Praśna 5, Kaṇḍikā 15

1. The sacrificer should follow the offering to Aditi with the formula, “May I attain stability through the sacrifice offered to Aditi.”

2. With the same formula, he should follow all offerings to Aditi.

3. At the time of the fourfold division (of the remnant of the cake offered to Agni) the Adhvaryu should carry forth to the Brahman the entire remnants of the rice cooked for Aditi.

4. The four officiating priests should consume that rice.

5. The sacrificer should give, as a boon, a milch-cow to them after they have consumed the rice.

6. According to some teachers, the utterance of the names of the principal divinities and the reciting of the puronuvākyās and the yājyās relating to the offerings for the principal divinities in the sacrifices ancillary to the setting up of the sacred fires should be in a low tone,

7. The sacrifice should come to an end in the prescribed manner.

8. The sacrificer, who is going to start the performance of the Fullmoon and the New-moon sacrifices, should, earlier, offer two sārasvata oblations with the two verses, “Full to the rear and full in front,in the middle of the full moon, she has been victorious. Let the gods dwelling together rejoice here in her in the highest firmament.—The share in greatness which the gods dwelling together have bestowed on thee, O new-moon, therewith do thou fill our sacrifice, O thou of every boon. Grant us wealth of good heroes, O fortunate one.”^[1]

9. The sacrificer should perform the Anvārambhaṇīya sacrifice.

10. There should be a cake on eleven potsherds to Agni-Viṣṇu, cooked rice to Sarasvatī, and a cake on twelve potsherds to Sarasvant.

11. A sacrificer, who is desirous of prosperity (bhaga) should offer a fourth oblation, namely, a cake on eight potsherds to bhagin Agni.^[2]

12. The rites up to the offering of the principal oblations should be similar.

13. The sacrificer should follow the offering to Sarasvatī with the formula, “May I be increased in speech and food through the sacrifice offered to Sarasvatī.”

14. With this very formula, be should follow all the offerings to Sarasvatī.

15. Before the sviṣṭakṛt-offering, the Adhvaryu should offer twelve jaya oblations with the formulas, “Thought and thinking; intent and intention; known and knowledge; mind and power; the new-moon and the full-moon; the Bṛhat and the Rathantara.”^[3] He should offer the thirteenth oblation with the verse, “Prajāpati bestowed the jaya offerings on Indra, strong, who is dread in the battle-contest. All the people bowed in reverence to him, for he waxed dread, worthy of offering.”^[4]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.5.1.4.

[2]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra V.23.7 prescribes that according to some teachers, the offering to bhagin Agni is compulsory according to others, it should be offered even independently.

[3]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.4.4.1; cittaṃ ca svāhā, cittiś ca svāhā, etc.Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra V.24.2 optionally prescribes these formulas with the dative forms such as cittāya svāhā, cittyai svāhā etc.

[4]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.4.4.1.