Praśna 5, Kaṇḍikā 9

1. He should deposit that fire as the Āhavanīya fire while the sun has half risen.

2. One should deposit the fire of the sacrificer, who is desirous of Brahman-splendour, when the sun has fully risen.

3. After having recited the formula pertaining to the setting up of the sacred fire in accordance with the gotra of the sacrificer, the Adhvaryu should utter the three Vyāhṛtis, bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, and suvaḥ.

4. Then he should recite the two sārparājñī verses—the first, “Thou art the earth in depth...^[1] and the fourth, “From his expiration she wanders between the worlds with her inspiration; the bull discerns the heaven.”^[2]

5. The sacrificer should pray with the same two verses to the Āhavanīya fire when it has been deposited.

6. Then the Adhvaryu should recite the gharmaśiras formula, “The fire is the eye. The sun is it. May he be dear together with the cattle. O shining, what is thy shininig strength, shining form, shining noninterrupted light, do thou shine thereby for me; I set thee up therewith, O Agni, with the fire, the Brahman.”^[3]

7. The sacrificer should pray with the same formula to the Āhavanīya fire when it has been deposited.

8. He should further recite the two formulas, “I place thee, Prāṇa, within the immortal, the eater of food, for food, to the protector for protection.—O shining one, what is thy shining strength, shining form, shining uninterrupted light, do thou shine for me; I place thee therewith, O Agni, with the fire the Brahman.”^[4]

9. Having deposited the fire, he should, towards the end (of the reciting of these verses and formulas), pray to the same with the formula, “I have attained, I have received, I have received all life.”^[5]

10. After the fire has been deposited, (the Udgātṛ) should chant the two Sāmans, namely, the Vāravantīya and the Śyaita.^[6]

11. One should not touch the fire which has been deposited, while offerings are still not made upon it. It should be pacified with the clarified butter and grains. So is it said.^[7]

12. (With the formulas,) “O Agni, thy form, being purified and dear, which is in the cattle, in the earth, in the fire, in the Rathantara Sāman, in the Gāyatrī metre,I hold fast that thy form for that to thee, svāhā.—O Agni, thy form, purifying and dear, which is in water, in the midregion, in ihe wind, in the Vāmadevya Sāman, in the Triṣṭubh metre, I hold fast that thy form; for that to thee, svāhā.—O Agni, thy form, shining and dear, which is in the sun, in the heaven, in the sun, in the Bṛhat Sāman, in the Jagatī metre, I hold fast that thy form; for that to thee, svāhā.”^[8]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

V.7.2.

[2]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.5.3.1.

[3]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I.1.7.2.

[4]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa 1.2.1.34.

[5]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I,1.7.2; I,2.1.24.

[6]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra I.15.7 employs even the Yajñāyajñiya Sāman at this stage.

[7]:

cf. Caraka-kaṭha-saṃhitā VIII.11.

[8]:

See the next sūtra.