Praśna 12, Kaṇḍikā 1

[The Jyotiṣṭoma Sacrifice (continued)]

1. With the formulas, “I take thee for him who rushes on; I take thee for him who rushes around; I take thee for the Tanūnaptṛ; I take thee for the mighty; I take thee for the mightiest strength,”^[1] the Adhvaryu should take up into a white-copper pot or a goblet as tānūnaptra the clarified butter in five spoonfuls^[2] out of the quantity which has remained in the Dhruvā-ladle at the Ātithyeṣṭi.

2. The officiating priests, with the sacrificer as the seventeenth, or the (four) principal priests, with the sacrificer as the fifth,^[3] should touch it with the formula, “Thou art unapproached, the unapproachable, tbe unconquerable, vigour of gods, protecting from the imprecations, impervious to imprecations.”^[4]

3. The sacrificer should touch it^[5] with the formula, “May the guardian of consecration approve of my consecration; may the lord of consecration approve of my consecration; the lord of penance my penance. May I quickly attain the truth; keep me in welfare.”^[6]

4. The sacrificer should smell it three times with the formula, “I offer thee unto Prajāpati, unto the intellect.”^[7]

5. Or the Adhvaryu should pour it every day in each of the vrata-milks.

6. Then he should give out the call, “O Āgnīdhra, are the waters be coming hot?”^[8]

7. The Āgnīdhra should respond, “The divine, immortal, rejoicing in the divine law, they are becoming hot.”

8. “Hasten with them,” the Adhvaryu should say.

9. The Adhvaryu should sprinkle king Soma with water, and unfold him. Those who have touched the tānūnaptra should cause him to swell (āpyāyana) with their hands in which a piece of gold has been held, with the formula, “O god Soma, may every shoot of thee swell for Indra who gains the invaluable wealth. May Indra swell for thee; do thou swell for Indra. Cause thy friends to swell with gift and wisdom. O god Soma, may I attain the pṛessing happily.”^[9]

10. On the southern end of the altar they should beg pardon^[10] (nihnava) upon the prastara with the palms of their right hands turned upwards and those of their left hands turned downwards with the formula, “Riches are exceedingly desired for food for prosperity. Be right to the speakers of right. Obeisance to the heaven; obeisance to the earth.”^[11]

11. Then he should give out the call, “O Subrahmaṇya, do thou call out the subrahmaṇyā.”^[12]

12. In the same way he should give out a call in connection with all the subrahmaṇyās.

13. With reference to the subrahmaṇyā he should cause the sacrificer to recite the formula, “Here art thou,O subrahmaṇya, the earth is thy foot. Here art thou,O subrahmaṇyā, the midregion is thy foot. Here art thou, O subrahmaṇyā, the heaven is thy foot. Here art thou, O subrahmaṇyā, the quarters are thy foot. Thy fifth foot is the region beyond the midregion. Do thou milk for us food, strength, lustre, might, brahman-splendour and nourishment.”^[13]

14. Similarly he should cause the sacrificer to recite the formula with reference to all the subrahmaṇyās.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.10.2.

[2]:

Or four according to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.1.1. In that case formulas Nos. 4 and 5 should be regarded as optional, cf. Satyāṣāḍha-sūtra VII.3.

[3]:

This option is not mentioned in Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.1.2.

[4]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.10.2.

[5]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.1.4 mentions the touching first by others following Taittirīya-saṃhitā VI.5.1.5. cf. Maitrāyaṇī-saṃhitā III.7.10.

[6]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.10.2.

[7]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.1.2.2.

[8]:

ŚBr III.4.3.22.

[9]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.11.1.

[10]:

ABr I.24.

[11]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.11.1.

[12]:

Ṣaḍviṃśa-brāhmaṇa I.1-2; ABr VI.3.1. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra X.28.4 prescribes the calling out of the subrahmaṇyā earlier while king Soma is being taken in the bullock-cart to the prāgvaṃśa.

[13]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.7.12,13. Ṣaḍviṃśa-brāhmaṇa I.1-2.