Praśna III, Adhyāya 6

1. Now if a man feels his conscience charged with (evil) actions committed by himself, let him boil for himself (alone), when the stars have risen, a handful of barley, (and prepare) gruel (with that).^[1]

2. Let him not perform the Vaiśvadeva oblation with (a portion of) that,

3. Nor (shall) a Bali offering (be performed) on that (occasion).

4. Let him consecrate the barley before it is boiled, while it is being boiled, and after it has been boiled, with the (following) Mantras

5. 'Thou art barley, thou art the king of grains, thou art sacred to Varuṇa and mixed with honey, the sages have proclaimed thee an expeller of all guilt and a means of purification.'^[2]

'Ye barley-grains are clarified butter and honey, ye barley-grains are water and ambrosia. May you remove my guilt and all my sins:'

'Those committed by words, by acts, and by evil thoughts; ill-fortune and the night of all-destroying time,--all that avert from me, ye barley-grains.'

'(From the sin of eating) food which had been worried by dogs or pigs, or which had been defiled by crows and impure men, from the sin of disobedience towards mother and father,--from all that purify me, ye barley-grains.'

'From the dreadful (guilt of) mortal sins and of the crime (of serving) a king, from the wrong done to infants or aged men, from (the guilt) of stealing gold, of breaking my vows, of sacrificing for an un-worthy man, of speaking evil of Brāhmaṇas,--from all that purify me, ye barley-grains.'

'From (the sin of eating) the food of many men, of harlots and of Śūdras, of (partaking of) funeral dinners and of (the food given by) persons who are unclean on account of a death or a birth, of that given by thieves, or at a funeral sacrifice offered to one who lately died,--from all that purify me, ye barley-grains.'

6. (While the barley) is being boiled, he must protect it (and recite the text), 'Adoration to Rudra, the lord of created beings; pacified is the sky;' the Anuvāka (beginning), 'Give strength;' the five sentences (beginning), 'The gods who are seated in front, led by Agni;' the two (texts), 'Do not hurt^[3] our offspring,' (and) 'The Brahman-priest among the gods.'

7. Having purified himself (by sipping water, &c.), he shall eat a little of the boiled (mess), after pouring it into (another) vessel.

8. Let him offer it as a sacrifice to the soul, (reciting the text), 'May the gods, who are born from the internal organ and joined to the internal organ, who are very strong, whose father is Dakṣa, protect us (and) guard us; adoration to them, to them Svāhā.'^[4]

9. Let him who desires intelligence (subsist on such food during three (days and) nights.

10. A sinner who drinks it during six (days and) nights becomes pure.

11. He who drinks it during seven (days and) nights is purified from (the guilt of) the murder of a learned Brāhmaṇa, of violating a Guru's bed, of stealing gold, and of drinking Surā.

12. He who drinks it during eleven (days and) nights, removes even the sins committed by his ancestors.

13. 'But he who during twenty-one days (drinks gruel made) of barley-grains which have passed through a cow, sees the Jaṇas and the lord of the Jaṇas, sees the goddess of learning and the lord of learning.' Thus speaks the venerable Baudhāyana.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

6. For the whole Adhyāya compare Viṣṇu XLVIII.

[2]:

According to Govinda, Vāmadeva is the Ṛṣi of these Mantras. The phrase, 'Thou art sacred to Varuṇa,' is to be explained, according to Govinda, by the fact that offerings presented to Varuṇa frequently consist of barley. 'Honey' means, according to some, 'sweet butter,' with which the dish is seasoned.

[3]:

The Anuvāka meant is Taitt. Saṃhitā I, 2, 14. The five sentences are found, ibid. I, 8, 7, 1. Regarding the text mā nastoke, 'do not hurt our offspring,' see above, III, 2, 9. The last p. 299 Mantra occurs Taitt. Saṃhitā III, 4, II, I. Govinda says that material protection, too, in the shape of an iron platter or cover is to be given to the boiling barley.

[4]:

The text occurs Taitt. Saṃhitā I, 2, 3, I. It consists of five sentences, and is addressed to the five vital airs, to each of which the eater offers one oblation.