Praśna 12, Kaṇḍikā 17

1. (and) after having lighted a faggot on the Śālāmukhīya fire, the Adhvaryu should say (to the Hotṛ), “Do you recite verses for the fire and the Soma being carried forth.”

2. As soon as the first verse has been recited (by the Hotṛ) three times, they should move towards the east with the fire in the forefront.^[1]

3. They should then carry the clarified butter taken into the various ladles; they should carry faggot and sacrificial grass; they should carry the prokṣaṇī-water and the goat to be offered to Agni-Soma.

4. The Adhvaryu should keep down the lighted faggot in the Āgnīdhra fire-chamber and offer fan oblation^[2] (on the Āgnīdhra fire) with the nayavatī^[3] verse (and also with the verse), “May Agni here make room for us; breaking the enemies, may he go ahead; rejoicing, may he conquer the enemies; may he win booty in the contest for booty.”^[4]

5. Here in the Āgnīdhra fire-chamber he should place the pressing stones, the wooden cups and the Droṇakalaśa.

6. With Soma in the forefront, they should move^[5] towards the east.

7. The Adhvaryu should offer an oblation^[6] on the Āhavanīya fire with the verse, “O Viṣṇu, step widely, give us broad space for dwelling in; Do thou, who hast clarified butter as the birth-place, drink the clarified butter, lengthen (the years of) the lord of sacrifice,”^[7] and cause king Soma to enter the Havirdhāna by the western door with the verse, “Soma who knows the way goes; he goes to the abode of the gods to sit on the birth-place of order.”^[7] Or by the eastern door.

8. The sacrificer should, however, go by the eastern door.

9. If the sacrificer is a gataśrī, the Adhvaryu should cause king Soma to enter the Havirdhāna by the eastern door itself.

10. With the formula, “Thou art the seat of Aditi,”^[8] he should spread out in the seat of the southern Havirdhāna-cart the skin of a black antelope with its neck towards the east and with the hairy side upwards.

11. With the formula, “Do thou be seated in the seat of Aditi,”^[9] he should seat king Soma.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Or with the Soma in the forefront. cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.17.3.

[2]:

With half the remaining quantity, according to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.17.4.

[3]:

Namely, agne naya supathā.... (Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.1.14.3.)

[4]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.4.1. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.17.3 employs this verse towards going to the east with fire and the Soma.

[5]:

Along the north, cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.17.6.

[6]:

With the entire remaining quantity of clarified butter according to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.17.6. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.17.7 adds that at this stage the sacrificer’s relatives should turn by the right and disperse.

[7]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.4.1,2.

[8]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.4.2.

[9]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.4.2.