Jaiminīya (Talavakāra) Brāhmaṇa 1.86

1.86

The Brahman creeps sixth. / Six indeed are the meters. / By the meters alone they ward off the demon, evil. / All this is indeed the brahman. / In that the Brahman is behind, by the brahman alone having smitten away the demon, evil, they creep to the heavenly world. / They creep carrying the prastara bunch. / The sacrificer is the prastara bunch; the progeny is the sacrificial grass. / In that they carry the prastara bunch over and above the sacrificial grass, they place the sacrificer above the progeny. / Therefore the sacrificer is above other creatures. / If he were to throw it down [into the fire], the sacrificer would belong to the heavenly world, [but] he would be cut off from this world. / If he were to throw it beyond [the fire], he would be established in this world, [but] he would be cut off from the heavenly world. / Regarding this they say: 'The wife is half of the sacrificer's self. / Because she remains outside the altar, thereby he is not cut off from this world.' / 'He should throw it down,' [others say,] 'for the wife may not even be there. / And even if she should be there, he should throw one part down, and throw the other part beyond.' / In that he throws it down, thereby he belongs to the heavenly world; in that he throws it beyond, thereby he is not cut off from this world.