Bharadvaja-srauta-sutra
by C. G. Kashikar | 1964 | 166,530 words
The English translation of the Bharadvaja-Srauta-Sutra, representing some of the oldest texts on Hindu rituals and rites of passages, dating to at least the 1st millennium BCE. The term Srautasutra refers to a class of Sanskrit Sutra literature dealing with ceremonies based on the Brahmana divisions of the Veda (Sruti). They include Vedic rituals r...
Praśna 7, Kaṇḍikā 16
1. “Do you recite the puronuvākyā relating to the offering of the fat—the omentum of the goat for Inḍra-Agni.”
2. He should spread the clarified butter as base into the Juhū, put a piece of gold into it and put into it the entire omentum as oblation.
3, He should place a piece of gold upon it, and pour clarified butter over it.
4. Thus the oblation consists of five portions.
5. Even if the sacrificer follows the practice of offering an oblation of four portions, the oblation of omentum consists of five portions only.
6. If there is no gold, he should add a portion of clarified butter.
7. After having crossed the altar (towards the south), he should cause the Āgnīdhra to announce and (after he has responded), say (to the Maitrāvaruṇa), “Da you direct the Hotṛ to recite the yājyā for the offering of the fat—the omentum of the goat for Indra-Agni.”
8. At the vaṣaṭ-utterance, he should offer the oblation with the verse, “O jātavedas (Agni), do thou go with the omentum to the gods,for thou art the first Hotṛ. Do thou strengthen their bodies with clarified butter. May the gods eat the oblation offered to the accompaniment of svāhā-utterance.”[1]
9. Then he should make the succeeding parivapya offering with the formula, “To the gods, svāhā.”[2]
10. With the formula, “Svāhā, do you two go to Ūrdhvanabhasa, the son of Maruts,”[3] he should throw (on the Āhavanīya fire) the two forks—the two-pronged fork with its end towards the east and the onepronged fork with its end towards the west.
11. Then he should pour down upon them the drops of clarified butter remaining in the Juhū.
12. He should pour out the clarified butter upon the incision made on the animal.[4]
13. The officiating priests and the sacrificer, together with the sacrificer’s wife, should hasten to the cātvāla and all of them should sprinkle themselves with water with the verses, “O waters, do you wash off what is impure and dirty, what I have disliked as untruth, and what I have sworn in as harmless.[5]—I relieve myself of the curse of (the wrath of) Varuṇa, of Yama’s fetters, of all sins against the gods, of the sin against the men. May waters relieve me of that sin, and also of all distress.”
14. After the omentum has been offered, the sacrificer should give a boon (to the Adhvaryu)—an adorned daughter or a bullock or three steers.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.1.4.4.
[2]:
Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.1.4.4.
[3]:
Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.9.2.
[4]:
VII.14.16.
[5]:
Atharva-veda VII.89.3.