Praśna 12, Kaṇḍikā 7

1. “Do you recite verses for the two Havirdhāna-carts being driven.”

2. As soon as the first verse has been recited by the Hotṛ three times, the Adhvaryu and others should hold up the yokes and the poles and drive the two carts with the verse-half, “Do you two move forward, putting the sacrifice in order; carry the sacrifice upwards; do not falter.”^[1]

3. If the axle gives out a sound, the Adhvaryu should recite over it the formula, “O god, do thou address the dwelling with fair voice; you two known among the gods, proclaim yourselves among the gods.”^[2]

4. The Adhvaryu should place a piece of gold on the track of the southern wheel of the southern Havirdhāna-cart, and offer an oblation on it with the verse, “Viṣṇu has traversed this; he has set his foot thrice; all is gathered in its dust.”^[3]

5. Similarly the Pratiprasthātṛ should place a piece of gold on the track of the northern wheel of the northern Havirḍhāna-cart, and offer an oblation on it with the verse, “You two be rich in food, in cows, having good grass and becoming glorious for man. Viṣṇu has held the heaven and earth asunder, and has supported the earth with pegs on all sides.”^[4]

6. In this connection this is the general rule: the Adhvaryu should perform such rites as relate to the southern Havirdhāna-cart; the Pratiprasthātṛ such as relate to the northern one.

7. The Hotṛ should push back by his foot the dust on the spot remaining after leaving out the (western) one-third portion of the Mahāvedi, and thus push back by his mind the dread arising from the enemy with the verse, “Do thou drive away the dread arising from the enemy, turn away the wheels (= the chariots) (of the enemy). Do you go to the home of Soma.”^[5] According to some teachers, the Adhvaryu should do so, according to others the Brahman, according to still others the sacrificer.^[6]

8. At a distance of three steps or at an unmeasured distance to the west of the uttaravedi, on both the sides of the pṛṣṭhyā line, they (= the Adhvaryu and the Pratiprasthātṛ) should keep them standing in the middle with the formula, “Do you two halt here at the high point of the earth.”^[7]

9. The distance between the two Havirdhāna carts should be as required.

10. With the formula, “Thou belongest to Visṇu; may Viṣṇu support thee,”^[8] they (= the Adhvaryu and the Pratiprasthātṛ) should support (the two carts with the stay).

11. The carts should (thus) be raised towards the front.

12. The Adhvaryu should fix up a peg near the pin thrust at the joint of the southern pole with the axle of the southern Havirdhāna-cart with the verse, “O Viṣṇu, do thou fill thy hands with many valued things from the heaven or from the earth, from the great (sky) or from the midregion. Give them to us by the right and the left (hand).”^[9]

13. Similarly the Pratiprasthātṛ^[10]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.13.2.

[2]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.13.1.

[3]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.13.1.

[4]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.13.2.

[5]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.7.14.

[6]:

According to ĀpŚ3 XI.7.2 one should throw a clod of earth outside the Mahāvedi.

[7]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.13.2.

[8]:

Maitrāyaṇī-saṃhitā I.2.9; Caraka-kaṭha-saṃhitā II. 10.

[9]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.13.2.

[10]:

See the next sūtra.