Praśna 5, Kaṇḍikā 16

1. For a sacrificer desirous of Brahman>splendour, the Adhvaryu should offer the fourteenth oblation with the formula, “O Agni, giver of strength, do thou give strength and power to me, attacking the enemy, uttering imprecations, and not to be imprecated so that I may be superior to these folks.”^[1]

2. He becomes outstanding among the society; but he gets white leprosy on his body.

3. A couple of cow and bull should be given away as dakṣiṇā.

4. The sacrifice should be concluded in the prescribed manner.

5. When he has to start the performing of the Full-moon and the New-moon sacrifices, the Adhvaryu should recite to himself the caturhotṛ formula, and offer an oblation on the Āhavanīya fire with the graha portion of the same.

6. He should (then) start to perform the Full-moon and the New-moon sacrifices.

7. First the Full-moon sacrifice.

8. For one setting up the sacred fires on the new-moon day this happens without any modification.

9-10. If he has set up the sacred fires on the full-moon day, he should complete, on the initial parvan, the setting up together with the ancillary sacrifices and the Anvārambhaṇīya sacrifice consecutively, and perform the Full-moon sacrifice on the next day.

11. The following are the vows of one who has set up the sacred fires:

12. He should not speak untruth.

13. Any Brāhmaṇa should not reside in his house without having eaten food.

14. He should not deprive a guest, upon whom the sun has set, of shelter.

15-16. He should not take food in the evening while the Agnihotra is still not offered; nor in the morning while the Agnihotra is still not offered.^[2]

17. At night he should not give anything except food.

18. If he gives food at night, he should cause it to be eaten.

19. He should not eat food matured by the warmth of the earth.^[3]

20. He should not put a wet piece of wood on the fire.

21. He should not drink water (while sailing) in a boat.

22. He should not reside in a place which is naturally barren.

23. He should not give away silver on the Barhis.^[4]

24. He should approach a woman for sexual intercourse without reciting any mantra (but) uttering hiṃ.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Maitrāyaṇī-saṃhitā I.4.14.

[2]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra V.25.15 adds that even other persons should not eat food in the evening and in the morning in the house of an Āhitāgni while the Agnihotra is still not offered.

[3]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra V.25.19 prescribes that he should not eat meat during the year unless he has performed an Animal-sacrifice.

[4]:

That is, in a śrauta rite.