Aitareyabrahmana 5.32

5.32

Prajāpati desired: 'May I propagate, may I become more.' He performed ascetic heat; having performed ascetic heat, he created these worlds: earth, intermediate space, and sky. He heated these worlds. From them, heated, three lights were born: Agni was born from the earth, Vāyu from the intermediate space, and Āditya from the sky. He heated these lights; from them, heated, the three Vedas were born: the Ṛgveda was born from Agni, the Yajurveda from Vāyu, and the Sāmaveda from Āditya. He heated these Vedas; from them, heated, three essences were born: 'bhūḥ' was born from the Ṛgveda, 'bhuvaḥ' from the Yajurveda, and 'svaḥ' from the Sāmaveda. He heated these essences; from them, heated, three phonemes were born: the sound 'a', the sound 'u', and the sound 'ma'. He brought them together into one; that is this 'oṃ'. Therefore one recites 'oṃ, oṃ'. For 'oṃ' is the heavenly world, 'oṃ' is that one who burns yonder. That Prajāpati extended the sacrifice, brought it forward, and sacrificed with it. With the ṛc alone he performed the office of the hotṛ priest, with the yajus the office of the adhvaryu priest, with the sāman the udgītha. With what was the essence of the threefold knowledge, with that he performed the office of the brahman priest. Prajāpati handed over the sacrifice to the gods; the gods extended the sacrifice, brought it forward, and sacrificed with it. With the ṛc alone they performed the office of the hotṛ priest, with the yajus the office of the adhvaryu priest, with the sāman the udgītha. With what was the essence of the threefold knowledge, with that they performed the office of the brahman priest. Those gods said to Prajāpati: 'If an injury should happen to our sacrifice from the ṛc, if from the yajus, if from the sāman, or if it is unknown, or a total failure, what is the expiation?' Prajāpati said to the gods: 'If an injury happens to your sacrifice from the ṛc, you shall offer into the gārhapatya with "bhūḥ"; if from the yajus, with "bhuvaḥ" into the āgnīdhra fire, or into the anvāhāryapacana in the sacrifices of offerings; if from the sāman, with "svaḥ" into the āhavanīya; if it is unknown, or a total failure, repeating all of them, "bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ", you shall offer into the āhavanīya itself.' These indeed are the internal splints of the Vedas, namely these mystical utterances. Then, just as one would unite limb to limb, just as joint to joint, just as one would join together leather or another separated thing with glue, even so one joins together with these [utterances] what is torn apart in the sacrifice. This is the universal expiation, namely these mystical utterances; therefore this very expiation must be performed in the sacrifice.