त्र्यहोऽश्वमेधः सङ्ख्यातः कल्पसूत्रेण ब्राह्मणैः।
चतुष्टोममहस्तस्य प्रथमं परिकल्पितम्।
उक्थ्यं द्वितीयं सङ्ख्यातमतिरात्रं तथोत्तरम्॥
try-aho ’śvamedhaḥ saṅkhyātaḥ kalpa-sūtreṇa brāhmaṇaiḥ
catuṣṭomam ahas tasya prathamaṁ parikalpitam
ukthyaṁ dvitīyaṁ saṅkhyātam atirātraṁ tathottaram
tri-ahaḥ = for three days; aśvamedhaḥ = Aśvamedha sacrifice; saṅkhyātaḥ = is calculated to be; kalpa-sūtreṇa = according to the Kalpa-sūtra; brāhmaṇaiḥ = and the Brāhmaṇa portions of the Śruti; catuṣṭomam = the Catuṣṭoma; ahaḥ = day; tasya prathamam = on the first; parikalpitam = is performed; ukthyam = the Uktha; dvitīyam = on the second day; saṅkhyātam = is conducted; atirātram = the Atirātra; tathā uttaram = on the final day.
Aśvamedha sacrifice is calculated to be for three days according to the Kalpa-sūtra and the Brāhmaṇa portions of the Śruti: On the first day, the Catuṣṭoma is performed. On the second day, the Uktha is conducted. On the final day, the Atirātra is conducted.
[28] aśvamedhasya trīṇi savanīyāny ahāni.
How many days were used for the savana sacrifices? Anticipating this, the author states this verse. The Aśvamedha sacrifice has three days for savana sacrifices according to the Kalpa-sūtra [28]. The Aśvamedha sacrifice has several days, but three days are dedicated for savana sacrifices. Here the Aśvamedha is said to be for three days because its primary component consists of these savana sacrifices. The Agniṣṭoma sacrifice, also called the Catuṣṭoma, contains four hymns to be recited; the first 3 times, the second 15 times, the third 17 times and the last 21 times. The second day is called Uktha because of the recitation of 21 Uktha hymns; this is the second phase of the Jyotiṣṭoma sacrifice. The Atirātra ceremony is of the Sarva-stoma variety.