Praśna 1, Kaṇḍikā 12

1. Three times with the formula, “Do you become purified for the divine rite, for the offering to the gods.”^[1]

2. He should heat them with the formula, “The Rakṣas is burnt out, the wicked is burnt out.’

3. He should look at the cows coming (towards the fire-hall) with the verse, “These cows are coming, yielding sweet milk, having offspring, glorious, multiformed. O cows, increasing in numbers and procreating, may Indra cause you to remain here.”^[2]

4. He should take the tether with the formula, “Thou art the girdle of Aditi,”^[3] and fasten one of the calves by means of it with the formula, “Thou art Pūṣan,” or all (the calves) with the formula, “You are Pūṣan.”^[4]

5. Then he should say (to the milker), “Do thou announce the cow to me when the calf is brought near her.”^[5]

6. He should follow the cow, to whom the calf has been brought, with the verse-half, “(O cows), diseaseless, let me join you to the offspring, increasing in number through abundance of wealth.”^[6]

7. He should follow the milker, sitting by the side of the cow, with the verse-half, “May I, living, be near you, who are sprinkling strength, milk and ghee.”^[7]

8. Then he should give out a warning with the words, “Do you not pass between the sanctuary of the sacred fires and the cow to whom her calf has been brought forth.”

9. Nobody should pass between the cow, who is being milked, and the sanctuary of the sacred fires.

10. If somebody passes between, the Adhvaryu should say, “Let the sāṃnāyya be not impaired.”^[8]

11. With the formula, “Thou art the stirring stick; do thou hold up the sacred word,”^[9] he should take the fire-stirring stick, and, with the formula, “The fright of the people is removed,”^[10] he should draw out burning embers from the Gārhapatya fire towards the north.

12. He should place the pitcher upon them with the formula, “Thou art the heat of Mātariśvan.”^[11]

13. He should surround it by the right with burning embers with the formula, “Do thou be heated with the heat of the Bhṛgus and the Aṅgirases.”^[12]

14. With the formula, “Thou art the hundred-streamed strainer of the Vasus; thou art the thousand-streamed strainer of the Vasus,”^[13] he should place in it the twig-strainer with its end towards the east.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā 1.1.3.1. According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra I.1.10b, he should recite over the utensils being sprinkled, the verse, “O divine waters...” (Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.4.2).

[2]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.4.14.

[3]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.1.2.2.

[4]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.4.15. According to CALAND (Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra I.11.7.9), the tethering is to be done by the milker.

[5]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra I.12.11 adds that the milker should say, “I bring the calf near the cow.”

[6]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.4.15. According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra I.12.11, the milker should bring the calf near the cow with this verse-half.

[7]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.4.15. According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra I.11.14, the milker sits by the side of the cow with this verse-half.

[8]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra I.12-15 prescribes that a Śūdra should not milk a cow; or he may.

[9]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.1.7.1.

[10]:

cf. Jaiminīya-brāhmaṇa I.39.

[11]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.1.3.1.

[12]:

cf. Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.1.7.2.

[13]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.1.3.1.