Praśna 8, Kaṇḍikā 20

1. Some teachers prescribe the offering by not taking portions from all the oblations.^[1]

2. Then the Adhvaryu should say (to the Hotṛ), “For kavyavāhana sviṣṭakṛt Agni anu svadhā.”

3. After having spread out clarified butter as base into the Juhū, he should take one portion from the southern half of each of the oblations for a sacrificer offering an oblation of four portions and two portions for a sacrificer offering an oblation of five portions.

4. After having poured out clarified butter on the oblation, he should cross the altar towards the north, and cause the Āgnīdhra to announce with the words, ā svadhā. The Āgnīdhra should announce with the words, “Let there be svadhā.”

5. The Adhvaryu should say (to the Hotṛ), “To kavyavāhana sviṣṭakṛt Agni svadhā.”

6. The āgur (to be uttered by the Hotṛ) should be, ye svadhāmahe.

7. The Hotṛ should make the vaṣaṭ-utterance with svadhā namaḥ.

8. He should take a portion for the Iḍā first from the meal, and then from the other two oblations. According to some teachers, he should take the Iḍā only from the meal.

9. The officiating priests should consume the Iḍā, which has been invoked, by smelling—first the Hotṛ, then the Adhvaryu, then the Brahman, then the Āgnīdhra, and then the sacrificer.

10. The Adhvaryu should take the pitcher full of water and, with the formula, “May the Pitṛs be purified,” should go round the fire by the left three times while sprinkling water around. With the verse, “The brilliant (Prajāpati)...,”^[2] he should go round by the right three times without sprinkling water.

11. He should mix up together the remnants of the oblations, prepare three balls, and place them on the three corners—on the western corner, the southern corner, and the eastern corner.

12. Or this order should he the other way round.^[3]

13. (The balls should be placed) with the formulas, “This is thine, O father, and of those that are after thee. This is thine, O grandfather, and of those that are after thee. This is thine, O great grandfather, and of those that are after thee.”^[4] as in the Piṇḍapitṛyajña.^[5]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

In this case, the Adhvaryu should take up two (or three) portions only from the chief principal oblation.

[2]:

VIII.17.21.

[3]:

This agrees with Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra VIII.16.6.

[4]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III 2.5.5.

[5]:

According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra VIII.16.7, he should also mention in these formulas respectively the great grand-father’s great grand-father, his (= the former’s) grand-father, and his (= the former’s) father.