Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 7.3.2.19

7.3.2.19

taṃ vā upāstamayamādityasya pariṇayati | eṣa vā asya pratyakṣaṃ divā goptā bhavati rātrisācayānyu vai rakṣāṃsi rātryā evāsmā etaṃ vajramabhigoptāraṃ karoti sarvataḥ pariṇayati sarvata evāsmā etaṃ vajramabhigoptāraṃ karoti triṣkṛtvaḥ pariṇayati trivṛtamevāsmā etaṃ vajramabhigoptāraṃ karotyathainamudañcam prāñcam prasṛjati tasyokto bandhuratha sa punarvipalyayate tasyopari bandhuḥ

He leads it about towards the setting of the sun; for he (the sun) is manifestly his protector by day; and the Rakshas are the associates of the night: for the night he thus makes that thunderbolt his protector. He leads it about on every side: on every side he thus makes that thunderbolt his protector. Thrice he leads it about: he thus makes that thunderbolt his (Agni's) threefold protector. He then lets it loose towards north-west: the purport of this has been explained. It afterwards returns (to the sacrificial ground): the purport of this (will be explained) further on.