Praśna 3, Kaṇḍikā 8

1. The Adhvaryu should say (to the Hotṛ), “Do you recite the puronuvākyā for Kuhū.”

2. Having caused (the Āgnīdhra) to announce (and after the latter has responded), he should say (to the Hotr), “Do you recite the yājyā for Kuhū.”

3. At the vaṣaṭ-utterance (by the Hotṛ), he should make the offering.^[1]

4. The Adhvaryu should offer the oblation to the wives of gods while the Gārhapatya fire is covered^[2] or while it is not covered.

5. He should say (to the Hotṛ), “Do you recite the puronuvākyā for the wives of gods.”

6. After having caused (the Āgnīdhra) to announce (and after the latter has responded), he should say (to the Hotṛ), “Do you recite the yājyā for the wives of gods.”

7. At the vaṣaṭ-utterance (by the Hotṛ), he should make the offering.

8. He should say (to the Hotṛ), “Do you recite the puronuvākyā for gṛhapati Agni.”

9. After having caused (the Āgnīdhra) to announce (and after the latter has responded), he should say (to the Hotṛ), “Do you recite the yājyā for gṛhapati Agni.”

10. At the vaṣaṭ-utterance (by the Hotṛ), he should make the offering.

11. While the sacrificer’s wife is touching him, the Adhvaryu should offer a spoonful on the Gārhapatya fire with the verse, “May the sacrificer’s wife, together with the sacrificer, meet with good deed. May the two, yoked to the sacrifice, be united. May the two, being in harmony, smite the evil spirits. May the two attain the divine light.”^[3]

12-13. He should besmear the (upper) two phalanxes of the forefinger of the Hotṛ by means of the spoon. He should first besmear the lower phalanx and then the upper one.

14. He should cut out, as Iḍā, four drops of clarified butter for the Hotṛ; six for the Āgnīdhra.

15. The Adhvaryu and the sacrificer’s wife should touch the Iḍā while it is being invoked.

[? note ? -- According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra III.9.8, even the Āgnīdhra should touch it.]

16. The Hotṛ should consume the Iḍā which has been invoked. The Āgnīdhra should consume it with the formula, “Goddess earth is called, may goddess earth call me. Agni is called for the portion of the Āgnīdhra, (long) life, splendour, life, and good.”^[4]

17. Having consumed the Iḍā, the two should sprinkle themselves with water.

18. (The Patnīsaṃyāja-offering) should end with the rite of Iḍā.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra III.9.5-6 prescribes that according to some teachers the oblations to Rākā, Sinīvālī and Kuhū should be offered as the normal ones, and that these may be offered either before or after the Patnīsaṃyāja offerings.

[2]:

Against the Āhavanīya fire.

[3]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.5,11.

[4]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.6.15.