Apastamba Grihya-sutra

by Hermann Oldenberg | 1892 | 21,043 words

The short treatise of Apastamba on the Grihya ritual forms one Prashna of the great corpus of the Apastambiya-Kalpa-sutra and stands, among the Grihya texts, in closest connection with the Hiranyakeshi-Grihya-sutra. Alternative titles: Āpastamba-gṛhya-sūtra (आपस्तम्ब-गृह्य-सूत्र), Grhya, Āpastambagṛhyasūtra (आपस्तम्बगृह्यसूत्र), Apastambagrihyasut...

Praśna 3, Section 7

1.[1] He then makes her offer the sacrifice of a Sthālīpāka sacred to Agni.

2. The wife husks (the rice grains out of which this Sthālīpāka is prepared).

3. After he has cooked (the Sthālīpāka), and has sprinkled (Ājya) over it, and has taken it from the fire towards the east or the north, and has sprinkled (Ājya) over it while it stands (there near the fire), (the ceremonies) from the putting of wood on the fire down to the Ājyabhāga oblations (are performed), and while she takes hold of him, he sacrifices of that Sthālīpāka.

4. The 'spreading under' and the sprinkling over (of Ājya are done) once; two Avadānas (or cut-off portions are taken).

5. Agni is the deity (of the first oblation); the offering is made with the word Svāhā.

6.[2] Or he may sacrifice after having picked out, once, a portion (of the sacrificial food with the Darvi spoon).

7. Agni Sviṣṭakṛt is the second (deity).

8. (At the Sviṣṭakṛt oblation) the 'spreading under' and taking an Avadāna are done once, the sprinkling over (of Ājya) twice.

9. The Avadāna for the first deity (is taken) out of the middle (of the Sthālīpāka);

10. It is offered over the centre (of the fire).

11. (The Avadāna) for the second (deity is taken) from the northern part (of the Sthālīpāka);

12. It is offered over the easterly part of the northerly part (of the fire).

13.[3] Having silently anointed (a part of) the Barhis (by dipping it) into the remains both (of the Sthālīpāka and the Ājya) in the way prescribed (in the Śrauta ritual) for the (part of the Barhis called) Prastara, he throws (that part of the Barhis) into the fire.

14.[4] (The rule regarding) the second sprinkling (of water round the fire) is valid (here).

15. He gives (the remains of) that (sacrificial food) with butter to a Brāhmaṇa to eat—

16.[5] Whom he reveres. To that (Brāhmaṇa) he makes the present of a bull.

17. In the same way, with the exception of the sacrificial gift, they should sacrifice a Sthālīpāka from then onwards, on the days of the new and full moon, after having fasted.

18. Some say that a vessel full (of grain) is the sacrificial gift.

19.[6] From then onwards he should offer morning and evening with his hand these two oblations (to Agni and to Agni Sviṣṭakṛt) of (rice) grains or of barley.

20. The deities are the same as at the Sthālīpāka (just described).

21. Some say that the first oblation in the morning is sacred to Sūrya.

22.[7] Before and after (those oblations) the sprinkling (of water) round (the fire is performed) as stated above.

23.[8] By the sacrifice of the new and full moon the other ceremonies have been explained (the knowledge of) which is derived from practice.

24. The deities (of those rites) are as stated (with regard to each particular case), having their place between Agni (Sūtra 5) and Sviṣṭakṛt (Sūtra 7).

25.[9] The sacrifice (of a cow) on the arrival of a guest (should be performed as stated below) without alterations.

26.[10] (The deities) of the Vaiśvadeva ceremony are the Viśve devās,

27.[11] Of ceremonies performed on full-moon days, the full-moon day on which they are performed.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

7, 1 seq. Hiraṇyakeśin I, 7, 23, 2 seq.

[2]:

As to the technical meaning of upahatya or upaghātam, comp. the note on Gobhila I, 8, 2; Gṛhya-saṃgraha I, 111.

[3]:

Comp. Śrauta-sūtra III, 5, 9 seqq.—On the prastara, see Hillebrandt, Neu- and Vollmondsopfer, 64. 142. 146.

[4]:

See above, I, 2, 8. The upahomas prescribed above, I, 2, 7, are not performed here, but the second paṛṣecana is.

[5]:

I have altered in my translation the division of the two sentences. Comp. Hiraṇyakeśin I, 7, 23, 5-6, and the note there.

[6]:

The two regular daily oblations corresponding to the Agnihotra of the Śrauta ritual.

[7]:

See I, 2, 3. 8.

[8]:

See I, 1, 1.

[9]:

See below, V, 13, 16.

[10]:

See Āpastamba Dharma-sūtra II, 2, 3, 1 (S.B.E., vol. ii, p. 103).

[11]:

For instance, the Srāvaṇī paurṇamāsī is the deity of the ceremony described below, VII, 18, 5 seq.

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