Jaiminīya (Talavakāra) Brāhmaṇa 2-8.372

2-8.372

sa indra etāmaṣṭakāmapaśyat
tasyāmadīkṣata
sa ekayāśnuta
yadekayāśnuta tadekāṣṭakāyā ekāṣṭakātvam
te ya evaṃ vidvāṃso dīkṣante sarva evāśnuvate sarve viṣuvanto bhavanti
viṣuvānhyeṣo'bhavat
te yatpurastāddīkṣeranpitṛloke dīkṣeranpramāyukāḥ syur
yadupariṣṭāddīkṣeranyathā pūrvaṃ palāyitumīpsettaṃ vāpnuyāttaṃ vā na tādṛktat
ta etasyāmevāṣṭakāyāṃ dīkṣeran
tadyathā rathamupasthitamātiṣṭheddhastinaṃ vā niṣāditaṃ tathā
kadriyañcassatriṇa iti vai pṛcchanti
nārvāñco na parāñca iti brūyādyathāsāvāditya iti
na ha vā ete'rvāñco na parāñcaḥ
tiryañco ha vā ete
no ha vā asāvādityo'rvāṅna parāṅtiryaṅu ha vā eṣa
ṣaḍvā eṣa māso dakṣiṇaiti ṣaḍudaṅ
yāndakṣiṇaiti te pitṛdevatyā yānudaṅte devadevatyāḥ

Indra saw this Aṣṭakā.
He was consecrated upon it.
He reached [his goal] with one [rite].
Because he reached [his goal] with one [rite], that is the Ekāṣṭakā-nature of the Ekāṣṭakā.
Those who, knowing thus, are consecrated, all reach [their goal], all become central;
for he became central.
If they were to be consecrated before, they would be consecrated in the world of the fathers, they would be liable to perish.
If they were to be consecrated after, it would be just as if one sought to run after [someone] who ran earlier, and might catch him or might not: such is that.
They should be consecrated upon this very Aṣṭakā.
It is just as if one were to mount a chariot standing ready, or an elephant made to kneel.
Indeed, they ask: 'In which direction are the participants in a sacrificial session turned?'
He should say: 'Neither turned towards nor turned away, just like that Āditya.'
For they are indeed neither turned towards nor turned away;
they are indeed turned crosswise.
Nor indeed is that Āditya turned towards or turned away; he is turned crosswise.
For six months he goes south, six [months] north.
Those [months] in which he goes south belong to the fathers as deities; those in which he goes north belong to the gods as deities.