Praśna 5, Kaṇḍikā 4

1. In the chamber^[1] intended for the Gārhapatya fire, the Adhvaryu should tie up a spotted goat with the verse, “O Agni, do thou bring together progeny, quarters and cattle. Place within him subjects which have been in the impulse of Savitṛ.”^[2]

2. During this night, the sacrificer should be kept awake by playing on the lute (vīṇā) and the musical instrument of bamboo (tūṇava), and by telling holy stories.

3. The sacrificer should keep the fire flaring during the whole night by adding chips of wood with the verse, “Enkindling the fire with chips of wood, may I attain both the worlds. After having prospered in both the worlds may I pass over death.”^[3]

4. At the approach of dawn, the Adhvaryu should heat the two kindling woods on that fire with the two verses, “O jātavedas (Agni), do thou sprinkle here semen virile of earth which would be created out of heat, the fire, the carrier of oblation, the rejoicing, creating from the aśvattha grown on the śamī. This is tḥy natural birth-place, born of which thou hast shone. Knowing it, do thou, O Agni, go upwards and increase our wealth.”^[4]

5. This fire should now be extinguished.

6. The Adhvaryu should hand over the two kindling woods to the sacrificer with the verse, “Agni, the bright-flamed, immortal, bright, purifier, venerable, drives away the Rakṣases [Rakṣasas] [Rakṣasas?].”^[5]

7. The sacrificer should gaze at the kindling woods with the verse, “O you great (kindling woods), the guardians of people, seats of the holy order, do you come hither, carriers of wealth. Do you, pregnant ones, generate the fire to be generated, the forerunner of the sacrifices.”^[6]

8. He should receive them with the verse, “Do you, (O kindling woods), mount up my ten fingers. Do thou, O Agni, mount upon me with the holy order, long life, and strength so that, living long year after year, I may perform the New-moon and the Full-moon sacrifices,”^[7] and should recite over them the next two verses, “You are rich in menstruation, with fire as the semen virile. Do you bear the womb. I take you up. Truly you hold a brave son, create a brave son.—In the morning you will be procreating for me; procreated, you will cause me to procreate in the heaven with progeny, cattle and Brahmansplendour.”^[7]

9. He should then restrain speech with the formula, “From the untrue I reach the true; from the human I reach the divine; I restrain the divine speech.”^[8]

10. He should remain with his speech restrained until the churning out of the fire.

11. Then the Adhvaryu and the sacrificer should receive the fire within themselves with the two verses, “I receive the fire within me for the abundance of wealth, good offspring and good valour. I hold offspring and strength within me. May we be uninjured in our persons and rich in brave sons.—O Pitṛs, Agni the immortal who has entered the hearts of us the mortals, we receive him within us; may be not go away leaving us.”^[9]

12. The Adhvaryu should dig up the fire-place with the verse, “May the impure substance being dug out of this earth remove the evil of the sacrificer. May the four principal quarters be auspicious to us. May the mother earth be winner of offspring for us.”^[10]

13. Having dug them up, he should sprinkle them with water by means of the hand with the palm turned downwards with the verse, “May the divine waters be for our aid; may they be for our drinking. May they flow prosperity towards us.”^[11]

14. After the fire-places become dry, he should pour down the substances into them.

15. He should divide each of the substances into two, pour down the first halves into the front three fire-places^[12] (by again dividing each of the halves into three parts), and the latter halves into the two rear fire-places.^[13]

16. He should pour down the sand into the Gārhapatya fire-place with the formula, “Thou art the ashes of Agni, the excrement of Agni.”^[14]

17. With the same formula, he should pouf down the sand into the Dakṣiṇa fire-place, into the Āhavanīya fire-place, and also into the fire-places of the Sabhya and the Āvasathya.

18. In this order the relevant rites should henceforward be performed in these fire-places.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra V. 7.17, to the north of that chamber.

[2]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I.2.1.13.

[3]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I.2.1.15.

[4]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I.2.1.15,16.

[5]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa II.4.1.6.

[6]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I.2.1.13.

[7]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I.2.1.14,15,

[8]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I.2.1.15.

[9]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā V.7.9.1.

[10]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I.2.1.1.

[11]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I.2.1.1.

[12]:

Namely, the Āhavanīya, the Sabhya and the Āvasathya.

[13]:

Namely, the Gārhapatya and the Dakṣiṇa. The procedure of pouring down the substances is given in the sequel.

[14]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I.2.1.17.