Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 15.5.1

15.5.1

atha niṣkevalyam /

xv. 4. (Next) the Niṣkevalya. Both before and after are many gods mentioned in recitation; but the Niṣkevalya is Indra's only; that is why the Niṣkevalya has its name. In that he begins with a Bṛhatī, and he who gives heat here is connected with the Bṛhatī, thus he makes him to prosper with his own symbol. He makes two into three by repetition; that is the symbol of generation; two as it were are there at first, then they are propagated. Having recited the strophe, he recites the antistrophe; the strophe is the self; the antistrophe the offspring; therefore he should make the antistrophe to be corresponding in form; a corresponding one is born in his offspring, not one who does not correspond. He recites a supplementary verse; the supplementary verse is breath; verily thus in himself he places breath. He recites a Pragātha; the Pragātha is cattle; verily (it serves) to obtain cattle. Moreover the Bṛhatī Pragātha is expiration and inspiration; verily thus he places expiration and inspiration in himself. ‘I shall proclaim the manly deeds of Indra’ is the Niṣkevalya of fifteen verses; the thunderbolt is fifteenfold; verily thus with the thunderbolt he smites the evil of the sacrificer. In the middle of it he places a Nivid; in the middle of the body is food placed; then he recites Nivids; the Nivids are the breaths; verily thus he places the breaths in himself. Each quarter verse of these he recites, taking it separately; verily thus each breath he places in himself; with the last he utters the Praṇava; thus he lets go this breath; therefore all the breaths breathe along this breath. Now they say ‘The Nivids are food’; therefore should he recite them quietly, for not hastening as it were he eats unpleasant food. He should recite the concluding verse in a lower tone; so is his wife unlikely to fall away. (He should recite) in still lower a tone; so does his wife become as it were not uplifted in her mind. In that he gives a horse, and the horse is Indra, for the hymn is connected with Indra, verily thus he delights Indra. The strophe is the self; the antistrophe offspring; the supplementary verse the wife; cattle the Pragātha; the hymn the body; the Nivid what is within the body; the concluding verse a support; the offering verse food.