Praśna 13, Kaṇḍikā 5

1. The sacrificer’s wife should place the foot-washing water to the rear of the Neṣṭṛ’s Dhiṣṇya with the formula, “I place you, O foot-washing waters, for the Vasus, the Rudras, the Adityas, Viśve Devas; I place you the foot-washing waters for the sacrifice.”^[1]

2. The Adhvaryu should bring into contact the Hotṛ’s goblet and the Maitrāvaruṇa’s goblet above the cātvāla, and move the vasatīvarī water to and fro with the formula, “The water has become united with water, plants with plants, the observers of vows with the vows.”^[2]

3. He should pour the vasatīvarī water into the Hotṛ’s goblet, and fill in the goblet of Maitrāvaruṇa with the water from the Hotṛ’s goblet. He should transfer the water from the Maitrāvaruṇa’s goblet to the Hotṛ’s goblet; and that from the Hotṛ’s goblet to the Maitrāvaruṇa’s goblet.

4. He should anoint the water with the clarified butter from the pracaraṇī ladle with the verse, “May Varuṇa anoint thee; may Indra anoint thee; may Bṛhaspati anoint thee. May Tvaṣṭṛ and Viṣṇu, givers of gifts, give thee wealth together with offspring.”¹ And also with the formula, “May the yokes accord with the corresponding yokes.”^[3]

5. The Hotṛ should ask the Adhvaryu, “0 Adhvaryu, have you got the waters?”

6. The Adhvaryu should reply, “Yes, they have come (to me).”

7. Then, if the sacrifice is an Agniṣṭoma, he should make the kratukaraṇa offering^[4] with the verse, “O Agni, may that mortal, whom thou bast Strengthened in the contest for booty, win abiding prosperity whom thou hast helped in the battles.”^[5]

8. If it is an Ukthya, he should, after having made the offering, cleanse the wipings on the middle enclosing stick.

9. If it is a Ṣoḍaśin, he should make the offering, cleanse the wipings on the enclosing stick, and touch the Droṇakalaśa or the frontlet (rarāṭī).

10. In the Vājapeya or the Atirātra he should neither make the offering, nor cleanse (the wipings), nor touch (the Droṇakalaśa or the frontlet). He should enter the fire-hall reciting that formula.^[6]

11. He should place the pracaraṇī-ladle on the tip of the pole of the southern Havirdhāna-cart.

12. He should touch (with that ladle) one whom he hates.^[7]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.5.6.2.

[2]:

Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā VI.28.

[3]:

cf. KSIII.9. See Maitrāyaṇī-saṃhitā IV.5.2. The verse employed in Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XII.6.3 mentions Pūṣan and Dhātṛ.

[4]:

With the clarified butter remaining in the pracaraṇī-ladle or in its absence with four spoonfuls. cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XII.6.5,6.

[5]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.13.2.

[6]:

XIII.5.4.

[7]:

Who, he desires, may become impotent, cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XII.7.1.