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 VI, Khaṇḍa 4
1[1]. 'Unerring mind, vigorous eye (is) the sun, the noblest of the stars. Inauguration, do no harm to me!'—with (these words) they look at Savitṛ (I.e. the sun).
2. One (verse), 'You both the gladdening one' (Rig-veda X, 131, 4), and the three (verses), 'Blessing to us on the paths' (Rig-veda X, 63, 15-17) (are to be repeated before the recitation) of the Mahāvrata (chapter).
3. But (at that) of the Śakvarī (verses) before (the formula mentioned in the first Sara):
4[2]. The three Tṛcas, 'To him, the thirsty one' (Rig-veda VI, 42, 1-3), 'The wealthiest (Soma), O wealthy one' (VI, 44, 1-3), 'Him who does no harm to you' (VI, 44, 4-6), (the verse), 'To him, to him the sap of the herb' (VI, 42, 4), (and the verse), "Verily thou art a hero' (VIII, 81, 28)—thus for the Śakvarī (verses) before and afterwards.
5. Now for the Upaniṣad (texts)—
6. The same (recitation) as for the Mahāvrata.
7[3]. For the Saṃhitās, however, before (the text given in the first Sūtra the formula has to be recited), 'I shall speak right, I shall speak truth (&c.)'—this is the difference (in the case of the Saṃhitās).
8[4]. Now for the Mantha the two verses (have to be recited) before (the formula given in the first Sūtra), 'This we entreat of Savitar,' 'That glorious (splendour) of Savitar' (Rig-veda V, 82, 1; III, 62, 10).
9. With (the formula), 'Unerring mind' (see Sūtra 1), then follow the expiatory formulas that belong to the (different) sections.
10. (All) this on one day.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
4, 1. The formula 'Adabdhaṃ manaḥ,' &c. has to be recited before each of the single Āraṇyaka texts (the Śakvarī verses, the Mahāvrata, &c.); to this formula are added, before or after it, as the case may be, other texts specified in the Sūtras 2-8. Of these there can be no doubt about the meaning of Sūtras 7, 8, treating of the introductory formulas of the Saṃhitā section (Kaush. Ār. VII-VIII) and of the Mantha section (ibid. IX): before the text adabdham, &c. are to be added, in the first case the formula ṛtaṃ vadishyāmi, &c., in the second case two Ṛcas addressed to Savitṛ. These formulas and verses have been received into the Āraṇyaka text and are found there in the order here stated, at the beginning of books VII and IX. The meaning of the words saṃhitānāṃ tu pūrvam (Sūtra 7) having thus been established, I can see no reason why we should not interpret the words śakvarīṇāṃ to pūrvam (Sūtra 3) quite in the same way. Thus the introductory benediction for the recital of the Śakvarī verses would consist, firstly of the verses stated in Sūtra 4, then of the formula adabdham, &c.; those verses would have to be repeated again after the Śakvarī verses (end of Sūtra 4). The recitation of the Mahāvrata (Sūtras 1, 2) and of the Upaniṣads (Sūtra 5) is preceded by adabdham, &c., and then by the four verses stated in Sūtra 2. The interpretation which Nārāyaṇa gives of this Sūtra is not quite the same as that which I have here proposed; see p. 163 of the German edition.
[2]:
According to the reading of some MSS. we should have to translate, or (the verse), 'Verily,' &c.
[3]:
On the Saṃhitās (Kaush. Ār. VII, VIII) see Max Müller, Rig-veda Prātiśākhya, pp. 4 seq.; Ait. Āraṇyaka III (pp. 305 seqq., ed. Bibl. Ind.; Sacred Books of the East, I, pp. 247 seq.).
[4]:
Regarding the description of the Mantha sacrifice (Kaush. Ār. IX) which has to be performed by one who wishes to attain greatness, comp. Śatap. Brāhmaṇa XIV, 9, 2; Chānd. Up. V, 2, 4; Sacred Books of the East, I, p. 75.