Praśna 13, Kaṇḍikā 27

1. The Hotṛ should consume Soma first, then the Adhvaryu, and then the Pratiprasthātṛ.

2. Whenever two or more officiating priests consume Soma in one and the same cup, the vaṣaṭ-utterer should consume first.

3. All officiating priests who are consuming Soma simultaneously should each seek acquiescence of the others addressing them with their official designation.

4. “Do you N.N. acquiesce” is the inviting formula; “I acquiesce” is the responding formula.

5. After having consumed Soma, one should touch himself with the verse, “Impel my limbs, O thou with tawny steeds; do not distress my troops. Propitious, do thou honour for me the seven Ṛṣis; do not go below my navel.”^[1]

6. Whenever one consumes the Soma, be should touch himself with the same verse.

7. After having consumed the Soma, they^[2] should not leave contact^[3] of the cup until the pouring down of the drops remaining in the cups into the Hotṛ’s goblet,

8. After having poured down the drops of Soma from the Dvidevatya cups into the Hotṛ’s goblet, the Adhvaryu should put a piece of the cake into the cup of Indra-Vāyu; āmikṣā into the cup of Mitra-Varuṇa; and dhānās into the cup of Aśvins.

9. Then he should place these cups on the track of the northern wheel of the southern Havirdhāna cart to the rear of the axle.

10. These should remain placed until the third pressing.^[4]

11. After having cut out the Savanīyapuroḍāśa, the Adhvaryu should hand over Iḍā to the Hotṛ.

12. The Hotṛ should invoke the Iḍā.

13. The goblets should be held over towards him.

14. The Hotṛ’s goblet should be held in contact (with the Iḍā).

15. Those officiating priests, who generally partake of the Iḍā in the norm,^[5] should partake of the Iḍā which has been invoked.

16. The Adhvaryu should preserve a piece of the cake for the Acchāvāka priest.

17. The Camasins^[6] should consume the Soma from their respective goblets.

18. The Madhyataḥkārins should consume (the Soma from) their goblets with the formula, “O Soma, I, having sought the acquiescence, eat of thee who hast the Vasus for thy troop, who knowest the mind, who belongest to the first pressing, who bast the Gāyatrī for thy metre,who art drunk by Indra, who hast sweetness, and whose acquiescence is sought.”^[7]

19. The formula pertaining to the consuming by others (= Hotrakas) should be regarded as explained in accordance with the cups not belonging to Indra.^[8]

20. The Hotṛ should consume Soma from all the goblets.

21. In respect of the goblets to which Soma was added the Adhvaryu should recite the formula, “Gentle control...”^[9]

22. Because^[10] the Adhvaryu makes the offering, he should consume Soma against the vaṣaṭ-utterer.

23. After hiving consumed the Soma, one should make the goblets swell with the verse, “O Soma, do thou swell; let thy strength be gathered from all sides. Do thou be in the gathering of strength.”^[11]

24. Whenever one has to make the goblets swell, he should do so with this very verse.

25. The Nārāśaṃsa goblets,^[12] which have been made to swell, should be placed below the rear part of the southern Havirdhāna cart.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.5.3.

[2]:

XIII.27.1.

[3]:

The text reads nā’nutsṛ°....It is necessary to conjecture nā’nūtsṛ°.

[4]:

XIV.12.11.

[5]:

The New-moon and the Full-moon sacrifices.

[6]:

The officiating priests to whom the various goblets belong.

[7]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.5.2.

[8]:

XIII.26.13,14.

[9]:

XIII.26.13.

[10]:

Read yato' dhvaryur instead of yataro'dhvaryur.

[11]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.5.3.

[12]:

The goblets which have been consumed and which have leavings belong to the Nārāśaṃsa Pitṛs.