Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 27.7.9

27.7.9

te saṃrpasṛpya sārparājñyā ṛkṣu stuvate /

xxvii. 4. In that they perform the additional litany of the transposed (form), verily thus they delight mind. That with all the sacrifices they recite, for this is the measure of mind. When the tenth day is over, before the offerings to the wives (with the gods), at this moment they creep forward, saying 'The wives are unworthy of sacrifice, for they are outside the altar.' But the rule is (that they do so) when the offerings to the wives have been completed. 'Here a little space is left over for rivals,' (thinking thus) they creep forward together and sing with the verses of the serpent queen; the serpent queen is this (earth), for she is the queen of what creeps; the serpent queen is speech, for speech is the queen of what creeps; moreover, the serpent queen is the cow, for the cow is the queen of what creeps. 'The spotted bull hath come', this triplet he should not omit, to prevent the omission of the strophe. 'In us place manliness' (he says); manliness is food; verily thus he places food in the sacrifice and in