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Aitareyabrahmana 6

English (machine translation) 6

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6.1

The gods once sat for a sacrificial session at Sarvacaru, but they did not ward off evil.
Arbuda Kādraveya, the serpent seer and mantra-maker, said to them:
‘One office of hotṛ is unperformed by you; let me perform it for you,
and then you will ward off evil.’
They said: ‘So be it.’
Creeping up at each midday, he praised the pressing stones.
Therefore, in imitation thereof, they praise the pressing stones at each midday.
The way by which he crept up
is even today a path called Arbudodāsarpaṇī [‘Arbuda’s Creeping’].
King [Soma] intoxicated them. They said:
‘A venomous serpent is looking at our king.
Come, let us bind his eyes with a turban.’ [They agreed:] ‘So be it.’
They bound his eyes with a turban.
Therefore, in imitation thereof, throwing a turban around [the head], they praise the pressing stones.
King [Soma] intoxicated them nevertheless. They said:
‘He praises the pressing stones with his own mantra;
come, let us blend his mantra with other verses.’ [They agreed:] ‘So be it.’
They blended his mantra with other verses; then [Soma] did not intoxicate them.
In that they blend his mantra with other verses, it is for pacification.
They warded off evil.
Following their warding off [of evil], the serpents warded off evil;
these, with evil warded off, leaving behind their old, worn-out skin, move forward with a new one.
He wards off evil who knows thus.

6.2

They ask:
‘With how many [verses] should he praise?’
‘With a hundred,’ they say.
‘Man has a life of a hundred [years], a hundredfold virility, a hundredfold faculty;
thereby he establishes him in life, virility, and faculty.’
‘Or with thirty-three,’ they say.
‘He warded off thirty-three evils of the gods;
thirty-three are his gods.’
He should praise with an unlimited number.
Prajāpati is unlimited.
This hotṛ-function regarding the verses for the pressing stones belongs to Prajāpati;
in it all desires are obtained.
In that he praises with an unlimited number, it is to obtain all desires.
He obtains all desires who knows thus.
Therefore he should praise with an unlimited number only.
They ask:
‘How should he praise?
Syllable by syllable, four syllables by four syllables, quarter-verse by quarter-verse, half-verse by half-verse, or verse by verse?’
Now, as to [praising] verse by verse, that is not suitable;
and as to [praising] quarter-verse by quarter-verse, that is not suitable either;
and as to [praising] syllable by syllable or four syllables by four syllables, thus metres would be damaged,
and many syllables would be lost.
He should praise by half-verse only, for the sake of foundation.
Man has two foundations [feet], and cattle have four feet;
he thus establishes the sacrificer, who has two foundations, among four-footed cattle.
Therefore he should praise by half-verse only.
They ask:
‘Since he praises the pressing stones at each midday only,
how does it become praised for his other two pressings?’
In that he praises with gāyatrī verses—the morning pressing belongs to the gāyatrī—
thereby it is for the morning pressing;
and in that he praises with jagatī verses—the third pressing belongs to the jagatī—
thereby it is for the third pressing.
Thus indeed, praising the pressing stones at each midday only,
it becomes praised at all pressings for him who knows thus.
They ask:
‘Since the adhvaryu priest gives orders to the other sacrificial priests,
then why does this one undertake this [chant] without being ordered?’
Mind is the verses for the pressing stones, and this mind is without order;
therefore he undertakes this [chant] without being ordered.

6.3

Speech is the subrahmaṇyā; King Soma is her calf.
When King Soma has been bought, they call out the subrahmaṇyā just as one would call out to a cow;
by means of that calf, she yields all desires for the sacrificer.
Speech yields all desires for him who knows thus.
They ask:
‘Why is the subrahmaṇyā called subrahmaṇyā?’
He should say: ‘Just speech; speech is both brahman and subrahma.’
They ask:
‘Then why do they speak of him, though a male, as if a female?’
He should say: ‘Because speech is subrahmaṇyā; on that account.’
They ask:
‘Since the other sacrificial priests perform their priestly duties inside the altar, and the subrahmaṇyā outside the altar,
how does his priestly duty become performed inside the altar?’
‘They throw up the refuse-heap from the altar;
in that he calls out standing on the refuse-heap,’ he should say, ‘on that account.’
They ask:
‘Then why does he call out the subrahmaṇyā standing on the refuse-heap?’
The seers sat for a sacrificial session.
To him among them who was the tallest, they said:
‘Call out the subrahmaṇyā; you will call the gods for us from nearest.’
They thus make him the tallest, and moreover he thereby gratifies the entire altar.
They ask:
‘Why do they drive up a bull as the sacrificial gift for him?’
‘A bull is a male, the subrahmaṇyā is a female; that is a copulative pair,
for the procreation of that copulative pair.’
The āgnīdhra priest offers the pātnīvata oblation in a whisper.
The pātnīvata oblation is semen, and the pouring of semen is done as it were in a whisper.
He does not make the secondary vaṣaṭ-call.
The secondary vaṣaṭ-call is a conclusion;
[he omits it] thinking: ‘Lest I bring the semen to a standstill.’
Unarrested is the fullness of semen.
Therefore he does not make the secondary vaṣaṭ-call.
Sitting in the lap of the neṣṭṛ priest, he consumes [the portion].
The neṣṭṛ priest is the vessel of wives; Agni places semen in the wives for procreation;
through Agni he thus places semen in the wives for procreation.
He is propagated with offspring and cattle who knows thus.
The subrahmaṇyā concludes along with the sacrificial gifts.
Speech is the subrahmaṇyā; the sacrificial gifts are food; and food is nourishment;
thus they establish the sacrifice in speech at the end, they establish it.

6.4

The gods performed the sacrifice. While they were performing it, the Asuras approached them, saying: 'We will cause ruin to their sacrifice.' They approached them from the south, where they considered the sacrifice to be at its thinnest. The gods, becoming aware, placed Mitra and Varuṇa on the south side; by means of Mitra and Varuṇa they smote away the Asura-Rakṣases from the south at the morning pressing. In the very same way, the sacrificers smite away the Asura-Rakṣases from the south at the morning pressing by means of Mitra and Varuṇa. Therefore the Maitrāvaruṇa priest recites [a hymn] addressed to Mitra and Varuṇa at the morning pressing, for by means of Mitra and Varuṇa the gods smote away the Asura-Rakṣases from the south at the morning pressing.
Those Asuras, smitten away from the south, entered the sacrifice from the middle. The gods, becoming aware, placed Indra in the middle; by means of Indra they smote away the Asura-Rakṣases from the middle at the morning pressing. In the very same way, the sacrificers smite away the Asura-Rakṣases from the middle at the morning pressing by means of Indra. Therefore the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin priest recites [a hymn] addressed to Indra at the morning pressing, for by means of Indra the gods smote away the Asura-Rakṣases from the middle at the morning pressing.
Those Asuras, smitten away from the middle, entered the sacrifice from the north. The gods, becoming aware, placed Indra and Agni on the north side; by means of Indra and Agni they smote away the Asura-Rakṣases from the north at the morning pressing. In the very same way, the sacrificers smite away the Asura-Rakṣases from the north at the morning pressing by means of Indra and Agni. Therefore the Achāvāka priest recites [a hymn] addressed to Indra and Agni at the morning pressing, for by means of Indra and Agni the gods smote away the Asura-Rakṣases from the north at the morning pressing.
Those Asuras, smitten away from the north, ran around from the front in battle array. The gods, becoming aware, placed Agni in the front at the morning pressing; by means of Agni they smote away the Asura-Rakṣases from the front at the morning pressing. In the very same way, the sacrificers smite away the Asura-Rakṣases from the front at the morning pressing by means of Agni. Therefore the morning pressing is addressed to Agni. He who knows thus strikes away evil.
Those Asuras, smitten away from the front, having gone around, entered from behind. The gods, becoming aware, placed the All-Gods, their own selves, behind at the third pressing; by means of the All-Gods, their own selves, they smote away the Asura-Rakṣases from behind at the third pressing. In the very same way, the sacrificers smite away the Asura-Rakṣases from behind at the third pressing by means of the All-Gods, their own selves. Therefore the third pressing is addressed to the All-Gods. He who knows thus strikes away evil.
The gods thus smote away the Asuras from the entire sacrifice. Then the gods thrived, the Asuras were defeated. He thrives in himself, and his spiteful rival evil is defeated, who knows thus. The gods, having slain the Asuras, the evil, by means of the sacrifice thus arranged, conquered the heavenly world. He strikes away his spiteful rival evil and conquers the heavenly world, who knows thus and who, knowing thus, arranges the pressings.

6.5

They make a corresponding verse for the stotriya at the morning pressing; thereby they make day correspond to day; by means of the lower day they take hold of the higher day. But it is not so at midday. The pṛṣṭha stotras are prosperity; they would not stand firm for him if they were to make a corresponding verse for the stotriya. By that same distinction, they do not make a corresponding verse for the stotriya at the third pressing.

6.6

Now next the introductory verses. 'Leading straight, may Varuṇa, may Mitra lead us knowing,' is the Maitrāvaruṇa's. The Maitrāvaruṇa is the leader of the Hotrakas; therefore this [verse] has a leader. 'Indra from all sides / we call to you from among people,' is the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin's; by this they invoke Indra day by day. In the rivalry of invocations, no other diverts Indra away from them where, knowing thus, the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin recites this day by day. 'When the Soma is pressed, O men,' is the Achāvāka's, 'they repeatedly invoked Indra and Agni'; by this they invoke Indra and Agni day by day. In the rivalry of invocations, no other diverts Indra and Agni away from them where, knowing thus, the Achāvāka recites this day by day. These are the transporting boats of the heavenly world; by means of them they cross over to the heavenly world.

6.7

Now next the concluding verses. 'May we be yours, O god Varuṇa,' is the Maitrāvaruṇa's, 'may we hold nourishment and the light of heaven.' 'Nourishment' is this world; 'the light of heaven' is yonder world; by this they take hold of both worlds. 'He traversed the intermediate space,' is the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin's; by this triplet containing the prefix 'vi' he opens up the heavenly world for them. 'In the intoxication of Soma, the shining spaces, when Indra broke Vala': these consecrated sacrificers are indeed desirous of winning; therefore this [verse] mentions Vala. 'He drove up the cows for the Aṅgirases, making manifest those that were in the cave; / he drove Vala downwards': by this he secures gain for them. 'Through Indra the shining spaces of the sky,' the heavenly world is 'through Indra the shining spaces of the sky,' 'firmly fixed and strengthened, / stable, never to be pushed away': by this they go establishing themselves day by day in the heavenly world. 'I of the two accompanied by Sarasvatī,' is the Achāvāka's. Sarasvatī is speech; he says 'of the two accompanied by speech' when he says: 'I choose the help of Indra and Agni.' That which is speech is indeed the dear abode of Indra and Agni; thereby he enriches them with their dear abode. He is enriched with a dear abode, who knows thus.

6.8

The concluding verses of the hotrakas at the morning pressing and at the midday [pressing] are of both kinds: those belonging to the multi-day sacrifice (ahīna) and those belonging to the one-day sacrifice (ekāha). Then the Maitrāvaruṇa concludes with those belonging to the one-day sacrifice; thereby he does not fall away from this world. The Achāvāka [concludes] with those belonging to the multi-day sacrifice, for the attainment of the heavenly world. The Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin [concludes] with both kinds. Thereby he goes along grasping both: this world and that world; and also the Maitrāvaruṇa and the Achāvāka; and also the multi-day sacrifice and the one-day sacrifice; and also the year and the agniṣṭoma sacrifice. Thus indeed he goes along grasping both. Then, in the third pressing, the concluding verses of the hotrakas belong only to the one-day sacrifice. The one-day sacrifice is indeed a foundation; thus at the end they establish the sacrifice in a foundation. He should sacrifice at the morning pressing without taking a breath. He should not over-recite the stoma by one or two [verses]. That is just as one would quickly offer [a drink] to one who is neighing [or shouting] and thirsty; it is like that. And also [he thinks]: 'Let me quickly offer food and the Soma-draught to the gods.' Quickly indeed does he establish himself in this world. With an unmeasured [number of verses he recites] at the two higher pressings. The heavenly world is indeed unmeasured, for the attainment of the heavenly world. The hotṛ priest may recite at will what the hotrakas recited on the previous day, or what the hotṛ [recites], that the hotrakas [recite]. The hotṛ priest is breath; the hotrakas are the limbs. This same breath moves through the limbs. Therefore the hotṛ priest may recite at will what the hotrakas recited on the previous day, or what the hotṛ [recites], that the hotrakas [recite]. The hotṛ priest concludes with hymn-endings. Then the concluding verses of the hotrakas at the third pressing are identical. The hotṛ priest is the self; the hotrakas are the limbs. Identical indeed are these ends of the limbs. Therefore the concluding verses of the hotrakas at the third pressing are identical, are identical.

6.9

With 'Let the bays bear thee hither' he recites for [the cups] being drawn forward at the morning pressing—[verses] containing the word 'bull' (vṛṣan), containing the word 'drunk' (pīta), containing the word 'pressed' (suta), containing the word 'exhilarating' (mad), congruous in form. He recites [verses] addressed to Indra, for the sacrifice belongs to Indra. He recites gāyatrī [verses], for the morning pressing belongs to the gāyatrī. He recites nine, a deficient [number], at the morning pressing; indeed semen is emitted into what is deficient. He recites ten at midday; semen emitted into what is deficient, having reached the middle of a woman, becomes stoutest. He recites nine, a deficient [number], at the third pressing; from what is deficient offspring are generated. As to his reciting these whole hymns: thereby he generates the sacrificer as an embryo from the sacrifice for a divine womb. Now some recite seven and seven: seven at the morning pressing, seven at the midday [pressing], seven at the third pressing, saying: 'As many as are the introductory verses, so many are the offering verses. Seven indeed sacrifice forwards, seven pronounce the vaṣaṭ call. These are their introductory verses.' One should not do it thus. They steal away the sacrificer's semen and also the sacrificer himself, for the sacrificer is the hymn. With nine [verses] the Maitrāvaruṇa conveys him from this world to the world of the intermediate space; with ten from the world of the intermediate space to that world—for the world of the intermediate space is greatest—with nine from that world to the heavenly world. Those who recite seven and seven are not able to carry the sacrificer to the heavenly world. Therefore he should recite the hymns in their entirety.

6.10

Now he says: 'If the sacrifice belongs to Indra, then why do only two sacrifice with [verses] visibly addressed to Indra for the offered [cups] at the morning pressing—the hotṛ priest and the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin: the hotṛ priest sacrifices with "This Soma-mead of thine", the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin with "Indra, thee the bull, we [invoke]", while the others sacrifice with verses addressed to various deities: how do theirs belong to Indra?' The Maitrāvaruṇa sacrifices with 'We invoke Mitra, [Varuṇa for the drinking of Soma]'. Whatever word contains 'drunk' (pīta), that is a form of Indra; thereby he pleases Indra. The Potṛ sacrifices with 'For in whose house the Maruts [dwell, that man is guarded best]'. Indra is the guardian (gopā); that is a form of Indra; thereby he pleases Indra. The Neṣṭṛ sacrifices with 'Agni, bring the wives hither, [Tvaṣṭṛ for the drinking of Soma]'. Indra is Tvaṣṭṛ; that is a form of Indra; thereby he pleases Indra. The Āgnīdhra sacrifices with 'To the bull-eater, the barren-cow-eater, [to the Soma-backed dispenser]'. Indra is the dispenser (vedhas); that is a form of Indra; thereby he pleases Indra. 'Come with the gods who travel at dawn, O lords of noble wealth, Indra and Agni, for the drinking of Soma'—the Achāvāka's [verse] is self-sufficient. Thus these [verses] belong to Indra. Because they are addressed to various deities, thereby he pleases other deities. And because they are in the gāyatrī [metre], thereby they belong to Agni. And thus by these [verses] he obtains this triad.

6.11

'This divine plant mixed with milk has been pressed'—he recites for [the cups] being drawn forward at midday—[verses] containing the word 'bull' (vṛṣan), containing the word 'drunk' (pīta), containing the word 'pressed' (suta), containing the word 'exhilarating' (mad), congruous in form. He recites [verses] addressed to Indra, for the sacrifice belongs to Indra. He recites triṣṭubh [verses], for the midday pressing belongs to the triṣṭubh. As to that, they say: 'Since the word "exhilarating" (mad) is the form of the third pressing only, then why do they recite and sacrifice with [verses] containing the word "exhilarating" at midday?' The deities, as it were, become exhilarated at midday; at the third pressing they thoroughly exhilarate themselves. Therefore at midday he recites and they sacrifice with [verses] containing the word 'exhilarating'. All of them indeed sacrifice at midday with [verses] visibly addressed to Indra for the offered [cups]. Some [sacrifice] with [verses] containing [the root] tard ('pierce'). The hotṛ priest sacrifices with 'Drink Soma, which, O fierce one, thou didst pierce'; the Maitrāvaruṇa sacrifices with 'Drink him, thou who hast the dregs, the deliverer'; the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin sacrifices with 'Thus drink, as of old, let it exhilarate thee'; the Potṛ sacrifices with 'Come hither, they call thee who art desirous of Soma'; the Neṣṭṛ sacrifices with 'Thine is this Soma, come hither'; the Achāvāka sacrifices with 'For Indra the Somas from of old are known'; the Āgnīdhra sacrifices with 'His goblet is filled, svāhā!' These [verses] of theirs contain [the root] tard ('pierce'). Indra indeed was not victorious at the morning pressing; with these very [verses] he pierced the midday pressing. Because he pierced (abhyatṛṇat) it, therefore these contain [the root] tard ('pierce').

6.12

"Come hither, sons of strength," he recites for those being drawn forward at the third pressing: [verses] containing the word "bull," containing "drunk," containing "pressed," containing "intoxicating," congruous in form. These belong to Indra and the Ṛbhus. On this they say: "Since they do not chant [their stotra] upon verses to the Ṛbhus, why then do they call it the Ārbhava Pavamāna?" Prajāpati, as father, made the Ṛbhus, who were mortal, immortal, and gave them a share at the third pressing; therefore they do not chant upon verses addressed to the Ṛbhus, and yet they call it the Ārbhava Pavamāna. Then he says: "Since he recites according to the metre at the former two pressings—gāyatrī verses at the morning pressing, triṣṭubh verses at the midday pressing—why then does he recite triṣṭubh verses when the third pressing belongs to the jagatī?" One should say: "The third pressing is indeed drained of its sap. Now, this triṣṭubh is a vigorous metre not drained of its sap, for the purpose of lending sap to the pressing; and also he thereby allots Indra a share in the pressing." Then he says: "Since the third pressing belongs to Indra and the Ṛbhus, why then does the hotṛ alone directly offer with a verse addressed to Indra and the Ṛbhus for the drawn [cups] at the third pressing—'Indra, sprinkled with the Ṛbhus, full of prize-wealth'—while the others [offer] with verses to various deities? How do theirs become addressed to Indra and the Ṛbhus?" The maitrāvaruṇa offers with: "Indra and Varuṇa, drinkers of the pressed [soma], this pressed [soma]... Your chariot to the sacrifice, for the feast of the gods"; it expresses many things. That is the mark of the Ṛbhus. The brāhmaṇācchaṃsin offers with: "Indra and Bṛhaspati, drink the soma... May the drops enter you both, arriving of themselves"; it expresses many things. That is the mark of the Ṛbhus. The potṛ offers with: "May the swift-flying steeds convey you... Swift of flight, advance with your arms"; it expresses many things. That is the mark of the Ṛbhus. The neṣṭṛ offers with: "Like into our home, easy to invoke, come hither"; "come" expresses many. That is the mark of the Ṛbhus. The achāvāka offers with: "Indra and Viṣṇu, drink of this sweet [soma]... The intoxicating foods have reached you both"; it expresses many things. That is the mark of the Ṛbhus. The āgnīdhra offers with: "This praise for worthy Jātavedas... Like a chariot, may we construct it with thought"; it expresses many things. That is the mark of the Ṛbhus. In this way indeed these verses become addressed to Indra and the Ṛbhus. In that they are addressed to various deities, he thereby propitiates the other deities. And in that they have the force of the jagatī—for the third pressing belongs to the jagatī—it is for the success of the third pressing itself.

6.13

Now he says: 'Since some litanies have ukthas and others have no ukthas, how are these litanies of his all equal and fully accomplished?' In that having collectively sung them they call them litanies, by that they are equal. In that some litanies have ukthas and others have no ukthas, by that they are unequal. Thus indeed these litanies of his all become equal and fully accomplished. Now he says: 'The subsidiary hotṛ priests recite at the morning pressing, they recite at the midday pressing; how do they have a recitation at the third pressing?' One should say: 'In that they recite two hymns each at the midday pressing, by that [it is accomplished].' Now he says: 'Since the hotṛ priest has two ukthas, how do the subsidiary hotṛ priests have two ukthas?' One should say: 'In that they sacrifice with verses addressed to two deities, by that [it is accomplished].'

6.14

Now he says: 'Since these three litanies have ukthas, how do the other [litanies] have ukthas?' The ājya [śastra] is indeed the uktha for the āgnīdhrīya, the marutvatīya for the potrīya, and the vaiśvadeva for the neṣṭrīya. These litanies indeed have such marks. Now he says: 'Since the other subsidiary hotṛ priests have a single prompt, why then does the potṛ have two prompts, and the neṣṭṛ have two prompts?' When yonder gāyatrī, having become a bird of prey, fetched the soma, then Indra, having stripped off the ukthas of these litanies, gave them to the hotṛ priest, [saying]: 'You did not call upon me; you did not take notice of this.' The gods said: 'Let us make speech sufficient for these two litanies.' Therefore these two have two prompts. With a verse they made [speech] sufficient for the āgnīdhrīya; therefore his offering verses are more numerous by one verse. Now he says: 'Since the maitrāvaruṇa prompts the hotṛ priest with "May the hotṛ priest sacrifice, may the hotṛ priest sacrifice," why does he prompt those who are not hotṛ priests but are reciters of the litanies with "May the hotṛ priest sacrifice, may the hotṛ priest sacrifice"?' Breath indeed is the hotṛ priest; all the sacrificial priests are breath. In saying 'May the hotṛ priest sacrifice, may the hotṛ priest sacrifice,' he says just that: '[May] breath sacrifice, [may] breath sacrifice.' Now he says: 'Is there a prompt for the udgātṛ priests or not?' One should say: 'There is.' In that the director, having muttered his silent prayer, says: 'Sing praises,' that is their prompt. Now he says: 'Is there a choice of an ancestral seer for the achāvāka or not?' One should say: 'There is.' In that the adhvaryu says to him: 'Achāvāka, speak what is to be spoken by you,' this is his choice of an ancestral seer. Now he says: 'Since the maitrāvaruṇa recites [a hymn] to Indra and Varuṇa at the third pressing, why are his stotriya and anurūpa verses addressed to Agni?' By means of Agni as their forefront the gods drove the asuras away from the ukthas; therefore his stotriya and anurūpa verses are addressed to Agni. Now he says: 'Since the brāhmaṇācchaṃsin recites [a hymn] to Indra and Bṛhaspati at the third pressing, and the achāvāka [recites a hymn] to Indra and Viṣṇu, how are their stotriya and anurūpa verses addressed to Indra?' Indra indeed drove the asuras away from the ukthas; he said: 'Who along with me?' 'I and I,' the deities followed after him. Because Indra drove [them] away first, therefore their stotriya and anurūpa verses are addressed to Indra. And because the deities followed after him, [saying] 'I and I,' therefore the two recite [verses] addressed to various deities.

6.15

Now he says: 'Since the third pressing belongs to the Viśve Devas, why then are these jagatī hymns addressed to Indra recited as introductory verses at the third pressing?' One should say: 'Having taken hold of Indra by means of them, they proceed.' Moreover, since the third pressing belongs to the jagatī metre, that is for the desire of the jagatī world. Then, whatever metre is recited from this point onward, that indeed becomes entirely jagatī, if these jagatī hymns addressed to Indra are recited as introductory verses at the third pressing. Then at the end the achāvāka recites a triṣṭubh verse: 'Together with your deed...' Whatever deed is praiseworthy, that it expresses: 'Together with nourishment...' Food indeed is nourishment, for the obtainment of food. 'Bring us across by safe paths'—this he recites day after day just for well-being. Now he says: 'Since the third pressing belongs to the jagatī metre, why then are their concluding verses in the triṣṭubh metre?' Virility indeed is the triṣṭubh; they proceed firmly establishing themselves at the end in virility. 'This song of mine has reached Indra and Varuṇa' is for the maitrāvaruṇa. 'May Bṛhaspati protect us from behind' is for the brāhmaṇācchaṃsin. 'You both have conquered' is for the achāvāka, for those two both conquered. 'You are not defeated, nor has either been defeated,' for neither of the two was defeated. 'Indra and Viṣṇu, when you contended, into three parts did you divide the thousand'—Indra and Viṣṇu indeed fought with the asuras; having conquered them, the two said: 'Let us make an agreement.' The asuras said: 'So be it.' Indra said: 'As much as this Viṣṇu strides three times, that much is ours, and the rest is yours.' He strode across these worlds, and the Vedas, and speech. Regarding that, they say: 'What is that thousand?' One should say: 'These worlds, these Vedas, and speech.' 'Did you divide, did you divide,' the achāvāka repeats at the ukthya sacrifice, for he is the last there; at the agniṣṭoma sacrifice and the atirātra sacrifice the hotṛ priest [repeats], for he is the last there. 'Should one repeat at the ṣoḍaśin sacrifice or should one not repeat?' 'One should repeat,' they say. 'How could one repeat on other days, and how not repeat here?' Therefore, one should repeat.

6.16

Now he says: 'Since the third pressing belongs to Narāśaṃsa, why then does the achāvāka at the end recite non-nārāśaṃsī verses among the śilpas?' What belongs to Narāśaṃsa is indeed a transformation. Whatever the semen is transformed into, whatever it becomes, that, having then been transformed, is brought forth. Now, this metre which belongs to Narāśaṃsa is somewhat soft and slack. Now, this achāvāka is the last; [he does so] for firmness, [thinking]: 'May we stand firmly on what is firm.' Therefore, the achāvāka at the end recites non-nārāśaṃsī verses among the śilpas, for firmness, [thinking]: 'May we stand firmly on what is firm, may we stand firmly on what is firm.'

6.17

That which is tomorrow's stotriya verse, they make into the counterpart [verse] at the morning pressing for the continuation of the ahīna sacrifice. Just as a one-day Soma pressing is, so is the ahīna sacrifice. Just as the pressings of a one-day Soma pressing proceed concluding [into the next], so indeed do the days of the ahīna sacrifice proceed concluding [into the next]. As to their making tomorrow's stotriya verse into the counterpart [verse] at the morning pressing for the continuation of the ahīna sacrifice, they thereby continue the ahīna sacrifice. The gods and the ṛṣis indeed took care: 'Let us continue the sacrifice with what is identical.' They saw this identical [element] of the sacrifice: identical pragāthas, identical opening verses, identical hymns. Indra is a frequenter of his home. Wherever Indra goes first, thither he goes next, [and this is] in order to endow the sacrifice with Indra.

6.18

These very Sampāta hymns Viśvāmitra saw first. Vāmadeva produced those which had been seen by Viśvāmitra: 'Thus to thee, O Indra, wielder of the vajra, here', 'What has Indra enjoyed of ours and what does he desire?', 'How has the great one grown? Of which hotṛ priest?'. He flew along quickly to them. Because he flew along quickly, that is the nature of the Sampāta hymns as Sampātas. Viśvāmitra considered: 'The Sampāta hymns that I saw, Vāmadeva has produced. Which hymns as Sampātas, matching them, should I now produce?' He produced these hymns as Sampātas matching them: 'Born straightway, the youthful bull', 'Indra, breaker of strongholds, overcame the Dāsa with chants', 'Offer now this oblation for gaining', 'Soma-possessing friends seek thee', 'The guiding conductor went to the daughter's child', 'Gaze upon the thought like a carpenter.' Bharadvāja [produced]: 'He who alone is worthy of invocation among peoples'; Vasiṣṭha: 'Who, like a fierce bull with sharp horns', 'Forth have the prayers risen in desire for fame'; Nodhās: 'To him indeed, the powerful, the swift'. Having recited these six-day stotriyam-verses at the morning pressing, they recite the ahīna hymns at the midday pressing. These are the ahīna hymns: 'Let the true, dreg-drinking bounteous one come'—possessing truth, the Maitrāvaruṇa [recites]; 'To him indeed, the powerful, the swift', 'Prayers most generously offered unto Indra', 'O Indra, the Gotamas have made prayers'—possessing brahman, the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin [recites]; 'The guiding conductor—they produced the conductor'—possessing the conductor, the Achāvāka [recites]. Regarding this they say: 'Why does the Achāvāka recite this hymn possessing the conductor on both kinds of days, on departing days and on returning days?' Powerful indeed is this Ṛgvedic verse; this hymn possesses the conductor. A draft ox indeed carries the yokes to which it is harnessed. Therefore the Achāvāka recites this hymn possessing the conductor on both kinds of days, on departing days and on returning days. They are on five days: on the twenty-fourth day, on the Abhijit, on the Viṣuvant, on the Viśvajit, and on the Mahāvrata. Ahīna indeed are these days, for nothing is omitted on them. Departing indeed are these days, non-returning; therefore they recite them on these days. When they recite them, [they think]: 'May we obtain the un-deficient heavenly worlds, of every form, completely endowed.' When they recite them, they summon Indra with them, just like a bull to a cow in heat. And when they recite them for the continuation of the ahīna sacrifice, they thereby continue the ahīna sacrifice.

6.19

From these, then, the Maitrāvaruṇa recites these three Sampātas day by day, interchanging them one by one: 'Thus to thee, O Indra, wielder of the vajra, here' on the first day; 'What has Indra enjoyed of ours and what does he desire?' on the second; 'How has the great one grown? Of which hotṛ priest?' on the third. The Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin recites three Sampātas, interchanging them one by one day by day: 'Indra, breaker of strongholds, overcame the Dāsa with chants' on the first day; 'He who alone is worthy of invocation among peoples' on the second; 'Who, like a fierce bull with sharp horns' on the third. The Achāvāka recites three Sampātas, interchanging them one by one day by day: 'Offer now this oblation for gaining' on the first day; 'Soma-possessing friends seek thee' on the second; 'The guiding conductor went to the daughter's child' on the third. These make nine, and three are recited day by day. They become twelve. Twelve months indeed make a year; the year is Prajāpati; Prajāpati is the sacrifice. Thereby they obtain the year, Prajāpati, the sacrifice; thereby they proceed finding a firm foundation day by day in the year, in Prajāpati, in the sacrifice. Between them they should insert the insertions: the non-modulated Virāj hymns and the Vimada hymns on the fourth day, the Paṅktis on the fifth, the Parucchepa hymns on the sixth. Now, whichever days might have great stomas: the Maitrāvaruṇa should insert 'Who today, manly, desirous of the gods?'; the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin 'Like a desired [treasure] deposited in a tree'; the Achāvāka 'Come hitherward, standing on the chariot-seat'. These are the insertions. By means of these insertions the gods conquered the heavenly world, by them the ṛṣis [conquered it]. In the same way the sacrificers conquer the heavenly world by means of these insertions.

6.20

With 'As soon as born, a bull, a youth', the maitrāvaruṇa priest recites day by day before the hymns. That is a hymn leading to the heavenly world. By this hymn the gods won the heavenly world, by it the ṛṣis [won it]. In the same way the sacrificers by this hymn win the heavenly world. And it belongs to Viśvāmitra. Viśvāmitra was indeed the friend of all; all becomes a friend to him who knows this, and to those for whom the maitrāvaruṇa priest, knowing this, recites this day by day before the hymns. It contains the word 'bull' and is possessed of cattle, for the obtaining of cattle. It consists of five verses. The paṅkti has five feet, and the paṅkti is food, for the obtaining of proper food. With 'Upward the prayers have risen striving for fame', the brāhmaṇācchaṃsin priest recites day by day a hymn rich in brahman and complete. That is a hymn leading to the heavenly world. By this hymn the gods won the heavenly world, by it the ṛṣis [won it]. In the same way the sacrificers by this hymn win the heavenly world. And it belongs to Vasiṣṭha. By this [hymn] Vasiṣṭha went to the dear abode of Indra; he won the supreme world. He goes to the dear world of Indra and wins the supreme world who knows this. It consists of six verses. There are six seasons, for the obtaining of the seasons. He recites it after the sampātas. Having obtained that heavenly world, the sacrificers establish themselves in this world. With 'Towards [it], like a carpenter, I ponder my thought', the achāvāka priest recites day by day. That has the form of extending towards. [In the words] 'feeling towards the dear, the supreme': whichever days are supreme, those are dear; it is towards those that they go feeling, grasping hold of them. The heavenly world is beyond this world; it is that which he addresses. [In the words] 'Wise, I desire to see the sages': those who are the ancient departed ṛṣis, they indeed are the sages; it is them that he addresses. And it belongs to Viśvāmitra. Viśvāmitra was indeed the friend of all; all becomes a friend to him who knows this. He recites it unexpressed, belonging to Prajāpati. Prajāpati is unexpressed, for the obtaining of Prajāpati. Once he names Indra directly; thereby he does not fall away from Indra's form. It consists of ten verses. The virāj has ten syllables, the virāj is food, for the obtaining of proper food. In that it consists of ten verses: there are ten vital breaths; it is the vital breaths they obtain, the vital breaths they place in themselves. He recites it after the sampātas. Having obtained that heavenly world, the sacrificers establish themselves in this world.

6.21

“Ever [praised], Indra, thunderbolt-wielder, here” on the first day, / “Whatever Indra enjoyed and whatever he desires” on the second, / “How did the great one grow, of which hotṛ?” on the third; / the brāhmaṇācchaṃsin recites the three sampātas, / one by one each day, in rotation: / “Indra, the city-breaker, overcame the Dāsa with chants” on the first day, / “He who alone is worthy to be invoked by men” on the second, / “He who is sharp-horned, terrible like a bull” on the third; / the achāvāka recites the three sampātas, / one by one each day, in rotation: / “Place this offering well for gain” on the first day, / “Soma-pressing companions desire you” on the second, / “Instructing, the carrier went to the daughter’s offspring” on the third. / These, then, are nine, / and three recited day by day; / they become twelve: / the year has twelve months, the year is Prajāpati, Prajāpati is the sacrifice. / Thus they reach the year, Prajāpati, the sacrifice; / thus they go on establishing themselves day by day in the year, in Prajāpati, in the sacrifice. / Between them they should insert the insertions: / the nyūṅkha-less virājes of Vimada on the fourth day, / paṅktis on the fifth, the verses of Parucchepa on the sixth. / Now, for the days that have great stomas: / the maitrāvaruṇa should insert “Who today, kind to men, devoted to the gods?”, / the brāhmaṇācchaṃsin “Like one who has been placed in a tree, yearning”, / the achāvāka “Come hither, standing on the chariot seat”. / These indeed are the insertions. / By these insertions the gods conquered the heavenly world, by these the ṛṣis. / Just so the sacrificers conquer the heavenly world by these insertions.

6.22

'Drive away forwards, O Indra, all our foes,' the maitrāvaruṇa recites daily before the hymns. / 'Turn away those to the rear, O conqueror; / Drive away those to the north, drive away, O hero, those to the south, that we may rejoice in your broad protection.' / This has the characteristic form of fearlessness, for he who goes [on an ahīna] desires, as it were, fearlessness. / 'With brahman harnessed by brahman I yoke for you,' the brāhmaṇācchaṃsī recites daily. / 'I yoke' has the word 'yoked'; for an ahīna is yoked as it were: it is the characteristic form of an ahīna. / 'Lead us knowingly along a broad space,' the achāvāka recites daily. / 'Lead along'—for an ahīna goes forward as it were: it is the characteristic form of an ahīna. / 'May you lead' is the characteristic form of a sacrificial session. / These indeed are recited daily. / They should conclude with identical [verses]. / Indra comes to dwell in their sacrifice, / just as a bull [comes] to a cow in heat, or a cow to a known pen; / so indeed Indra comes straight to their sacrifice. / One should not conclude an ahīna with the śunaṃhuvīyā [verse]. / A kṣatriya falls from his realm [if one does so]; whoever is an outsider, him he summons.

6.23

Now therefore the yoking and the unyoking of the ahīna: / With 'He traversed the intermediate space' he yokes the ahīna; with 'Thus indeed to Indra' he unyokes it. / With 'I, of those having Sarasvatī' [and] 'Now indeed that of yours' he yokes the ahīna; / with 'May we be yours, O god Varuṇa' [and] 'Now praised' he unyokes it. / He indeed is capable of extending an ahīna who knows how to yoke it and how to unyoke it. / That they are yoked on the twenty-fourth day, that is the yoking; / and that they are unyoked before the concluding atirātra sacrifice, that is the unyoking. / If on the twenty-fourth day they should conclude with the verses of a one-day rite, / right here they would bring the sacrifice to a close; they would not perform the rite of an ahīna. / But if they should conclude with the concluding verses of an ahīna, / just as a weary [beast] that is not unyoked would break down, so the sacrificers would break down. / They should conclude with both. / That is just as on a long journey one would travel making unyokings along the way; such is that. / Continuous indeed their sacrifice becomes; they unyoke. / At two pressings he should not over-recite the stoma by one or two [verses]. / For there are long wildernesses where the stoma is over-recited by many [verses]. / At the third pressing, [he recites] an unlimited number. / Unlimited indeed is the heavenly world; [it is] for the attainment of the heavenly world. / Continuous, grasped, and not falling apart becomes his ahīna, / who, knowing thus, extends the ahīna.

6.24

The gods saw the cows in Vala; they desired to obtain them by means of sacrifice; / they obtained them on the sixth day. / At the morning pressing, by means of Nabhāka, they made Vala burst. / In that they made it burst, they thereby loosened it. / And at the third pressing, by the thunderbolt, the Vālakhilyās, [and] the point of speech, the single-verse, having shattered Vala, they drove out the cows. / In the same way the sacrificers make Vala burst at the morning pressing by means of Nabhāka. / In that they make it burst, they thereby loosen it. / Therefore the hotrakas recite Nābhāka triplets at the morning pressing: / 'Who holds the heights,' the maitrāvaruṇa; / 'Numerous are your protections, O Indra,' the brāhmaṇācchaṃsī; / 'For they of the middle of contests,' the achāvāka. / And at the third pressing, by the thunderbolt, the Vālakhilyās, [and] the point of speech, the single-verse, having shattered Vala, they obtain the cows. / First he transposes six hymns of the Vālakhilyās foot by foot; / second, half-verse by half-verse; third, verse by verse. / Transposing foot by foot, he should insert a single-verse at each pragātha; that is the point of speech. / These are five single-verses: / four from the tenth day, one from the Mahāvrata; / then the eight-syllable Māhānāmnī verses. / With as many of them as he would reach [the count], so many he should recite; / he should not heed the others. Then, transposing / half-verse by half-verse, he should recite those very single-verses / and those very eight-syllable Māhānāmnī verses. / Then, transposing verse by verse, he should recite those very single-verses / and those very eight-syllable Māhānāmnī verses. / When he first transposes the six Vālakhilyā hymns, / he thereby transposes breath and speech. / When secondly, he thereby transposes eye and mind. / When thirdly, he thereby transposes ear and self. / Thus the desire in the transposition is obtained; / obtained in the thunderbolt, in the Vālakhilyās; obtained in the point of speech, in the single-verse; obtained in the arrangement of the vital breaths. / Fourthly, he recites the pragāthas untransposed. / Cattle indeed are pragāthas; [it is] for the securing of cattle. / Here he should not interpose a single-verse. / If he were to interpose a single-verse here, he would strike cattle away from the sacrificer by the point of speech. / If someone should say of him there: / 'By the point of speech you have struck cattle away from the sacrificer; / you have made him cattleless,' it would surely be so. / Therefore he should not interpose a single-verse there. / He merely transposes the last two hymns; that is their transposition. / This did Sarpiḥ Vātsi recite for the son of Śibala. / He said: / 'I have encompassed the greatest number of cattle in the sacrificer; / the not-inferior ones will come to me.' / To him, just as to the great sacrificial priests, he brought [gifts]. / This is a recitation relating to cattle and leading to heaven; therefore he recites this.

6.25

He mounts the difficult ascent; the brāhmaṇa of it has been told. / For one desiring cattle, he should mount on an Indra-verse; of Indra indeed are cattle. / It should be in the jagatī metre; connected with the jagatī metre indeed are cattle. / It should be a great hymn; he thereby establishes the sacrificer in the most abundant cattle. / He should mount on the Bara; it is both a great hymn and in the jagatī metre. / For one desiring a foundation, he should mount on an Indra-Varuṇa verse. / This hotṛ's office has this deity and this foundation, namely the Indra-Varuṇa verse; / thus he ultimately establishes it in its own foundation. / Because it is addressed to Indra and Varuṇa, this indeed is the nivid here; by the nivid indeed desires are attained. / If he should mount on an Indra-Varuṇa verse, he should mount on a Sauparṇa verse. / Thus the desire in the Indra-Varuṇa verse is attained; [the desire] in the Sauparṇa verse is attained.

6.26

Regarding this they say:
'Should one recite the continuous recitation on the sixth day, or should one not recite continuously?'
They say, 'One should recite continuously.'
'How does he recite continuously on other days, and how would he not recite continuously here?'
Moreover they say:
'One should not recite continuously at all.
The heavenly world is indeed the sixth day; the heavenly world is without equal;
scarcely anyone reaches equality in the heavenly world.'
If he were to recite continuously, he would make it equal.
And in that he does not recite continuously, that is the form of the heavenly world.
Therefore one should not recite continuously.
Now, as to why he does not recite continuously:
The stotriya is the body; the Vālakhilyās are the vital breaths.
If he were to recite continuously, he would separate the sacrificer's vital breaths from these two deities.
Whoever should say of him then:
'He has separated the sacrificer's vital breaths from these two deities;
breath will abandon him,' it would certainly happen so.
Therefore one should not recite continuously.
If he should think: 'I have recited the Vālakhilyās; come, let me recite continuously before the dūrohaṇa,'
he should not pursue his desire in that way.
If pride should seize him, let him recite even many hundreds [of verses] after the dūrohaṇa.
Whatever desire he would do it for, that is attained right here:
The Vālakhilyās belong to Indra; their pādas have twelve syllables;
there that desire is attained which is in a hymn to Indra in the jagatī metre.
Then this hymn belongs to Indrā-Varuṇā; the concluding verse belongs to Indrā-Varuṇā.
Therefore one should not recite continuously.
Regarding this they say:
'As indeed the chant, so is the recitation.
The Vālakhilyās are recited transposed; is the chant transposed or not transposed?'
'It is transposed,' he should say, '[connecting] the twelve-syllabled with the eight-syllabled.'
Regarding this they say:
'As indeed the recitation, so is the offering verse.
Three deities are recited: Agni, Indra, and Varuṇa; then he offers with a verse to Indrā-Varuṇā.
How is Agni not excluded?'
Whoever is Agni is Varuṇa.
This too has been spoken by the ṛṣi:
'Since you, O Agni, are born as Varuṇa.'
Thus, in that he offers with a verse to Indrā-Varuṇā, thereby Agni is not excluded, not excluded.

6.27

They recite the works of art (śilpas).
They are the works of art of the gods; in imitation of these works of art, a work of art is achieved here:
an elephant, a brass bowl, a garment, gold, and a mule-cart are a work of art.
A work of art is achieved in him who knows thus.
Now, as to why they are works of art:
works of art are indeed the self-refinement of the body;
with these the sacrificer refines his self consisting of metres.
He recites the Nābhānediṣṭha [hymn].
Nābhānediṣṭha is semen; thus he pours semen.
He recites it in an unexpressed manner;
semen is indeed unexpressed, poured in secret into the womb.
It contains [a verse] mixed with semen:
'Pouring semen, uniting with the earth,' for the sake of the abundance of semen.
He recites it containing praise of men (nārāśaṃsa).
Offspring are men, speech is praise; thus he places speech in offspring.
Therefore these offspring are born speaking.
Some recite it before, saying:
'Speech has its seat before.'
Some [recite it] behind, saying:
'Speech has its seat behind.'
He should recite it right in the middle;
for this speech has its seat in the middle.
It is rather closer to the top; this speech is indeed rather closer to the top.
Having poured him forth as semen, the hotṛ priest hands him over to the maitrāvaruṇa priest:
'Do you arrange the vital breaths of this one.'

6.28

He recites the Vālakhilyās.
The Vālakhilyās are indeed the vital breaths; thus he arranges his vital breaths.
He recites them transposed.
These vital breaths are indeed transposed:
out-breath by in-breath, diffused breath by out-breath.
He transposes by pādas in the first hymn,
by half-verses in the second, by verses in the third.
In that he transposes in the first hymn, he transposes out-breath and speech.
In that [he transposes] in the second, he transposes eye and mind.
In that [he transposes] in the third, he transposes ear and the body.
Some transpose the two bṛhatīs together, the two satobṛhatīs together.
Thereby the desire in transposing is attained, but the pragāthas are not arranged.
He should transpose alternately; thus indeed the pragāthas are arranged.
The Vālakhilyās are pragāthas; therefore he should transpose alternately.
As to why alternately:
the bṛhatī is the body; the satobṛhatī is the vital breaths.
He recited the bṛhatī, that is the body; then the satobṛhatī, those are the vital breaths;
then the bṛhatī, then the satobṛhatī; thus he goes encompassing the body with the vital breaths.
Therefore he should transpose alternately.
Moreover, as to why alternately: the bṛhatī is the body; the satobṛhatī is cattle.
He recited the bṛhatī, that is the body; then the satobṛhatī, those are cattle;
then the bṛhatī, then the satobṛhatī; thus he goes encompassing the body with cattle.
Therefore he should transpose alternately.
He inverts the last two hymns; that is their transposition.
Having arranged his vital breaths, the maitrāvaruṇa priest hands him over to the brāhmaṇācchaṃsin priest:
'Do you generate this one.'

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