Praśna 5, Kaṇḍikā 2

1. A Brāhmaṇa should set up the sacred fires in the spring (vasanta).

2. A Rājanya in the summer (grīṣma) or winter (hemanta).

3. A Vaiśya in the autumn (śarad).

4. A Rathakāra in the rainy season (varṣā).

5. The cold-season (śiśira) is prescribed for all castes.

6. If one is going to perform a Soma-sacrifice (immediately after having set up the sacred fires), he should not take into account the season or the constellation. He may set up the sacred fires in any season.

7. He should (however) set up the sacred fires either on the new-moon day or the full-moon day.

8. He should not set up the sacred fires on that full-moon day which is coincided by Pūrvā Phalgunī.

9. There is a view that the setting up of the sacred fires is prescribed for the fourth caste; there is another view that it is not.

10. There is a view that the setting up of the sacred fires is not prescribed for one whose father is alive; there is another view that it is.

11 One, who is ordinarily residing in a house, should leave his place and set up the sacred fires (at a different place). One who is ordinarily on a journey, should not pay heed to this ordinance.^[1]

12. He should select a sacrificial place, which is sloping towards the east, with the verse, “Do you go away, go asunder, move away from here,^[2] you who are old and who are new. Yama has given this residence on the earth; the Pitṛs have made this place for him.”¹

13. He should construct within that place a hall with its beams sloping towards the north, and to the front of the central beam he should prepare the Gārhapatya fire-place.

14. To the east of the Gārhapatya fire-place he should prepare a fire-place for the Āhavanīya fire.

15. A Brāhmaṇa should set up his Āhavanīya fire at a distance of eight steps (prakrama)^[3] (from the Gārhapatya fire); a Rājanya at a distance of eleven steps; a Vaiśya at a distance of twelve steps.

16. One should set up the Āhavanīya fire at a distance of twenty-four steps. So is it said.^[4]

17. According to some teachers, one should set up the Āhavanīya fire at an unmeasured^[5] distance.

18. According to others, at a distance measured by mere sight.

19. Towards the south-east, leaving out one-third portion^[6] from the Gārhapatya fire and near about the same, he should prepare a fire-place for the Dakṣiṇa fire.

20. To the east of the Āhavanīya fire-place, he should construct a fireplace for the Sabhya fire.

21. To the east of the Sabhya fire, a fire-place for the Āvasathya fire.

22. Then the sacrificer should get his hair and beard shaved.

[? ^[7] ?]

23. After having worn the two linen garments,^[8] the husband and the wife should set up the sacred fires.

24. At the time of giving away dakṣiṇā,^[9] they should give them to the Adhvaryu.

25. There is a view that they should wear these garments before the rite pertaining to the Brāhmaudanika fire; there is another view that they should do so before the pouring down of the substances.

26. One year or twelve days or four days^[10] or three days or two days or one day before that constellation under which the sacrificer is going to set up the sacred fires.^[11]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra V.3.23 prescribes that optionally he may go out for one day.

[2]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I.2.1.16.

[3]:

A prakrama consists of two or three padas; a pada consists of fifteen aṅgulas.

[4]:

The source of this passage is not known.

[5]:

That is, at a little more distance than the prescribed one.

[6]:

The method of fixing the point of the Dakṣiṇa fire-place is laid down in the Āpastamba Śulbasūtra (2.4) as follows: One should take a cord of the length corresponding to the distance between the Gārhapatya fire and the Āhavanīya fire, divide it into five or six parts, add to it one-sixth or one-seventh part, divide the total length into three equal parts, make a sign at the end of the hindermost third part, fix the two ends of the cord at the Gārhapatya and the Āhavanīya fires, and stretch the cord towards the south at the sign. The point where the sign would reach is the centre of the Dakṣiṇa fire-place.

[7]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra V.4.9 adds that he should get his nails pared, and should bathe himself. The sacrificer’s wife also should do so except the shaving of the hair.

[8]:

Lower and upper.

[9]:

V.12.14. ff.

[10]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra V.7.4 does not mention the period of four days.

[11]:

See the next sūtra.