world [above] is mentioned,
what belongs to Vairūpa, what belongs to jagatī, what is done [in the past tense]:
these are the characteristics of the third day.
'Yoke, O Agni, as a charioteer, horses best at invoking the gods'—such is the ājya [śastra] of the third day.
The gods went to the heavenly world by the third day;
the asuras and rakṣases barred their path. They [said]:
'Become diverse in form! Become diverse in form!' Becoming [so], they went on. Because
they went on, becoming [so, saying] 'Become diverse in form! Become diverse in form!', that became the Vairūpa sāman;
that is the Vairūpatva of the Vairūpa.
Becoming distinct from evil, he strikes away evil, who knows thus.
They indeed overtook them and joined battle;
becoming horses, they struck them away with their hooves.
Because, becoming horses, they struck them away with their hooves, that is the horseness of horses.
He attains whatever he desires, who knows thus.
Therefore the horse is the swiftest of animals; therefore the horse strikes backwards with its hoof;
he strikes away evil, who knows thus.
Therefore this ājya [śastra] contains 'horse', on the third day, the characteristic of the third day.
'Come, O Vāyu, to the feast', 'O Vāyu, come auspiciously from heaven',
'Indra and Vāyu, of these pressed [somas]', 'Unto Mitra and Varuṇa we [call]',
'Come hither, O Aśvins', 'Come to the [soma] pressed with stones', 'In company with the All-Gods',
'And she, dear among the dear'—such is the praüga [śastra] in the uṣṇih [metre].
Having an identical conclusion, on the third day, [this is] the characteristic of the third day.
'To that very one for great bounty', 'Three are the somas of Indra'—these are
the introductory and following verses of the Marutvatīya [śastra].
Containing a turned back [phrase], containing 'three', on the third day, [this is] the characteristic of the third day.
'Indra, come nearer here' is the unchangeable pragātha;
'Now forth Brahmanaspati'—this
hymn to Brahmaṇaspati contains a turned back [phrase], on the third day, [this is] the characteristic of the third day.
'Agni the leader', 'You, O Soma, through your wisdom', 'The waters swell' are the unchangeable inserted verses.
'No one overturned the chariot of Sudās nor halted it'—this
Marutvatīya pragātha contains 'turned around' (paryasta), on the third day, [this is] the characteristic of the third day.
'May Aryaman of three [rites] among the race of men' is the hymn containing 'three', on the third day, the characteristic of the third day.
'If, O Indra, a hundred heavens were yours', 'If you, O Indra, as many as [are]...'—thus
is the Vairūpa pṛṣṭha[-stotra].
Belonging to the Rathaṃtara day, on the third day, [this is] the characteristic of the third day.
'What he has won' is the unchangeable inserted verse; he turns back to the womb of the Rathaṃtara with:
'We shout aloud to you, O hero!'
For this day belongs to the Rathaṃtara by its base. 'Indra,
threefold refuge'—this
sāmapragātha contains 'three', on the third day, [this is] the characteristic of the third day.
'That swift courser sped by the gods'—the Tārkṣya is unchangeable.