Adhyāya I, Kaṇḍikā 14

1. In the fourth month of pregnancy the Sīmantonnayana (or parting of the hair, is performed).

2. In the fortnight of the increasing moon, when the moon stands in conjunction with a Nakṣatra (that has a name) of masculine gender—

3^[1]. Then he gives its place to the fire, and having spread to the west of it a bull's hide with the neck to the east, with the hair outside, (he makes oblations,) while (his wife) is sitting on that (hide) and takes hold of him, with the two (verses), 'May Dhātṛ give to his worshipper,' with the two verses, 'I invoke Rākā' (Rig-veda II, 32, 4 seq.), and with (the texts), 'Nejameṣa,' and, 'Prajāpati, no other one than thou' (Rig-Veda X, 121, 10).

4. He then three times parts her hair upwards (i.e. beginning from the front) with a bunch containing an even number of unripe fruits, and with a porcupine's quill that has three white spots, and with three bunches of Kuśa grass, with (the words), 'Bhūr bhuvaḥ, svar, om!'

5. Or four times.

6. He gives orders to two lute-players, 'Sing king Soma.'

7^[2]. (They sing) 'May Soma our king bless the human race. Settled is the wheel of N.N.'—(here they name) the river near which they dwell.

8. And whatever aged Brāhmaṇa woman, whose husbands and children are alive, tell them, that let them do.

9. A bull is the fee for the sacrifice.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

14, 3. Comp. above, chap. 8, 9. Regarding the two verses Dhātā dadātu dāśushe, see Śāṅkh.-Gṛhya I, 22, 7. The Nejameṣa hymn is Rig-veda Khailika sūkta, vol. vi, p. 31, ed. Max Muller.

[2]:

Comp. Pāraskara I, 15, 8. The Gāthā there is somewhat different. I cannot see why in the Āśvalāyana redaction of it niviṣṭacakrāsau should not be explained, conformably to the p. 182 regular Sandhi laws, as niviṣṭacakrā asau. The wheel of course means the dominion.