Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 11.5.9

Now, the Amsu (cup of Soma), indeed, is no other than Pragâpati; and it is the body of this (sacrifice), for Pragâpati, indeed, is the body. And the Adâbhya (cup of Soma) is no other than speech. When he draws the Amsu-cup, and then the Adâbhya-cup, he thereby constructs the body of this (sacrifice) and then establishes that speech therein.

And, indeed, the Amsu is also the mind, and the Adâbhya speech; and the Amsu is the out-breathing, and the Adâbhya the up-breathing; and the Amsu is the eye, and the Adâbhya the ear: these two cups they draw for the sake of wholeness and completeness.

Now, the gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Pragâpati, were contending,--it was for this very sacrifice, for Pragâpati, that they were contending, saying, 'Ours he shall be! ours he shall be!'

The gods then went on singing praises, and toiling. They saw this cup of Soma, this Adâbhya, and drew it: they seized upon the (three) Soma-services, and possessed themselves of the whole sacrifice, and excluded the Asuras from the sacrifice.

They spake, 'Surely, we have destroyed (adabhâma) them;' whence (the cup is called) Adâbhya;--'they have not destroyed (dabh) us;' whence also (it is called) Adâbhya. And the Adâbhya being speech, this speech is indestructible, whence also it is (called) Adâbhya; and, verily, in like manner does he who knows this possess himself of the whole sacrifice of his spiteful enemy, and exclude and shut out his spiteful enemy from all participation in the sacrifice.

Into the same vessel with which he draws the Amsu he pours water from the Nigrâbhyâh, and therein puts those Soma-plants with (Vâg. S. VIII, 47),--

'Thou art taken with a support: for Agni I take thee, possessed of the Gâyatrî metre!'--the morning-service is of Gâyatrî nature: he thus possesses himself of the morning-service;--'For Indra I take thee, possessed of the Trishtubh metre!'--the midday-service is of Trishtubh nature: he thus possesses himself of the midday-service;--'For the Visve Devâh I take thee, possessed of the Gagatî metre!'--the evening-service is of Gagatî nature: he thus possesses himself of the evening-service;--'The Anushtubh is thy song of praise;'--whatever is subsequent to the (three) services, that is of Anushtubh nature: it is thereof he thus possesses himself. He does not press this (batch of Soma-plants) lest he should injure speech (or, the voice of the sacrifice), for the press-stone is a thunderbolt, and the Adâbhya is speech.

He merely shakes the (cup with the) plants with (Vâg. S. VIII, 48), 'In the flow of the streaming (waters) I waft thee! in the flow of the gurgling I waft thee! in the flow of the jubilant I waft thee! in the flow of the most delightsome I waft thee! in the flow of the most sweet I waft thee!' These doubtless are the divine waters: he thus bestows sap on him (Pragâpati, the sacrifice) by means of both the divine and the human waters which there are.

'Thee, the bright, I waft in the bright,'--for he indeed wafts the bright one in the bright;--'in the form of the day, in the rays of the sun;'--he thus wafts it both in the form of the day and in the rays of the sun.

[Vâg. S. VIII, 41], 'Mightily shineth the towering form of the ball,'--for mightily indeed shines that towering form of the ball, to wit, yonder burning (sun);--'the bright one, the leader of the bright one, Soma, the leader of Soma,'--he thereby makes that bright (sun) the leader of the bright (Soma), and Soma the leader of the Soma;--'what indestructible, watchful name there is of thine, for that do I take thee;'--for this, to wit, speech, is indeed his (Soma's) indestructible (adâbhya), watchful name: it is thus speech he thereby takes for speech.

Then, stepping out (from the Havirdhâna shed) to (the Âhavanîya), he offers with, 'O Soma, to this thy Soma, hail!'--he thus offers Soma to Soma, and so does not throw speech into the fire. He breathes over gold: the meaning of this is the same as there (on the occasion of the Amsu). He gives as many presents (to the priests) as for the Amsu-graha.

He then puts the Soma-plants back (on the heap of plants in the Havirdhâna) with (Vâg. S. VIII, 50), 'Enter thou gladly Agni's dear seat, O divine Soma!--Enter thou willingly Indra's dear seat, O divine Soma!--As our friend enter thou, O divine Soma, the dear seat of the Visve Devâh!' On that former occasion he possessed himself of the (three) Soma services; he now restores them again, and causes them to be no longer used up; and with them thus restored they perform the sacrifice.