Jaiminīya (Talavakāra) Brāhmaṇa 58.299

58.299

Upon them [is sung] the Vājajit. Vāja is food. When an ox, a horse, or a man is well-satisfied with food, then he becomes strong. The gods and the asuras contended for food. The gods desired: 'May we seize the food of the asuras.' They saw this sāman. With it they praised. With 'Conquering the prize, [all] treasures,' they seized whatever wealth, whatever cattle, whatever food belonged to the asuras. That is the prize-winning nature of the Vājajit. That is the sāman that secures food. He secures food, he seizes whatever wealth, whatever cattle, whatever food belongs to his hateful rival, who knows thus. It has a ten-syllable finale. By means of a one-syllable finale, the first day is made fitting; by means of a ten-syllable finale, the tenth day. In that it has a ten-syllable finale on the tenth day, the ten days are made fitting by that very means. Moreover, having secured this ten-syllable virāj, food, they conclude the rite at the end.