Aitareyabrahmana 5.34

5.34

Regarding this, they say: 'Because "he drew the draughts for me, he proceeded for me, he made the oblations for me," priestly gifts are brought to the adhvaryu priest; "he sang up for me," to the udgātṛ priest; "he recited after for me, he praised for me, he sacrificed for me," to the hotṛ priest: having done what indeed are priestly gifts brought to the brahman priest, or do they take [them] having done nothing?' The brahman priest is the physician of the sacrifice; having made medicine for the sacrifice, he takes [the gift]. And because he performs the duty of a sacrificial priest with the most abundant brahman, the sap of the metres, therefore the brahman priest [receives a share]. In the beginning, he had a half share of the other sacrificial priests; because [he is] the brahman priest, half belonged to the brahman priest, half to the other sacrificial priests. Therefore, if an injury should happen in the sacrifice from the ṛc, if from the yajus, if from the sāman, or if it is unknown, or a total failure, they report it to the brahman priest alone. Therefore, if an injury happens in the sacrifice from the ṛc, the brahman priest should 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', he should offer into the āhavanīya itself. When the stotra is introduced, the prastotṛ priest says: 'O brahman, we shall praise; O director!' In the morning pressing, the brahman priest should say 'bhūḥ' [and] 'Praise, accompanied by Indra!'; in the midday pressing, he should say 'bhuvaḥ' [and] 'Praise, accompanied by Indra!'; in the third pressing, he should say 'svaḥ' [and] 'Praise, accompanied by Indra!'; at the uktha or at the atirātra sacrifice, he should say 'bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ' [and] 'Praise, accompanied by Indra!' When he says 'Praise, accompanied by Indra!', the sacrifice belongs to Indra; Indra is the deity of the sacrifice. He makes the udgītha accompanied by Indra: 'May he not depart from Indra, praise, accompanied by Indra!' Thus indeed he says to them, thus he says.