Praśna 7, Kaṇḍikā 7

1. The Adhvaryu should modify the call as follows: “...Do thou cleanse the spoon and the knife and the ladles, put the cord around the waist of the sacrificer’s wife and come up with the clarified butter and the curds.”

2. The rites up to the pouring out of the clarified butter (into the vessel) should be similar.^[1]

3. After having poured out the clarified butter, he should pour out curds into the second vessel for clarified butter.

4. The procedure with regard to it has been explained by that for the clarified butter except the putting over the fire.

5. The rites up to the taking up of the clarified butter (into the various ladles) should be similar.^[2]

6. The Adhvaryu should take up four spoonfuls in to the Juhū, four into the Upabhṛt.

7. He should take up five spoonfuls of pṛṣadājya. He should mix up the curds with the clarified butter, and take up that mixture (into the pṛṣadājyadhānī with the formulas, “Thou art the milk of great ones, the body of Viśve Devas.—May I today accomplish the cup of the speckled ones; thou art the cup of the speckled ones; thou art the heart of Viṣṇu.—Viṣṇu has stepped once apart along thee, O vigorous one.—With curds and ghee may the prosperity be increased;may wealth come to me from that which is offered and enjoyed.—Thou art the light for all men, milked from the spotted one.”^[3]

8. He should take up the clarified butter into the Dhruvā as in the norm.^[4]

9. The rites up to the placing of the ladles should be similar.^[5]

10. After having placed the ladles, he should place the veda in front of the Dhruvā, take up the shovel with the Sāvitra formula, and draw round a line for the hole for the sacrificial post in front of the Āhavanīya fire—half within the altar and half without the altar—with the formula, “The Rakṣas is enclosed, the evil spirits are enclosed....”^[6]

11. He should dig up to the measurement of the lower portion of the sacrificial post (uparā) and wash the sacrificial post with the verse, “What of thee the clever wood-cutter has cut by means of the axe taken in hand, may the living and clean water purify all that for thee.”

12. He should sprinkle the sacrificial post with the prokṣaṇī-water accompanied by barley-grains; the lower portion with the formula, “For earth thee,”^[7] the middle portion with the formula, “For miḍregion thee,”^[7] and the top with the formula, “For heaven thee.”^[7]

13. He should pour down the remaining water into the hole with the formula, “May the region for seating the Pitṛs be purified.”^[8]

14. He should throw barley-grains (into the hole) with the formula, “Thou art a grain of barley; do thou drive away the enemy from us; do thou drive away the evil spirits.”^[9]

15. He should strew darbha-blades (within the hole) with the formula, “Thou art the seat of the Pitṛs.”^[10]

16. He should throw the chip of the sacrificial post^[11] into the hole with the formula, “Thou art easily accessible, the foregoer of the leaders; the tree will rise above thee; do thou know of it,”^[12] and offer an oblation with the formula, “May the heaven and earth fill us with ghee, svāhā.”^[13]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

II.6.1.

[2]:

II.7.1.

[3]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.6.1.

[4]:

II.7.4.

[5]:

II.9.11.

[6]:

VII.3.3.

[7]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.6.1.

[8]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā 1.3.6.1.

[9]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.6.1.

[10]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.6.1.

[11]:

VII.1.15.

[12]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.6.1.

[13]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.1.2.