Praśna 7, Kaṇḍikā 23

1. The officiating priests and the sacrificer should go out and perform the rite of the heart-pike.^[1]

2. The Adhvaryu should dispose of (that is, stick up) the heart-pike at the joint of the dry and the wet patches of land with the formula, “Thou art pain; do thou pain him who hates us and whom we hate.”^[2]

3. All should pray to Āditya with the formula, “From every rule of thine, O king Varuṇa, set us free. From whatever oath by the waters, by the kine, by Varuṇa, we have sworn, from that, O Varuṇa, set us free,”^[3] and with the verse, “Loosen from us, O Varuṇa, the highest, the lowest, the midmost, bond. Then may we, O Āditya, be guiltless in thy rule before Aditi,”^[4] and sprinkle themselves with water at the cātvāla with the formula, “May the waters and plants be friendly to us. May they be hostile to one who hates us and whom we hate.”^[5]

4. They should collect fire-sticks and return without looking back.

5. With the formula, “Thou art fuel; may we prosper. Thou art a fire-stick; thou art brilliance; grant me brilliance,”^[6] they should (each) put a fire-stick on the Āhavanīya fire and pray to it with the verse, “I have penetrated to the waters; we are united with the sap. Rich in sap, O Agni, I have come. Do thou unite me with strength.”^[6]

6. The sacrificer’s wife should put a fire-stick on the Gārhapatya fire with the’same formula as above, and pray to it with the same verse as above.

7. The sacrificer should pray to the sacrificial post with the verse, “Wishing abundance of wealth, rich in heroes and rich in horses, bidden godspeed by Bṛhaspati, with wealth, do thou abide for me, the sacrificer.”^[7]

8. The Animal-sacrifice thus comes to an end.

9. In this manner one should perform an Animal-sacrifice^[8] after every six months or every year.

10. A year should not pass away without the Āhitāgni having performed an Animal-sacrifice.

11. If a year so passes away, he should not eat meat.

12. If an Āhitāgni eats meat without first having performed an Animal-sacrifice for one year, his sacred fires become surpassed (by the sacrificer) in eating meat. So is it said.^[9]

13. If he is required to eat meat, he should eat it with the verse, “I send the food through mind to the Agnis. May they eat it up together with my speech, I move carefully and non-negligently and with gracious mind. Do you, (O Agnis), eat up (the food).”

14. If he is required to eat meat after being instructed by others, he should eat it after having recited this verse.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

VII.17.8.

[2]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.11.1.

[3]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.11.2.

[4]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.5.11.3,4.

[5]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā. I.4.45.2,3.

[6]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.45.3.

[7]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.5.5.3.

[8]:

For Indra-Agni or Sūrya or Prajāpati according to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra VII.28.5.

[9]:

The source of this quotation is not known.