The Aitareyabrahamana belong the Aitareya Aranyaka and Aitareyopaniyad It is written about 600 B. C. The Aitareya Brahmana is divided into eigh books (Panjikas) each containing five lectures. These are subdivided into 235 Kandas The work is mostly written ir verse and only partly in prose. The firs 16 chapters treat of some sacrifice called Agnistoma lasting for one day. The next two chapters speak of Gavamayana which last for whole year. Chapter 19-24 treat of Dvadasa, chapter 25-32 are connected with Agnihotra and the last chapters describe Abhiseka ceremony, The thirty eighth chapter describes a supposed consecration of Indra and fortieth chapter refers to the benefit of entertaining a purohita. The longest and the mos: interesting legend found in the Aitareya Brahmana is the story of Sunahiepa.
The Aitareyabrahmana is one of the collections of the sayings of ancient Brahmana priests (divines and philosophers illustrative and explanatory of the duties of the so-called Hotr-priests. The latter performing the principal part of their duties by means of the mantras, termed rk, and contai ned in the so-called Rgveda Samhita, the Aitareya is therefore one of the Brahmanas belonging to the Rgveda. There must have been, as we may learn from Panini and Patanjali's Mahabhaşya, a much larger number of Brahmanas belonging to each Veda; and even Sayana, who lived only about four hundred years ago, was acquainted with more Brahmanas. To the Rgveda we know at present besides the Aitareya, only the Kausitaki Brahmana, which is also called Sankhayana. Both appear to have been known to the grammarian Papini, as one may gather from the rule (v. 1. 62) which he gives regarding the formation of names of Brahmanas consisting of thirty and forty Adhyayas; for the Kausitak! actually consists of thirty and the Aitareya of forty Adhyayas, which were afterwards divided into eight Pañcikäs, each of which comprises five Adhyayas. It treats in its eight books, or forty chapters, each of which is subdivided into a certain number of kandikäs, i.e. small sections, paragraphs, almost exclusively of the duties of the seven Hotr-priests at the great Soma sacrifices, and the different royal inauguration ceremonies. All minor sacrifices and Isis, although they require the services of a Hotă, are excluded. The Hotr-priests are to be divided into three distinct classes: (1) The Hord, the chief of all Hot-priests; (2) The Hotrakas, Le. the little Hotis these are, Maltrivarupa (Prasastar) Brämaṇacharst, and Achhiváka and (3) The Hord saamsinah, Le. the repeaters of the Hott verses; they are, Potar, Nestar and Agnidhra.
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