Shatapatha Brahmana 1.5.1.20

1.5.1.20

juṣṭāṃ narāśaṃsāyeti | prajā vai narastatsarvābhyaḥ prajābhya āha taddhi samṛddhaṃ yaśca veda yaśca na sādhvanvavocatsādhvanvavocadityeva visṛjyante yadadya hotṛvarye jihmaṃcakṣuḥ parāpatat agniṣṭatpunarābhriyājjātavedā vicarṣaṇiriti yathā yānagre 'gnīnhotrāya prāvṛṇata te prādhanvannevaṃ yanme 'tra pravareṇāmāyi tanme punarāpyāyayetyevaitadāha tatho hāsyaitatpunarāpyāyate

'Agreeable to Narâsamsa,'--man (nara), namely, is a creature: hence he says this for all the creatures; thereby it is auspicious, and whether or not he knows (forms of speech that are agreeable), they are uttered (and received with applause), 'well he has recited! well he has recited!'--'What at the Hotri choice may escape the crooked eye this day, that may Agni bring back here, he, the knower of beings (gâtavedas), the nimble one (vikarshani)!'--by this he means to say, 'even as those (three) Agnis, whom they first chose for the Hotriship, passed away, (but thou, the fourth Agni, wast then obtained,) so do thou make good for me whatever mistake may have been committed at my election!' and it is accordingly made good for him.