Praśna 11, Kaṇḍikā 5

1. When the Pravargya-offering is to be started, the doors (of the prāgvaṃśa) should be closed.

2. The seat of the sacrificer’s wife should be enclosed.^[1]

3. The Hotṛ should seat himself towards the west, the Adhvaryu towards the east; the Brahman, the sacrificer, and the Prastotṛ towards the south; and the Āgnīdhra and the Pratiprasthātṛ towards the north.

4. The Adhvaryu should touch the madantī-waters, cause the appeasement (śānti) with the first Anuvāka:^[2] “Obeisance to the speech which is uttered and which is not uttered; obeisance to the lord of speech; obeisance to the Ṛṣis the authors of mantras the guardians of mantras; may the Ṛṣis the authors of mantras the guardians of mantras not abandon me; may I not abandon the Ṛṣis the authors of mantras the guardians of mantras. May I utter the speech pertaining to all gods, auspicious, undecayed, and approved by gods. May the heaven be gracious to me; may the earth be gracious; may the entire universe be gracious; may the sun and the moon be gracious; may the Brahman and Prajāpati be gracious. I shall utter (speech of) what is created; I shall utter what is being created; I shall utter splendour; I shall utter glory; I shall utter heat; I shall utter the mantra; I shall utter the truth. For that (speech) I spread this support; let. there be a support for my offspring and cattle; may I be a support for the offspring and the cattle. O Prāṇa and Apāna, do you guard me from death; O Prāṇa and Apāna, do you not leave me. I shall think sweet; I shall produce sweet; I shall carry through sweet; I shall utter sweet; may I utter for the gods the speech which is sweet and worthy of listening by men. May the gods help me towards the fulfilment (of the worship); may the Pitṛs acquiesce. Om (let there be) appeasement, appeasement, appeasement.” He should spread darbha-blades towards the north of the sanctuary of the sacred fires, and put down upon them these Mahāvīras with the formula, “O forward-moving god, may I be able to bear thee,”^[3] recited each time.

5. There is a view that this formula should be recited after all the Mahāvīras have been put down.

6. At this stage, the Adhvaryu should put down all the other utensils^[4] relating to the Pravargya.

7. He should arrange the saṃrāḍāsandī which is made of the wood of udumbara and which is lower than the rājāsandī.

8. Some teachers prescribe (that) it (should be) higher than the rājāsandī.

9. (It should be) woven with the strings of single plates of muñja grass.

10. (The Adhvaryu should put down) four ladles made of the wood of udumbara.

11. Two of these should be uncarved.

12. Out of the two carved ladles, the longer one should be used as the supporting ladle, and the shorter one as the ladle for prokṣaṇī-water.

13. (The Adhvaryu should also put down) two spoons made of the wood of udumbara, a pair of tongs which is made of the wood of udumbara and whose clutch is as wide as the Mahāvīra, two stirring sticks of udumbara, a pole of udumbara, three pegs of udumbara, and six chips of udumbara.

14. (He should also put down) thirteen enclosing sticks of vikaṅkata and a thorny fire-stick.

15. (He should also put down) ample fuel, for preparing the Gharma, of khadira or udumbara or vikaṅkata or kārṣmarya.^[5]

16. (He should also put down) three fans of the skin of a black antelope which have black and white hair.

17. Their handles should be of bamboo, and should be one arm in length. So is it said.^[6]

18. There is another view that they should have the handles of udumbara.

19. (The Adhvaryu should put down) two shining plates—one of gold and the other of silver.

20. They should be each a hundred mānas in weight.

21. (The Adhvaryu should put down) two vedas made of muñja grass. One of them should have its ends cut.

22. (He should also put down) a fastening rope made of muñja grass, two tethers made of muñja grass, and three two-pronged cords.

23. (He should also put down) two bunches of cut-off muñja grass whose ends are not worn out.

24. (He should also put down) flour of unpounded paddy for two rauhiṇa cakes.

25. (He should also put down) gravel for the mounds.

26. (He should also put down) two strainers—of muñja-grass according to one view; of darbha-grass according to another view.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

So that she may not be able to behold the Pravargya-rite that may be going on.

[2]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.1.

[3]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.3.

[4]:

Mentioned in the sequel.

[5]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XV.5.11 adds three more optional woods, namely, of palāśa, arka and veṇu.

[6]:

The source of this quotation is not known.