Praśna 14, Kaṇḍikā 13

1. Then the Adhvaryu should pour out paddy for cooked rice to be offered to Soma;^[1] or he should do so along with the pouring out of the Savanīyapuroḍāśa.^[2]

2. After having placed the cooked rice, he should take clarified butter whatever quantity remains in the ladle, cross over, cause the Āgnīdhra to announce and (after the latter has responded,) say (to the Hotṛ) “Do you recite the yājyā relating to the offering of clarified butter.”

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

4. He should sit down there only, suspend the sacred cord over his right shoulder and under the left arm, and cut out the first portion of the cooked rice by means of his hand, and the second one with the stirring stick.^[3]

5. He should pour out clarified butter upon the oblation, cross over towards the north, cause the Āgnīdhra to announce and (after the latter has responded,) say (to the Hotṛ), “Do you recite the yājyā relating to the offering of cooked rice for Soma.”

At the vaṣaṭ-utterance he should make the offering on the southern half of the fire.

7. He should sit there only, suspend his sacred cord over the left shoulder and under the right arm, touch water, take clarified butter whatever quantity remains in the ladle, cross over, cause the Āgnīdhra to announce and (after the latter has responded,) say (to the Hotṛ), “Do you recite the yājyā relating to the offering of clarified butter.”

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

9. Some teachers prescribe the offering of clarified butter on either side of the offering of cooked rice to Soma.

10. The cooked rice should be filled in with clarified butter and carried over towards the Udgātṛs.

12. If he (= one among the Udgātṛs) is long-lived, he sees (himself in the clarified butter). If he is short-lived, he should gaze at it with the verse, “If my soul is gone away, or is not gone away, I retain it within me through king Soma.”^[4]

13. One, who is suffering from disease, should eat the cooked rice; one who desires food should eat; one who, even though capable of eating food cannot eat food, should eat. So is it said.

14. The Adhvaryu should take nine spoonfuls of clarified butter into the ladle, and offer the āghāra-libations on the Dhiṣṇyas which are burning with fire.^[5]

15. He should keep apart the drops of clarified butter remaining in the ladle after the offering of the āghāra-libations, and draw the Pātnīvata cup from the Āgrayaṇa vessel into the Upāṃśu cup with the formula, “Thou art taken with a support; O Soma, draw a cup connected with the wives, of thee, pressed by Bṛhaspati and possessed of power.”^[6]

16. He should mix it with the drops of clarified butter retained at the offering of the āghāra libations, cross over, cause the Āgnīdhra to announce, and (after the latter has responded,) say, “O Āgnīdhra, do thou recite the yājyā relating to the offering of the Pātnīvata cup.”

17. At the vaṣaṭ-utterance he should make the offering with the remaining portion of the Anuvāka, “O Agni, accompanied by the wives, do thou drink Soma together with god Tvaṣṭṛ, svāhā.”^[7]

18. Some teachers prescribe the offering of the Pātnīvata cup as accompanied by the secondary vaṣaṭ-utterance; others prescribe it as not accompanied by it. According to still others, the Āgnīdhra should utter the secondary vaṣaṭ-utterance to himself.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

XIV.7.4.

[2]:

XIV.9.9.

[3]:

Or the other way round: the first with the stirring stick and the second with the hand. cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII.13.17.

[4]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā VI.6.7.2.

[5]:

If the Āgnīdhra so suggests, he should take up nine spoonfuls and pour down āghāra-libation on the Āgnīdhra’s Dhiṣṇya first and also last; otherwise he should take up eight spoonfuls. cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII.14.5,6.

[6]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.27.

[7]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.27.