Kanda XII, adhyaya 3, brahmana 5

1. Of old, indeed, they were wont to seize this victim as one dedicated to Savitṛ, but now they seize it as one dedicated to Prajāpati, saying, 'Savitṛ, in truth, is the same as Prajāpati.' It is therefore after having thrown together the (sacrificial) fires that they ought to perform this (animal) sacrifice on the Gṛhapati's own fires, thinking, 'May we also have a share in this tail (of the. victim) wherewith they are now making offering together to the wives (of the gods).' They then perform the initiation ceremony whenever they choose.

2. Here now they say, 'They ought to have separate hearths; and if one of the initiates were to be taken ill let him stay aside offering the Agnihotra. If he gets well again, they bring (the fires) together and invite him to join them; but if he dies they burn him by his own (three) fires^[1] without an (ordinary) fire for (burning) a dead body; and the other sacrificers sit (through the sacrificial session);--such at least is the performance in the case of one who keeps up his sacrificial fires; but, indeed, they have their hearths in common: the theological explication of this is the same as in regard to the preparatory ceremonial^[2].'

3. They also say, 'Seeing that the performers of a year's session become initiated for a year, how does their Agnihotra come to be uninterrupted?' Let him reply, 'By the fast-milk.'

4. They also say, 'Seeing that the performers of a year's session become initiated for a year, how does their Full-moon oblation come to be uninterrupted?' Let him reply, 'By the ghee and the sacrificial cake.'

5. They also say, 'Seeing that the performers of a year's session become initiated for a year, how does their New-moon oblation come to be uninterrupted?' Let him reply, 'By the sour curds and the cake.'

6. They also say, 'Seeing that the performers of a year's session become initiated for a year, how does their offering to the Fathers come to be uninterrupted?' Let him reply,' By the Aupāsana (rites^[3]).'

7. They also say, 'Seeing that the performers of a year's session become initiated for a year, how does their offering of firstfruits come to be uninterrupted?' Let him reply, 'By Soma's pap^[4].'

8. They also say, 'Seeing that the performers of a year's session become initiated for a year, how do their seasonal offerings come to be uninterrupted?' Let him reply, 'By the Payasyā^[5].'

9. They also say, 'Seeing that the performers of a year's session become initiated for a year, how does their animal sacrifice come to be uninterrupted?' Let him reply, 'By the animal and the cake^[6].'

10. They also say, 'Seeing that the performers of a year's session become initiated for a year, how does their Soma come to be uninterrupted?' Let him reply, 'By the Soma-pressings.'

11. It is thus that these sacrificial rites enter into the year; and, verily, whosoever thus knows this entering of the sacrificial rites into the year becomes a sharer in the heavenly world.

12. In the year there should be known to be uniformity:--one Atirātra they perform before, and one after, the Vishuvat; fifty three Agniṣṭomas they perform before, and fifty-three after, the Vishuvat; one hundred and twenty Ukthya days they perform before, and one hundred and twenty after, the Vishuvat,--thus at least in the case of those who perform the Svarasāmans as Ukthyas.

13. And in the case of those who (perform them) as Agniṣṭomas, they perform fifty-six Agniṣṭomas before, and fifty-six after, the Vishuvat; one hundred and seventeen Ukthya days they perform before, and one hundred and seventeen after, the Vishuvat; six Ṣoḍaśins they perform before, and six after, the Vishuvat; thirty Ṣaḍahas^[7] they perform before, and thirty after, the Vishuvat:--such, then, is the uniformity of that (year), and, verily, he who thus knows this goes through a course of sacrificial performance which is uniform, and not ineffectual, neither defective nor redundant.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This is the regular procedure in accordance with Gṛhya rites, cf. Āśv. Gṛhy. IV, 2, 11-13; whilst Pāraskara, III, 10, 11, merely says, 'with the domestic fire they burn him who has established his (sacred) fire.'

[2]:

For the 'puraścaraṇa,' see part iv, p. 337, note 2.

[3]:

Viz., by those rites which, during the time for which the Sacrificer is initiated, may be performed on his domestic (Āvasathya or Aupāsana) fire. Cf. Kāty. I, 1, 20. 21. Whether the domestic offerings to the Fathers (śrāddha) may be so performed seems doubtful.

[4]:

For the ordinary performance of the Āgrayaṇeṣṭi, see part i, p. 370 seqq. According to Kāty. IV, 6, 11 seq. the performance of a year's sattra is to mark the time at which the offering of first-fruits would otherwise have taken place by using new grain for his vrata-food, as well as for two Rauhiṇa cakes at the Upasads, and for the cakes offered in the animal sacrifice of the Soma days; and that a pap of new śyāmāka (millet) is to be offered to Soma at the proper season (during the rains, or autumn), and a pap of bamboo grain in summer.

[5]:

For this dish, made by the addition of fresh boiled milk to sour curds, see part i, p. 381, note 2.

[6]:

That is, by the animal offered on each successive Soma day, and the (savanīya) puroḍāśas offered subsequently; cf. IV, 2, 5, 14-22.

[7]:

That is, counting the Prāyaṇīya Atirātra, Caturviṃśa, Abhijit, and three Svarasāmans as one six-days’ performance, before the Vishuvat; and the three Svarasāmans, the Viśvajit, Goṣṭoma, Āyuṣṭoma, four days of the Daśarātra (preceding and succeeding the central Ṣaḍaha), the Mahāvrata, and Udayanīya Atirātra as two six-days’ performances after the Vishuvat.