Praśna II, Paṭala 4, Section 10

1.^[1] On the new-moon day, in the afternoon, or on days with an odd number in the dark fortnight the monthly (Śrāddha is performed).

2. Having prepared food for the Fathers and having arranged southward-pointed Darbha grass as seats (for the Brāhmaṇas whom he is going to invite), he invites an odd number of pure Brāhmaṇas who are versed in the Mantras, with no deficient limbs, who are not connected with himself by consanguinity or by their Gotra or by the Mantras, (such as his teacher or his pupils).

3. In feeding them he should not look at any (worldly) purposes.

4.^[2] Having put wood on the fire and strewn southward pointed and eastward-pointed Darbha grass around it, having prepared the Ājya in an Ājya pot over which he has laid one purifier, having sprinkled water round (the fire) from right to left, and put a piece of Udumbara wood on (the fire), he sacrifices with the (spoon called) Darvi which is made of Udumbara wood.

5. Having performed the rites down to the Ājyabhāga offerings, he suspends his sacrificial cord over his right shoulder and calls the Fathers (to his sacrifice) with (the verse), 'Come hither, O Fathers, friends of Soma, on your hidden, ancient paths, bestowing on us offspring and wealth and long life, a life of a hundred autumns.'

6.^[3] He sprinkles water in the same direction (i.e. towards the south) with (the verse), 'Divine waters, send us Agni. May our Fathers enjoy this sacrifice. May they who receive their nouṛṣment every month bestow on us wealth with valiant heroes.'

7.^[4] Having performed the rites down to the Vyāhṛti oblations with his sacrificial cord over his left shoulder, he suspends it over his right shoulder and sacrifices with (the following Mantras):

'To Soma with the Fathers, svadhā! Adoration! 'To Yama with the Aṅgiras and with the Fathers, svadhā! Adoration!

'With the waters that spring in the east and those that come from the north: with the waters, the supporters of the whole world, I interpose another one between (myself and) my father. Svadhā! Adoration!

'I interpose (another one) through the mountains;

'I interpose through the wide earth; through the sky and the points of the horizon, through infinite bliss I interpose another one between (myself and) my grandfather. Svadhā! Adoration!

'I interpose (another one) through the seasons, through days and nights with the beautiful twilight. Through half-months and months I interpose another one between (myself and) my great-grandfather. Svadhā! Adoration!'

Then he sacrifices with their names: 'To N.N. svadhā! Adoration! To N.N. svadhā! Adoration!'

'Wherein my mother has done amiss, abandoning her duty (towards her husband), may my father take that sperm as his own; may another one fall off from the mother. Svadhā! Adoration!'

In the same way a second and a third verse with the alteration of the Mantra, 'Wherein my grandmother,' 'Wherein my great-grandmother.'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

10, 1. Comp. Śāṅkhāyana IV, 1; Āśvalāyana II, 5, 10 seq.; IV, 7; Pāraskara III, 10; Gobhila IV, 3.

[2]:

Comp. above, I, 1, 1, 11 seq. 27; 2, 7 seq.

[3]:

Comp. Atharva-veda XVIII, 4, 40.

[4]:

Comp. Śāṅkhāyana III, 13, 5. The translation there given of the words anyam antaḥ pitur dadhe ought to be changed accordingly.—For ābhur anyopapadyatām read mātur anyo ^ऽvapadyatām as Śāṅkhāyana has.