Kauṣītaki (Śāṅkhāyana) Brāhmaṇa 3.2.1

3.2.1

atha yat purastāt sāmidhenīnām japati /

iii. 2. In that before the kindling verses he mutters, verily thus he makes a benediction. After uttering the sound _hiṅ_ he repeats the kindling verses; the sound _hiṅ_ is a thunderbolt; verily thus with a thunderbolt he smites the misfortune of the sacrificer. Three times he utters the sound _hiṅ_; the thunderbolt is threefold; verily thus he produces a thunderbolt. By this threefold thunderbolt the gods drove away the Asuras from these worlds, and verily so the sacrificer with this threefold thunderbolt drives away the enemies who hate him from these worlds. He repeats eleven kindling verses; the Triṣṭubh has eleven syllables; Indra is connected with the Triṣṭubh; thus both Indra and Agni he obtains. The first he thrice repeats, the last thrice; they make up fifteen; the days of the first and the second halves of the month are fifteen; thus by the kindling verses he obtains the first and the second halves of the month. Again, the kindling verses are a thunderbolt; the thunderbolt is fifteenfold; verily thus by a thunderbolt he smites the misfortune of the sacrificer. In that (he repeats) the first thrice and the last thrice, verily thus he ties the two ends of the sacrifice for firmness and to avoid slipping. There are three hundred and sixty syllables in these (verses); three hundred and sixty are the days of the year; thus by the kindling verses he obtains the days of the year. They are Gāyatrī verses; Agni is connected with the Gāyatrī, and has the Gāyatrī as his metre; verily thus he praises Agni with his own metre. They are appropriate; what in the sacrifice is appropriate is perfect; verily (they serve) for the perfection of the sacrifice. With the _om_ in the third uttering of the last (verse) he connects the address, 'O Agni, thou art great, O Brāhmaṇa, O Bhārata .' Agni is Bhārata; he bears (_bharati_) the oblation to the gods. In that he utters the Ṛṣi descent of the sacri-