Praśna 11, Kaṇḍikā 7

1. At this stage the Pratiprasthātṛ^[1] should accomplish the clarified butter^[2] in the vessel according to the procedure to be adopted in a darvihoma

2. There is a view that there should be no accomplishment of this clarified butter.

3. The Āgnīdhra should put on the fire the two rauhiṇa cakes prepared without reciting any formula.

4. The Adhvaryu should take up the Mahāvīra by means of the pair of tongs, and with the formula, “O forward-moving god, may I be able to bear thee,”^[3] he should cleanse the ash with the veda whose ends are not cut out.

5. He should offer on the Āhavanīya fire seven or eleven oblations pertaining to the vital breaths, by means of the spoon, respectively with the formulas, “For Prāṇa svāhā; for Vyāna svāhā; for Apāna svāhā; for Cakṣus svāhā; for Śrotra svāhā; for Manas svāhā; for Vāc Sarasvatī svāhā; for Dakṣa svāhā; for Kratu svāhā; for Ojas svāhā; for Bala svāhā.”^[4]

6. He should besmear the Mahāvīra with clarified butter with the formula, “May god Savitṛ besmear thee with honey.”^[5]

7. On the rear mound he should put down the plate of silver with the formula, “Do thou guard the earth from heat,”^[6] put down the Mahāvīra or hand it over to somebody, take two sets of cuttings of muñja grass, and light the upper ends of the southern cuttings on the Gārhapatya fire with the formula, “For flame thee.”^[7]

8. With the upper ends of the southern cuttings he should light the lower ends of the northern cuttings with the formula, “For brilliance thee.”^[8]

9. With the lower ends of these cuttings he should light the lower ends of the southern cuttings with the formula, “For light thee.”^[9]

10. With the lower ends of those cuttings he should light the upper ends of the northern one with the formula, “For heat thee.”^[10]

11. He should place these two sets, in an inverted position,^[11] on the silver plate with the formula, “Thou art flame; thou art brilliance; thou art light; thou art heat.”^[12]

12. He should put the set from the right hand on that from the left hand. So is it said.

13. Then he should place the Mahāvīra upon them with the verse, “Be seated. Thou art great. Gratifying the gods, thou shine. O Agni, do thou who art extolled and partaking of sacrificial food, send out red and beautiful smoke.”^[13]

14. He should fill it in with clarified butter^[14] with the verse, “The pious Gharma has been seated on fire—the Gharma whom the officiating priests besmear as if widening him, heating him with fire as if he possessed omentum, just as a dear son sits in his father’s lap.”^[15]

15. The sacrificer should hold the eastward-pointing span of his thumb and forefinger in the various directions above the Mahāvīra without touching it, and respectively murmur the relevant formulas, “Thou art unassailable towards the east under the supremacy of Agni. Give me long life.—Thou art possessed of sons towards the south under the supremacy of Indra. Give me offspring.—Be comfortable towards the west under the supremacy of god Savitṛ. Give me vital breath.—Thou art the hearing towards the north under the supremacy of Mitra and Varuṇa; give me the faculty of hearing,—Thou art partition from above under the supremacy of Bṛhaspati. Give me divine song; give me valour; give me splendour; give me vigour; give me glory; give me penance; give me thought.”^[16]

16. He should touch the earth towards the north with the formula, “Thou art the mare of Manu, having many sons. Guard me from all dangers. Do thou become approachable to me. Do not kill me.”^[17]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

cf. note on XL6.8 above.

[2]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XV.6.7 prescribes this rite before the arranging of the saṃrāḍāsandī and the fixing of the pole and the pegs.

[3]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.3.

[4]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.1. cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XV.7.3. CALAND has mentioned the oblations differently for Vāc and Sarasvatī thus making up a total of twelve instead of eleven oblations.

[5]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.1.

[6]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.2.

[7]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.1.

[8]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.1.

[9]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.1.

[10]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.1.

[11]:

The set in the right hand with its upper ends towards the east and that in the left hand with its upper ends towards the west.

[12]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.2.

[13]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.2.

[14]:

According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XV.7.5, he should either besmear it with clarified butter by means of a spoon or fill it in with clarified butter.

[15]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.2.

[16]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.3.

[17]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.4.