Praśna 14, Kaṇḍikā 4

1. After the Nārāśaṃsa goblets have been placed,the Adhvaryu should go round along the north of the two Havirdhāna-carts, along the Āgnīdhra fire-chamber, along the north of the Sadas, enter the prāgvaṃśa through the eastern door, sit down to the rear of the Śālāmukhīya fire, take four spoonfuls of clarified butter into the Juhū, tie loosely a piece of gold with a darbha-blade, and put it into the Juhū.

2. The calling together of the sacrificer’s relatives, their touching one by one and the covering of them with a piece of cloth have been explained at the vaisarjana oblations.^[1]

3. After having fixed the end of the cloth to the handle of the Juhū, the Adhvaryu should offer the oblations relating to the dakṣiṇā.

4. With the two verses, “Thy rays bear upwards god Sūrya...”¹ and “The bright face of the gods has arisen...,”^[2] he should offer two oblations^[3] on the Gārhapatya fire.

5. He should take up another four spoonfuls of clarified butter into the Juhū.

6. After having made the offering, he should take out the piece of gold with the formula, “Go to the heaven, fly towards the sun.”^[4]

7. Now these dakṣiṇās are kept ready towards the south of the Mahāvedi: a hundred and twelve cows, sesamum-seed, beans, cooked rice, mantha, a goat, a sheep, a garment, gold, a cart, a chariot, a horse, an elephant and a man. According to some teachers, (the cows) should be twenty-one in number, according to others twenty-four, unlimited according to others, the entire wealth according to still others.^[5]

8. Holding a piece of gold and clarified butter, the sacrificer should approach the dakṣiṇās with the formula, “I reach your form with (my) form, your age with (my) age.”^[6]

9. With the formula, “May Tutha, all-knowing, assign you in the highest firmament,”^[7] he should step down in their midst.

10. He should agitate them with a skin of a black antelope and, dividing them or not dividing, he should drive them along the front of the prāgvaṃśa along the rear of the Sadas, and between the Neṣṭṛ and the Āgnīdhra.^[8]

11. He should cause them to pass out towards the north from between the cātvāla and the Āgnīdhra fire-chamber.

12. While the cows are passing through, he should recite over the Āhavanīya fire the formula, “This gift of thine, O Agni, comes, impelled by the Soma. Lead it by the path of Mitra. Do you go on by the path of holy order, of brilliant gifts, leading prosperity by the path of sacrifice.”^[9]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

XII.16.12-15.

[2]:

III.10.2.

[3]:

For the third oblation see XIV.5.1.

[4]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.43.1.

[5]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII.5.1 mentions the number also as seven, sixty, a hundred or a thousand. If he has to give away his entire wealth, he should give to his eldest son his share and then give away the rest of wealth. If he is going to give a thousand cows or his entire wealth, he should also give a mule. Among the other varieties, Āpastamba mentions paddy and barley and an ass. cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII. 5.2-4.

[6]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.43.2.

[7]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.43.2.

[8]:

According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII.5.11, he should agitate the cows with the formula mentioned in sūtra 8 above, and distribute one-fourth of these among the four officiating priests belonging to the Adhvaryu’s group. According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII.5.10, he may first drive them away and then distribute.

[9]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.43.2.