Sankhayana-grihya-sutra

by Hermann Oldenberg | 1886 | 37,785 words

The Grihya-sutra ascribed to Shankhayana, which has been edited and translated into German in the XVth volume of the "Indische Studien", is based on the first of the four Vedas, the Rig-veda in the Bashkala recension, and among the Brahmana texts, on the Kaushitaka. Alternative titles: Śāṅkhāyana-gṛhya-sūtra (शाङ्खायन-गृह्य-सूत्र), Shank...

Adhyāya IV, Khaṇḍa 15

1. The Śravaṇa (oblation) he offers on the full moon day that falls under (the Nakṣatra) Śraviṣṭhās, of the flour of fried barley, or of cooked food,

2. With (the words), 'To Viṣṇu svāhā! To (the Nakṣatra) Śravaṇa svāhā! To the full moon of Śrāvaṇa svāhā! To the rainy season svāhā!'

3. Having established the (sacred) domestic fire outside, and having mixed together fried grain and the flour of fried barley with butter, he sacrifices—

4. With (the words), 'To the Lord of the celestial Serpents svāhā! To the celestial Serpents svāhā!'

5. Having placed to the north of the fire a new water-pot on eastward-pointed, fresh Kuśa grass,

6. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents wash himself! May the celestial Serpents wash themselves!'—he pours water into it.

7[1]. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents comb himself! May the celestial Serpents comb themselves!'—he makes movements with a comb.

8. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents paint himself! May the celestial Serpents paint themselves!'—he pours out portions of paint.

9. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents tie (this) to (himself)! May the celestial Serpents tie (this) to themselves!'—he offers flowers.

10. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents clothe himself! May the celestial Serpents clothe themselves!'—he offers a thread.

11. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents anoint (his eyelashes)! May the celestial Serpents anoint (their eyelashes)!'—he spirts out (small portions of collyrium) with a young Kuśa shoot.

12. With (the words), 'May the Lori of the celestial Serpents look (at himself)! May the celestial Serpents look (at themselves)!'—he makes them look in a mirror.

13. With (the words), 'Lord of the celestial Serpents, this is thy Bali! Celestial Serpents, this is your Bali!'—he makes a Bali-offering.

14. In the same way for the aërial (Serpents).

15. For those dwelling in the directions (of the horizon).

16. For the terrestrial ones.

17[2]. (He repeats these Mantras) thrice each time, the first (part) with higher voice each time,

18. The second (part) with lower voice each time.

19[3]. In this way he shall offer day by day with the spoon, in small portions, a Bali of the flour of fried barley with water, down to the Pratyavarohaṇa (or the ceremony of the 'redescent'), at night, keeping silence.

20[4]. And (his wife) shall put (it) down silently.

21. The close of the ceremony is the same as the beginning.

22[5]. With (the verse), 'The good protectress' (Rig-veda X, 63, 10), let him ascend the (high) couch.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

15, 7. For this signification of phaṇa, comp. Cullavagga V, 2, 3.

[2]:

17, 18. The text has uccaistarām—uccaistarām, and nīcaistarāṃ—nīcaistarām. Nārāyaṇa(comp. the text of his scholion, p. 155 of the German edition) understands this in a different way; he says that in the water-pot mentioned in the fifth Sūtra two different sthānas are to be distinguished, a higher part of it and a lower (uttarādharatayā). Now when the sacrificer, for instance, as prescribed in Sūtra 6, invites the Lord of the celestial Serpents, and the celestial Serpents to wash themselves, the pouring out of water would have to be performed first thrice for the Lord of the celestial Serpents in the higher place, then thrice for the celestial Serpents in the lower place.

[3]:

On the Pratyavarohaṇa see chap. 17.

[4]:

Nārāyaṇa: vāgyamayuktā yajamānapatnī evaṃ balidravyādikam upasādayet.

[5]:

'From the Śrāvaṇī till the Āgrahāyaṇī (see chap. 1 7, 1) one shall not sleep on the ground out of fear of the snakes.' Nārāyaṇa.

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: