Praśna 14, Kaṇḍikā 2

1. the Adhvaryu should take up the two Marutvatīya cups by filling in the two Ṛtu-cups: first the Adhvaryu’s Ṛtu cup with the verse, “Let us invoke for help him, accompanied by the Maruts, the mighty bull, the bountiful, the divine ruler, Indra, all-powerful, the dread, giver of strength. Thou art taken with a support; for Indra with Maruts thee.” (He should place the cup with the formula,) “This is thy birth-place; for Indra with Maruts thee.”^[1] Then the Pratiprasthātṛ’s Ṛtu cup with the verse, “O Indra accompanied by Maruts do thou drink here the Soma as thou didst drink the pressed drink with Śāryāta. O hero, under thy guidance, in thy protection, the singers, skilled in sacrifice are fain to serve. Thou art taken with a support; for Indra with Maruts thee”. (He should place the cup with the formula,) “This is thy birth-place; for Indra with Maruts thee.”^[2]

2. He should cause as much Soma to be purified and passed into the Droṇakalaśa as he considers adequate for the midday pressing.

3. The procedure up to the chanting of the Pavamānastotra should be similar.^[3]

4. The relevant officiating priests^[4], bending, should proceed towards the west in connection with the chanting of the Mādhyaṃdinapavamāna-stotra. (At this time the Adhvaryu should recite the formula,) “The way is of Triṣṭubh, Rudras the divinity; may I safely reach Rudras with the way which is straight and leading to the goal,” and also the formula, “May the forward-going speech go forward....”^[5]

5. After having gone round along the north of the two Havirdhāna-carts and along the south of the Mārjālīya Dhiṣṇya, and having entered the Sadas by the eastern door, the Adhvaryu should take his seat in front of the Hotṛ’s Dhiṣṇya; others should sit down after having crossed over along the front of the Maitrāvaruṇa’s Dhiṣṇya.

6. The Udgātṛ and others should chant the Mādhyaṃdinapavamāna-stotra.

7. While the Stotra is being chanted, the sacrificer should murmur the anvāroha formula, “Thou art an eagle with Triṣṭubh for thy metre; I touch thee: lead me safely.”^[6]

8. The rites up to the calling out should be similar.^[7]

9. (However,) at this stage he should not give out a call in connection with the animal^[8]; the sacrificer should not pray to Soma;^[9] the Adhvaryu should modify the concluding part of the call^[8] with the words, “O Pratiprasthātṛ, do you come up with dadhigharma.”

10. The rites up to the pouring out of grains for the Savanīyapuroḍāśa should be similar.^[10]

11. The Pratiprasthātṛ, when going to pour out (grains for) the Savanīyapuroḍāśa, should pour out (grains first for) the Paśupuroḍāśa to Agni if the sacrifice is an Agniṣṭoma; a second Paśupuroḍāśa to Indra-Agni if the sacrifice is an Ukthya; a third Paśupuroḍāśa to Indra if the sacrifice is a Ṣoḍaśin; a fourth Paśupuroḍāśa to Sarasvatī if the sacrifice is an Atirātra.

12. Then he should pour out grains for the Savanīyapuroḍāśa.

13. This much should be different: there should be no āmikṣā in the last two pressings.

14. The pouring out of the Savanīyapuroḍāśa^[11], the strewing of the Barhis^[12], the bringing of the oblations to perfection,^[13] the praying with the grahāvakāśa formulas,^[14] and the crawling^[15] have been already explained.

15. The Adhvaryu should proceed with the rite of dadhigharma.

16. In the Āgnīdhra fire-chamber he should draw curds in a ladle made of the wood of udumbara with the verse, “As great as are heaven and earth in mightiness; as great as the expanse of the seven rivers, so great is the cup of thee, O Indra, which, unvanquished, I draw with strength.”^[16]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.17.

[2]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.18. According to some teachers, they should insert the name of a different divinity if they hate the sacrificer. cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII.2.5.

[3]:

XIII.16.15.

[4]:

XIII.16.16.

[5]:

XIII.16.17.

[6]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.1.1.

[7]:

XIII.17.13.

[8]:

XIII.17.13.

[9]:

XIII.17.14.

[10]:

XIII.18.1.

[11]:

XIII.18.1.

[12]:

XIII.19.4.

[13]:

XIII.19.5.

[14]:

XIII.19.11 ff.

[15]:

XIII.16.15.

[16]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.64,2.