Jaiminīya (Talavakāra) Brāhmaṇa 2-8.342

2-8.342

Ten, indeed, are a man's fingers on his hands, ten on his feet; the self is the twenty-first. / A man, indeed, is placed upon the Virāj so as not to slip down. / Neither a cow, nor a horse, nor a mule stands upon the Virāj. / Man, indeed, stands upon the Virāj; / therefore man is the eater of cattle. / An eater of cattle he becomes, he stands upon the Virāj, who knows thus. / These nights they should undertake in the summer month. / In the summer month, indeed, Prajāpati gave radiance to the sun. / Therefore it burns most intensely in the summer month; even double shadows creep near. / To these [nights] Agradeva Rājani approached, desiring spiritual luster. / And a Brahmin said to him: 'Having obtained so much spiritual luster, he will become completely white.' / Just like a white horse, so he became. / So radiant, so full of spiritual luster, so vigorous are these nights. / Those who, knowing thus, undertake these nights, all of them indeed prosper, all become possessed of spiritual luster. / During them, they should sacrifice a beast dedicated to Vāyu; Vāyu, indeed, is peace, precisely for peace, for not burning up. / The introductory Atirātra is sacred to Vaiśvānara; for non-soma-sacrificial periods have their beginning in Vaiśvānara.