Praśna II, Paṭala 8, Khaṇḍa 18

1. He shall avoid butter, butter-milk, oil-cake, honey, meat.^[1]

2. And black grain (Such as kulittha), food given by Śūdras, or by other persons, whose food is not considered fit to be eaten.

3. And food unfit for oblations, speaking an untruth, anger, and (acts or words) by which he might excite anger. He who desires a (good) memory, fame, wisdom, heavenly bliss, and prosperity, shall avoid these twelve (things and acts);

4. Wearing a dress that reaches from the navel to the knees, bathing morning, noon, and evening, living on food that has not been cooked at a fire, never seeking the shade, standing (during the day), and sitting (during the night), he shall keep this vow for one year. They declare, that (its merit) is equal to that of a studentship continued for forty-eight years.

5. (Now follows) the daily funeral-oblation.^[2]

6. Outside the village pure (men shall) prepare (the food for that rite) in a pure place.^[3]

7. New vessels are, used for that,^[4]

8. In which the food is prepared, and out of which it is eaten.

9. And those (vessels) he shall present to the (Brāhmaṇas) who have been fed.

10. And he shall feed (Brāhmaṇas) possessed of all (good qualities).

11. And he shall hot give the residue (of that funeral-dinner) to one who is inferior to them in good qualities.

12. Thus (he shall act every day) during a year.

13. The last of these (funeral-oblations) he shall perform, offering a red goat.^[5]

14. And let him cause an altar to be built, concealed (by a covering and outside the village).

15. Let him feed the Brāhmaṇas on the northern half of that.

16. They declare, that (then) he sees both the Brāhmaṇas who eat and the Manes sitting on the altar.

17. After that he may offer (a funeral-sacrifice once a month) or stop altogether.

18. For (by appearing on the altar) the Manes signify that they are satisfied by the funeral offering.

19. Under the constellation Tiṣya he who desires prosperity,

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

18. Sūtras 1-4 contain rules for a vow to be kept for the special objects mentioned in Sūtras 3 and 4 for one year only Haradatta (on Sūtra 4) says that another commentator thinks that Sūtras 1-3 prescribe one vow, and Sūtra 4 another, and that the latter applies both to householders and students. A passage front Baudhāyana is quoted in support of this latter view.

[2]:

Manu III, 82 seq.

[3]:

The term 'pure (men)' is used in order to indicate that they must be so particularly, because, by II, 2, 3, 11, purity has already been prescribed for cooks.

[4]:

For the unusual meaning of dravya, 'vessel,' compare the term sītādravyāṇi, 'implements of husbandry,'--Manu IX, 293, and the Petersburg Dict. s. v.

[5]:

The red goat is mentioned as particularly fit for a Śrāddha, Yājñ. I, 259, and Manu III, 272.