Praśna 8, Kaṇḍikā 21

1-2. He should cleanse the wipings on the northern corner and recite the formula, “Rejoice herein, O Pitṛs, according to your shares.”^[1] All should go out towards the north, and pray to the Āhavanīya fire: They should hold the breath as long as they can, breathe out, and murmur the verse, “O bountiful Indra, may we gladden thee, the fair-looking. With full chariot-seat dost thou, praised, go forth according to our will. Do thou yoke, O Indra, thy two steeds.”^[2]

3. They should pray to the Gārhapatya fire with the verse, “They have eaten, they have rejoiced; the dear ones have dispelled (evils). The radiant sages have been praised with the newest hymn. Do thou yoke O Indra, thy two steeds.”^[3]

4. With the formula, “The Somya Pitṛs have rejoiced,” they should move away.

5. With the formula, “O Somya Pitṛs, do you disperse,” they should again enter the altar.

6. They should cut a fringe of a garment or a bunch of wool, put it on the fire, and return with the formula, “These, O Pitṛs, are your garments; do you, O Pitṛs, not separate anything else from us.”

7. The rites beginning with the applying of collynum and ending with the praying to the Gārhapatya fire should be gone through as in the Piṇḍapitṛyajña.^[4]

8. Some teachers prescribe the sprinkling of water at this stage.

9. After having disposed of prācīnāvīta, they should adopt yajñopavīta.

10. The ladles should be transposed; the officiating priests should also transpose themselves.

11. After having removed the enclosure (of the altar), the Adhvaryu should give out a call (beginning with) “O Brahman, we shall proceed further.”^[5]

12. He should offer two Anūyājas excepting the one to Barhis.

13. With regard to the first Anūyāja, he should say (to the Hotṛ), “Do you recite the yājyā for the two gods.” With regard to the second one, he should simply say, “Do you recite the yājyā.”

14. While reciting the Sūktavāka, the Hotṛ should wear his sacred cord round his neck.

15. At this stage the sacrificer’s wife should not te present; the Patnīsaṃyāja offerings should not be made; the Samiṣṭayajus should not be offered.

16. The Iṣṭi should come to an end in the prescribed manner.

17. According to some teachers, the Iṣṭi should be concluded with the Śaṃyuvāka.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.5.5.

[2]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.8.5.1. According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra VIII.16.8 he should pray to the Āhavanīya fire with this verse or with two verses addressed to Indra.

[3]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.8.5.2.

[4]:

I.9.7 ff.

[5]:

III.4.5.