Praśna 12, Kaṇḍikā 10

1. Accompanied by the Udgātṛ, the Adhvaryu should raise the post erect with the wood-knot turned eastwards, with the formula, “Supporting the heaven, do thou fill in the midregion; make firm the earth.”^[1]

2. Accompanied by the Udgātṛ, be should fix it with the wood-knot turned eastwards, with the formula, “May Dyutāna, the son of Maruts, fix thee with the firm law of Mitra and Varuṇa.”^[2]

3. Putting earth round the post, making the post firm, and sprinkling it around with water have been explained in connection with the sacrificial post.^[3]

4. Then after having placed a piece of gold in between the two prongs of the post, the Adhvaryu should offer an oblation upon it with the formula, “Be you, O heaven and earth, filled with clarified butter, svāhā.”^[4] He should cause it (= the oblation) to flow down up to the bottom.

5. The post of udumbara should be equal to the sacrificer in height and should be the greatest of all posts (of the Sadas). The posts on the borders should be fixed suitably.^[5]

6. One should construct the Sadas (so that it is) as high as the sacrificer, or shorter than that.

7. If one desires that it should rain, he should construct the Sadas which is smaller in height. If one desires that it should not rain, he should construct the Sadas which is greater in height. One should construct it (so that it is) as high as the navel. So is it said.^[6]

8. The Adhvaryu should place the middle roofs^[7] with the formula, “Thou belongest to Indra.”^[8]

9. The southern roofs with the formula, “Thou art the seat of Indra.”^[9]

10. The northern roofs with the formula, “Thou art the shade of Viśvajana.”^[10]

11. He should cause the southern roofs to remain above (the others).^[11]

12. The roofs should be facing the post of udumbara.

13. One should construct the Sadas with nine roofs in an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice; with fifteen roofs in an Ukthya sacrifice; with seventeen roofs in an Atirātra sacrifice;with nine or fifteen roofs in a Ṣoḍaśin sacrifice.^[12]

14. The different numbers of roofs to be adopted optionally have been prescribed in the Brāhmaṇa;^[13] for example, one should construct a Sadas with nine roofs for a sacrificer desirous of lustre.

15. The antarvartas, the enclosing, the (securing of) simultaneous sight (of fires), the sewing round, the tying of the (first) knot, and the touching (have been explained in connection with the construction of the Havirdhāna).^[14] This much should be different: the formulas to be employed in connection with these should be those dedicated to Indra.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.1.2.

[2]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.1.2.

[3]:

VII.8.13-15.

[4]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.1.2.

[5]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.10.6 says that the posts on the borders should be as high as the navel.

[6]:

cf. Maitrāyaṇī-saṃhitā III.8.9; Caraka-kaṭha-saṃhitā XXV.10.

[7]:

Three according to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.10.8.

[8]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.1.3.

[9]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.1.2.

[10]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.1.2.

[11]:

cf. Taittirīya-saṃhitā VI.2.10.7.

[12]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.10.13 mentions the following: with sixteen roofs in a Ṣoḍaśin; seventeen in a Vājapeya and an Atirātra; twenty-one in a Sattra and an Ahīna sacrifice.

[13]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā VI.2.10.5,6.

[14]:

XII.8.14.9.1. cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.10.14,15. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.10.16-18 adds: the Adhvaryu should not pass beyond the Dbiṣṇyas and the Hotṛ. If he does so, he should move with a verse dedicated to Indra. (Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.30.); or with a verse dedicated to Kṣetrapati (kṣetrasya patinā vayam... (Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.1.14.2). cf. Caraka-kaṭha-saṃhitā XVI.1. According to some teachers, the Barhis should be spread within the Mahāvedi with the verse, ā ghā ye agnim indhate... (Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa II.4.5.7.)