Praśna 14, Kaṇḍikā 6

1. If anybody does not desire the dakṣiṇā being given, the sacrificer should give it along with some other object of wealth to one whom he hates.

2. From what source should the sacrificer give away dakṣiṇā to these (visitors)? There is a view that he should give out of the hundred and twelve (cows);there is another view that he should give outside it.

3. With the formulas, “Gaze on the heaven, gaze on the midregion, join those in the Sadas,”^[1] he should gaze at the Sadas.

4. He should follow the dakṣiṇās, which have been carried away, with the remaining portion of the Anuvāka, “Given by us, go to the gods, full of sweetness; enter the giver; without leaving us go by the path leading to the gods; sit in the region of the righteous. Be this complete for us.”^[2]

5. The Adhvaryu should offer the five Vaiśvakarmaṇa oblations on the Āgnīdhra fire with the verses, “To the lord of the sacrifice the Ṛṣis said: by thy sin men are excluded from sharing and troubled. He did secure the two drops of honey. May Viśvakarman unite us with them.—Dread are the Ṛṣis; homage be to them in the union with their eye and mind. To Bṛhaspati great, real and glorious reverence. Homage to Viśvakarman; may he guard us.—Deeming that the Soma-drinkers are his own, knowing the breath like a valiant man in battle, he has committed a great sin and is bound by them—him set free, O Viśvakarman, for safety.—Those who, eating, did not deserve riches, whom the fires on the Dhiṣṇyas troubled, that is their offering to expiate the ill sacrifice. May Viśvakarman make it a good sacrifice for us.—Obeisance to the Pitṛs who have watched around us, who are makers of the sacrifice, desirous of the sacrifice, the beneficient divinities. We have not brought you the offering without desires. Do not trouble us for this sin.”^[3]

6. The sacrificer should throw the horn of a black antelope on the cātvāla with the two verses, “On the head of a fast running deer, a remedy has been found. It has through its horn, driven away the deep-rooted bodily ailment on all sides.—The deer has hunted thee with its four feet. O horn, do thou loosen this knot—what is saturated in his heart, his mind, which is saturated.”

7. Then the Adhvaryu should give out a call (to the Maitrāvaruṇa): “Do you recite the puronuvākyā relating to the offering for marutvant Indra.”

8. After the puronuvākyā to marutvant Indra has been recited, the dakṣiṇā should not be given until the offering of the omentum of the Anūbandhyā cow.^[4]

9. The Adhvaryu should take the Marutvatīya cup filled in first; the Pratiprasthātṛ should take the one filled in afterwards.^[5]

10. After having crossed over, and after having caused the Āgnīdhra to announce (and after the latter has responded), he should say (to the Maitrāvaruṇa), “Do you address a call to the Hotṛ to recite the yājyā relating to the offering for marutvant Indra.”

11. At the vaṣaṭ-utterance (by the Hotṛ) they should make the offering.

12. Some teachers prescribe (the offering of) the Marutvatīya cups as accompanied by the secondary vaṣaṭ-utterance. Others regard it as not accompanied by the same. Still others prescribe the offering of the second^[6] (= the Pratiprasthātṛ’s) Marutvatīya cup as accompanied by the secondary vaṣaṭ-utterance.

13. They should pour down the remnants into each other’s cups as in the connection with offering of the Ṛtu-cups.^[7]

14. They^[8] should consume the Soma through the cup of the Pratiprasthātṛ.

15. After having put down that cup there the Adhvaryu should draw the last (= third) Marutvatīya cup in his own cup containing the drops of Soma,^[9] with the verse, “O Indra, do thou, accompanied by Maruts, the mighty, drink the Soma for joy, to thy extent. Pour within thy belly the wave of sweetness. Thou art since long the king of the pressed drinks. Thou art taken with a support; for marutvant Indra thee.” (He should place the cup with the formula, “This is thy birthplace; for marutvant Indra thee.”^[10]

16. The Śastra^[11] should be recited at this stage.

17. While touching the Ṛtu-cup (of the Pratiprasthātṛ),^[12] he should respond (to the reciting by the Hotṛ).

18. After having responded to the reciting of the Śastra by the Hotṛ, the Adhvaryu should take up the cup. The Camasādhvaryus should take up the Nārāśaṃsa goblets.

19. After having crossed over and having caused the Āgnīdhra to announce, and (after the latter has responded,) the Adhvaryu should say (to the Hotṛ), “O reciter of the Śastra, do you recite the yājyā relating to the offering of the Soma.”

20. At the vaṣaṭ-utterance he should make the offering.

21. The shaking of the goblets has already been mentioned.^[13]

22. The formula relating to the consuming of the cup has already been mentioned.^[14]

23. The formula relating to the consuming of the Nārāśaṃsa goblets has already been referred to.^[15]

24. After having consumed them incompletely, the Camasins should make them swell.

25. Making the goblets swell and the placing of them have already been explained.^[16]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.43.2.

[2]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.43.3.

[3]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.8.1-3.

[4]:

XIV.24.13.

[5]:

XIV.2.1.

[6]:

One of the two according to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII.8.2.

[7]:

XIII.30.9.

[8]:

The Hotṛ, the Adhvaryu and the Pratiprasthātṛ.

[9]:

Read in the sūtra-text sasaṃsrāveṇa in place of saṃsrāveṇa. cf. XIII.31.1; XIV.12.6.

[10]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.19.

[11]:

Marutvatīya Śastra to be recited by the Hotṛ. cf. ĀśvŚS V.14.2. The Mādhyaṃdinapavamānastotra relevant to this Śastra has already been chanted. See XIV.2.6.

[12]:

cf. sūtra 15 above.

[13]:

XIV.3.21.

[14]:

XIII.32.1.

[15]:

XIII.32.4.

[16]:

XIII.27.23-25.