Praśna 11, Kaṇḍikā 8

1. The Adhvaryu and the Pratiprasthātṛ should take up one stirring stick each with the formula, “For accomplishment thee,”^[1] and take out burning embers from the Gārhapatya fire towards the north with the verse, “O Agni, do thou burn the intimate enemies; burn the curse of the unkind foe. O good one, do thou, who art wise, burn the unobserved. May the non-aging and brisk keep thee asunder.”^[2]

2. They should pile these embers round the Mahāvīra by the right with the formula, “You are piled, piled around, svāhā. Do thou be enclosed by the Maruts.”^[3]

3. They should then surround them with thirteen enclosing sticks of vikaṅkata: the Adhvaryu should lay (on the southern and the northern sides) two enclosing sticks with their ends towards the east with the formula, “Thou art mā.”¹ The Pratiprasthātṛ should lay (on the western and the eastern sides) two enclosing sticks with their ends towards the north with the formula, “Thou art pramā.”^[4]

4. Similarly they should lay round the remaining enclosing sticks with the subsequent formulas—the Adhvaryu should lay round with each former one, the Pratiprasthāṭr with each latter one.^[5]

5. The Adhvaryu himself should lay round the thirteenth enclosing stick on the southern side with the formula, “Thou art the covering of the midregion.”^[6]

6. Then he should cover the Mahāvīra with the golden plate with the formula, “Do thou guard the heaven from the heat.”^[7]

7. He should then recite over it the three verses, “O Indra, growing with these our songs, do thou make up the deficiency. When thou wilt break

the big stables for thy worshippers, may we be receivers of plenty.—“O Pūṣan, thy one form is bright, the other is holy. Thou art as if the heaven bearing the two various forms of day. O blessed one, thou delightest in all powers. May thy pleasing gift be here.—O venerable Rudra, thou holdest arrows and a bow. Venerable thou carriest the holy and multi-formed necklace. Vererable thou allayest all dread. There is nothing more vigourous than thee.”^[8]

8. Then he should take the fans—the first with the formula, “Thou belongest to the Gāyatrī metre;”^[9] the second with the formula, “Thou belongest to the Triṣṭubh metre;”^[9] the third with the formula, “Thou belongest to the Jagatī metre.”^[9]

9. He should fan the Mahāvīra with the formula, “Sweet, sweet sweet.”^[10]

10. He should hand over one of these fans to the Pratiprasthātṛ, and another to the Āgnīdhra.

11. With the Āgnīdhra in the forefront, they should go round the Mahāvīra by the right three times fanning.

12. Then they should sit round it—the Adhvaryu towards the east, the Pratiprasthātṛ towards the south, and the Āgnīdhra towards the north.

13. They should remain tossing (the fans) without bringing them into contact with one another, honouring (the Pravargya) by uttering praṇava, enkindling the fire, and feeding (the Mahāvīra).

14. After the fire has become enkindled, one should take out the golden plate. So is it said.^[11]

15. When he hears the Hotṛ reciting the verse, “With which protections, O Aśvins, you released the quail seized by the wolf^[12] the Adhvaryu should recite over the Mahāvīra the Anuvāka,^[13] “O Mahāvīra, being gracious, thou shinest as ten (flames) in the east, ten in the south, ten in the west, and ten above. Being uninjured, do thou grant us brilliance. May Agni, together with the Vasus, illumine thee in front with the Gāyatrī metre; shining, do thou illumine me. May Indra, together with the Rudras, illumine thee towards the south with the Triṣṭubh metre; shining, do thou illumine me. May Varuṇa, together with the Ādityas, illumine thee towards the west with the Jagatī metre; shining, do thou illumine me. May the glittering Māruta, together with the Maruts, illumine thee towards the north with the Anuṣṭubh metre; shining, do thou illumine me. May Bṛhaspati, together with Viśve Devas, illumine thee above with the Paṅkti metre; shining, do thou illumine me. O glittering Gharma, thou art shining among the gods; may I shine among men. O all-pervading Gharma, shining, thou art long-lived, bright, and full of brahman-splendour among the gods; shining, may I be long-lived, bright, and full of brahman-splendour among men. Thou art brilliance; grant me brilliance; may brilliance be within me. Being gracious, thou shinest as ten (flames) in the east, ten in the south, ten in the west, ten in the north, and ten above. All-pervading, do thou give us food and strength. Mighty, do thou flow so that I may become mighty. The Gharma has been caused by us to shine; may I be shining.”

16. When he hears the Hotṛ reciting the verse-half, “O Aśvins, do you render our speech profitable...,”^[14] the Adhvaryu should stand up and say, “The Gharma is shining.”

17. Then headed by the Adhvaryu, they should go round by the left three times without tossing the fans.

18. The Adhvaryu should take back all the fans, and hand them over to the Pratiprasthātṛ.

19. The Pratiprasthātṛ should carry them along the front of the Āhavanī ya fire, and place them on the saṃrāḍāsandī.

20. Remaining at their respective places, all the officiating priests and the sacrificer should gaze at the Mahāvīra while reciting the Anuvāka: “I have seen the Mahāvīra who is the guardian, not subduing, going along and beyond the ways. Covering collectively and individually, he recurs again and again within the regions. (O Mahāvīra,) together with Madhu and Mādhvī, and Madhu and Mādhūcī, thou hast guarded us. I follow you for the attainment of gods. Agni accompanied by Agni, god Savitṛ, and Sūrya, shines. Agni accompanied by Tapas, god Savitṛ and Sūrya, has shone. Supporter of the heaven thou shinest from the region; supporter of the earth; supporter of the wide midregion; supporting god of gods; immortal, born of Tapas. For the heart thee; for mind thee; for heaven thee, for the sun thee; do thou uplift this sacrifice; do thou convey the offerings unto gods in the heaven. O lord of all regions, O lord of the entire region. O lord of the entire mind, O lord of the entire speech, O lord of the entire Tapas, O lord of the entire Brahman, O god Gharma, well known among the gods, do thou guard the gods. Grant us speech which is born of Tapas and which invokes the gods. (The Mahāvīra is) the womb of gods, the creator of thoughts, the lord of the offspring, the thought of the wise. The god (Mahāvīra) has exerted himself together with god Savitṛ; he has shone together with the sun. O Gharma, thou art the giver of long life, the giver of splendour. Thou art our guardian; do thou guide as a guardian. The Mahāvīra is the giver of long life, the giver of milk, the giver of splendour, the giver of boon, the giver of wealth; wider than the wide, he fills up the mid-region. O Mahāvīra, may we partake of thee; do thou not injure me. O Agni, thou art the lord of subjects, of all men. O youngest one, do thou guard me from evils for a hundred winters with thy hundred helps—me who am thy kindler, wearied and heart-cheering. May gifts be here (with me).”^[15]

21. The Pratiprasthātṛ should cause the sacrificer’s wife, who is in an enclosed place, to recite the remaining portion of the Anuvāka,” May I, connected with Tvaṣṭṛ, be attached to thee. Holding the semen virile, may I become pregnant. May I obtain a heroic son within thy sight. May I not become void of increase of wealth.”^[16]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.2.

[2]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.5.

[3]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.5.

[4]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.5.

[5]:

The Adhvaryu with the formula, “Thou art pratimā;” the Pratiprasthātṛ with the formula, “Thou art saṃmā;” the Adhvaryu with the formula, “Thou art the Pratiprasthātṛ with the formula, “Thou art unmā.”

[6]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.6.

[7]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.6.

[8]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV5.6,7.

[9]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.7.

[10]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.7.

[11]:

The source of this passage is not known.

[12]:

Ṛg-veda I.112.8.

[13]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.6.

[14]:

Ṛg-veda I.112.24.

[15]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.7.

[16]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.7.5.