Praśna 14, Kaṇḍikā 7

1. The Adhvaryu should take up, the cup for Mahendra by filling in the Śukra cup with the Anuvāka, “Great is Indra who through his might is like Parjanya with the rain. He waxes with the praises of Vatsa. Thou art taken with a support; for Mahendra thee.” (He should place it with the formula,) “This is thy birth-place; for Mahendra thee.”^[1]Or (he should draw it) with the next Anuvāka, “Great is Indra, manfully controlling men, unfailing in strength of double force. He waxes towards us for strength. Broad and wide, he has been adorned by the offerers. Thou art taken with a support; for Mahendra thee” (and should place it with the formula,) “This is thy birth-place; for Mahendra thee.”^[2]

2. The Stotra^[3] should be chanted and the Śastra^[4] should be recited at this stage.

3. After having initiated the Stotra, the Adhvaryu should give out a call “O pressers, do you press Soma;let the mortars resound; O Āgnīdhra, do thou carry the curdled milk (āśir)^[5] and have a look at the rice to be cooked for Soma.”

4. There is a view that at this stage Soma should be pressed for the third pressing; (grains for) the Savanīyapuroḍāśa and paddy for rice to be cooked for Soma should be poured out, and the curdled milk should be churned out. There is another view that these should be done at the third pressing.^[6]

5. After having responded to the reciting of the Śastra, the Adhvaryu should take up the cup. The Camasādhvaryus should take up the Nārāśaṃsa goblets. The Atigrāhya cups should also be taken up.^[7]

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

7. At the vaṣaṭ-utterance(by the Hotṛ) he should make the offering.

8. The shaking of the goblets has already been explained.^[8]

9. Then they should offer (three) Atigrāhya cups respectively with the formulas, “O Agni, brilliant, be thou brilliant among the gods; make me brilliant, of long life, radiant among men. For the brilliance of consecration and of penance, do I offer to thee. Thou dost win brilliance. May brilliance not forsake me; may I not forsake brilliance; may brilliance not forsake me.—O Indra, full of force, be thou full of force among the gods; make me full of force, of long life, radiant among men. For the force of the Brahmanhood and royalty do I offer to thee. Thou dost win force. May force not forsake me; may I not forsake force; may force not forsake me.—O Sūrya, blazing be thou blazing among the gods. Make me blazing, of long life, radiant among men. For the blazing of the wind and of the water do I offer to thee. Thou dost win the light. May the light not forsake me; may I not forsake the light; may the light not forsake me.”^[9]

10. The formula for consuming the Soma (from the Māhendra cup) has already been mentioned.^[10]

11. Then they should consume the Atigrāhya cups respectively with the formulas, “May Agni bestow on me wisdom, on me offspring, on me brilliance.—May Indra bestow on me wisdom, on me offspring, on me power.—May Sūrya bestow on me wisdom, on me offspring, on me lustre.”^[11]

12. The formula for consuming the Nārāśaṃsa goblets has already been mentioned.^[12]

13. (The Camasins) should consume their goblets completely.

14. The goblets should not be made to swell, they should be cleansed.

15. Henceforward the goblets in the midday pressing should be consumed completely.

16. Then the Adhvaryu should divide (the Soma from) the Ukthya vessel, as in the morning pressing.^[13]

17. This much should be different: the formulas respectively for drawing and for placing the cup should in each case be, “(Thou art taken with a support); for Indra thee.” (This is thy birth-place;) for Indra thee.”

18. The formula for consuming the cup should be the one relating to Indra.^[14]

19. At this very stage he should add Soma to the Ṣoḍaśin cup.^[15]

20. After having drawn the Ṣoḍaśin cup, he should give out a call, “(O Unnetṛ,) do thou fill up the goblets for the last time, pour down the Droṇakalaśa into the pūtabhṛt, pour down the entire Soma into the goblets, cleanse the two pots^[16] with the fringes (of the woollen filter) and keep them upside down.”

21. After having responded to (the reciting of each of the Śastras in) the midday pressing, he should say, “The Śastra has been recited.”^[17]

22. He should offer an oblation with the verse, “May Viśve Devas, Marut, Indra not leave us at the midday pressing. Long-lived, speaking what is pleasing to them, may we enjoy the favour of the gods,”^[18] and then give out the call, “O Praśāstṛ, do you impel (the officiating priests to leave the Sadas).”

23. The Praśāstṛ (= Maitrāvaruṇa) should say, “Do you disperse.”

24. The midday pressing thus comes to an end.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.20.

[2]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.21.

[3]:

The Pṛṣṭhastotra.

[4]:

The Niṣkevalyaśastra to be recited by the Hotṛ. cf. ĀśvŚS V.15.1 ff.

[5]:

XII.21.8.

[6]:

XIV.9.9;11; 10.2; 13.1.

[7]:

The Pratiprasthātṛ should take the cup for Agni, the Neṣṭṛ that for Indra, and the Unnetṛ that for Sūrya.

[8]:

XIII.21.1.

[9]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.3.1.

[10]:

XIV.3.22.

[11]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā II.3.1.3.

[12]:

XIV.6.23.

[13]:

XIII.32.17 ff. There are in all three offerings of Soma taken into the Ukthya cup one by one to the accompaniment respectively of the relevant Pṛṣṭhastotra and the Śastras to be recited by the Maitrāvaruṇa, Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin, and the Acchāvāka. cf. AśvŚS V.16.

[14]:

XIV3.21.

[15]:

XIII.23.11.

[16]:

Namely, the Droṇakalaśa and the Pūtabhṛt.

[17]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.9.1.

[18]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.1.9.2.