Praśna 11, Kaṇḍikā 4

1. Or he should burn (them) towards all the directions with all the formulas.

2. With the verse, “Mitra, spreading wide, has supported the heaven gently by his might and the earth with his eminence,”^[1] he should attend to (the Mahāvīras and other utensils) being burnt. Or (be should do so) with the next verse, “The eminence of the god Mitra, supporting men, is victorious; his glory is worthy of loud praise.”^[1]

3. All the acts of attending should be accompanied by the mantra.

4. After (the Mahāvīras and other utensils) have been baked, the Adhvaryu should take the two stirring sticks with the formula, “For accomplishment thee,”^[2] recited each time, and take out the first prepared Mahāvīra with the formula, “May god Savitṛ draw out thee with good hands, good fingers, good arms, and with might.”^[2]

5. He should place it on the gravel towards the north with the formula, “Without falling on the ground, do thou fill in the directions and the regions. Do thou get up, be great; stand erect and firm.”^[3]

6. Then he should gaze at it with the formula, “I gaze at thee with the eye of the sun for straightness, goodness, good dwelling, and well being.”^[4]

7. Similarly he should take out the second Mahāvīra; similarly the third.

8. (He should take out) other utensils without reciting any formula.

9. Then he should surround them with gravel by the right with the formula, “I hereby surround N.N., son of N.N. with subjects, cattle, and brahman-splendour.”^[5]

10. He should say, “with subjects” (at the Pravargya) of a Rājanya; “with cattle” (at the Pravargya) of a Vaiśya.

11. Then he should pour out upon them plenty of goat’s milk with the formulas, “I pour upon thee the Gāyatrī metre; I pour upon thee the Triṣṭubh metre; I pour upon thee the Jagatī metre. May speech pour upon thee; may vigour pour upon thee; may the oblation pour upon thee. Pour upon us the speech; pour upon us the vigour; pour upon us the oblation.”^[6] He should pour out upon each one with three formulas.²

12. Or he should pour out milk on each of the Mahāvīras with all the formulas.

13. He should tie them up within the skin of a black antelope, and hang them up with the formula, “O forward-moving god, may I be able to bear thee.”^[7]

14. There is another view that this formula should be recited after the Mahāvīras have been hung up.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.1.

[2]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.2.

[3]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.2.

[4]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.2.

[5]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.3.

[6]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.3. 2. He should pour milk upon the first Mahāvīra with the 1st, 4th and 7th; on the second with the 2nd, 5th and 8th; and on the third with the 3rd, 6th and 9th out of the nine formulas.

[7]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.3.