Praśna 11, Kaṇḍikā 17

1. If the Gharma spills out, the Adhvaryu should recite over the spilt out portion the two verses, “The heaven has spilt upon the earth; the young bull has spilt upon the cows; all these worlds are spilt out. May the spilt out sacrifice procreate.—It is spilt out; it is created; it is further created; the bull is born of the spilt out; let us procreate from the spilt out.”^[1]

2. If the lightning strikes while the Pravargya-rite is going on, the Adhvaryu should offer oblations in accordance with the directions—with the formula, “The lightning which has struck towards the east, I compensate with this (oblation), svāhā,”^[2] if it has struck towards the east; with the formula, “...towards the south...,”^[2] if towards the south; with the formula, “...towards the west...,”^[2] if towards the west; and with the formula, “...towards the north...,”^[2] if towards the north.

3. If it strikes on all directions, he should offer all the oblations.

4. One should offer the oblations with the two Anuvākas, “For Prāṇa svāhā; for Vyāna svāhā; for Apāna svāhā; for the faculty of sight svāhā; for the faculty of hearing svāhā; for the thought svāhā; for the speech Sarasvatī svāhā.—For Pūṣan svāhā; for Pūṣan the cream svāhā; for Pūṣan favourable on the way svāhā; for Pūṣan pleasing men svāhā; for Pūṣan the leader svāhā; for Pūṣan the wise svāhā.”^[3]

5. One should arrange the gharmeṣṭakā^[4] with the Anuvāka, “The sun has not become distressed through his (—Agni’s) might; he bears the burden like the earth. May the bright goddess Manīṣā come hither to us like a well furnished chariot. Soma-worshippers invented a great Sāman; they supported the sun thereby; they illumined the sun thereby. The Gharma which is the head of the sacrifice is this Agni himself. Thou art the clay; may there be plenty of offspring and cattle. May Prajāpati place thee. Do thou be firm through that divinity as with the Aṅgīrases.”^[5]

6. He should arrange the kulāyinī brick^[6] with the Anuvāka, “O Agni, those which are thy wet wombs, which are the kulāyinīs, O Agni, those which are thy drops, which are the navels, which are thy forms called ūrj—winning wealth with both of them, O Agni, do thou be seated here along with the offspring. May Prajāpati place thee; do thou be firm through that divinity as with the Aṅgīrases.”^[7]

7. One should touch with the wool of a female wild goat the arranged altar with the Anuvāka, “Thou art vaiśvānara Agni; thou art the Saṃvastara; thou art the Parivatsara, the Idāvatsara, the Iduvatsara, the Idvatsara, the Vatsara. The spring is thy head; the summer thy southern wing; the rainy season is the tail; the spring is the northern wing; the autumn is the middle part; the bright halves of the months are the altars; the dark halves of the months are the clay; the days and nights are the bricks. May the names of months and half months be with thee; may the Saṃvatsara be with thee; may the days and nights be with thee in the manner expressed by the prefixes ā, pra, vi, sam and ut. May Prajāpati place thee. Do thou be firm through that divinity as with the Aṅgirases.”^[8]

8. One should offer the sarvaprāyaścitta oblations with the vyāhṛtis, bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ and suvaḥ.

9. If the Mahāvīra falls down, one should lift it up with the two verses, “Do thou stand erect like god Savitṛ for our help as the winner of the gain when we contend with anointing priests.^[9]—Erect do thou guard us from evil with thy banner; do thou burn out each Atri. Do thou lift us up for movement and for life. Secure predilection for us with the gods.”^[10]

10. If the Mahāvīra breaks up, he should join together its parts with the verse, “The gray one has praised in the assembly of many (the Mahāvīra which is) lonely, burst asunder, and young. See the miracle of the god, by whose greatness (the Mahāvīra) has today fallen to pieces, it breathed yesterday,”^[11] and besmear it with sticking substances, except beans and flesh, with the verse, “The Mahāvīra which formerly broke asunder at the ribs without the sticking substances—the bountiful Maghavant, the joiner, has again made up the deficiency.”^[11]

11. If the Mahāvīra which is not being used falls down (and breaks up), it should be substituted by another.

12. If the officiating priests have gone round the Pravargya over and above,^[12] or if they have not gone round it by the left,² they should go round it by the left with the two verses, “Return with strength...,”^[13] and, “Return with wealth....”^[14]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.13.

[2]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.14.

[3]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.15,16.

[4]:

This rite relates to the Agnicayana, the sūtra-portion for which is not available.

[5]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.17.

[6]:

In the Agnicayana.

[7]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.18.

[8]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.19.

[9]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.20.1; Ṛg-veda I.36.13.

[10]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.20.1.; Ṛg-veda I.36.14.

[11]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.20.1,2.

[12]:

More than three times, cf. XI.14.4.

[13]:

XI.14.5.

[14]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.20.2. See:V.20.11.