Praśna 7, Kaṇḍikā 4

1. He should touch the altar and the uttaravedi with the verse, “The two young maidens, four-tufted, ghee-faced, in the middle of the earth; may the gods residing on them, rejoice in the highest world.”

2. Then respectively with the formulas, “May Inḍraghoṣa, along with the Vasus, guard thee in the front; may the quick-as-mind, along with the Pitṛs, guard thee towards the south; may the knower, along with the Rudras, guard thee towards the west; may Viśvakarman, along with the Adityas, guard thee towards the north,”^[1] he should sprinkle the uttaravedi with water by means of the hand with the palm turned upwards, going round towards each direction.

3. (He should sprinkle) from above with the formula, “May Tvaṣṭṛ, along with his forms, guard thee from above.”

4. The water which has remained in the prokṣaṇī-ladle—the rites beginning herewith should be similar.^[2]

5. There is a view that the Adhvaryu should carry forth the fire on the preceding day; there is another view that he should close the procedure of the preceding day with the sprinkling with water.^[3]

6. He should light the faggot on the Āhavanīya fire and say (to the Hotṛ), “Do you recite verses for the fire being carried forth.”

7. As soon as the first verse has been recited thrice (by the Hotṛ), he should take up the faggot, support it with sand (taken into a pan), and offer the udyatahoma with the verse, “O purifying Agni, whatever fault we have committed, (do thou forgive us for it). Being the eastern one, thou becomest the western one; do thou increase thy forms with ghee; do not injure me coming towards the east, svāhā.”

8. After he has offered that oblation in the remaining (Āhavanīya fire), all should move towards the east.

9. While the fire (of the faggot) has been held upwards, the Adhvaryu should pour out in a crosswise line on the uttaravedi^[4] five spoonfuls of clarified butter through gold: on the southern shoulder with the formula, “Thou art a lioness, overcoming rivals, svāhā;”^[5] on the northern buttock with the formula, “Thou art a lioness, bestowing fair offspring, svāhā;”^[5] on the northern shoulder with the formula, “Thou art a lioness, bestowing abundance of wealth, svāhā;”^[5] on the southern buttock with the formula, “Thou art a lioness, bestowing the favour of the Ādityas, svāhā;”^[5] and in the middle with the formula, “Thou art a lioness; do thou bring the gods to the religious sacrificer, svāhā.”^[5]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.12.2.

[2]:

VII.3.9.

[3]:

That is, he should carry forth the fire on the next day on which the animal-offering is to be made. According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra VII.6.3, he should cover the altar with the twigs of udumbara or plakṣa tree.

[4]:

Or on the uttaranābhi, according to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra VII.5.4.

[5]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.12.2.