Praśna 14, Kaṇḍikā 23

1. All should pray to the water with the formula, “O divine waters, this is your foetus; glad and well tended have we made it for you; proclaim us as doers of good deeds among the gods.”^[1]

2. With the formala, “The noose of Varuṇa is united,”^[2] the sacrificer should untie the girdle. With this verse, “I loosen this bond of Varuṇa...,”^[3] the sacrificer’s wife should untie the noose of the yoke-halter.

3. At this stage they should inundate all manifestations^[4] relating to the consecration.

4. Wearing new garments they should come out of the water.

5. The sacrificer should wear the garment with which Soma was tied first; the sacrificer’s wife should wear that one with which Soma was subsequently covered.^[5]

6. They should give them over to the Adhvaryu at the Udavasānīya Iṣṭi.^[6]

7. Then the Adhvaryu should call out the Unnetṛ, “O Unnetṛ, lead us up to prosperity. Those sweetest songs, the hymns, are uttered, thoroughly victorious, distributors of wealth, whose protections are unharmed, hastening like chariots. The Bhṛgus, like the Kaṇvas, as the suns, have attained all prosperity.”^[7]

8. The Unnetṛ should take out all of them headed either by the Hotṛ or the sacrificer with the verse, “Do you come out, winning offspring and power. Wealth and sacrificers are sent forth unto you. Do you take hold of the Gāyatrī metre. Do you be lovely in your homes.”^[8]

9. While coming out they should toss back the water on the bank with the formula, “The noose of Varuṇa is held back.”^[9]

10. All should collect fire-sticks and come back following the Unnetṛ and without looking back, while murmuring the mahīyā verse, “We have drunk Soma; we have become immortal; we have seen the light; we have attained the gods. What would jealousy do us? What the injury of man, O immortal Soma?”^[10] and also the two verses, “I offer Bali to Yama in compensation of debts which, even though repayable, have not been repaid by me. Living here only, we repay them and while living, we may transfer them to the living.—May we be debtless in this world, debtless in the next world; may we be debtless in the third region. May we pass over all ways, the Devayāna and the Pitṛyāṇa, without any injury.”^[11]

11. With the formulas, “Thou art the fuel; may we prosper. Thou art a fire-stick, thou art lustre; do thou place lustre in me,”^[12] they should put fire-sticks on the Āhavanīya fire, and pray with the verse, “I have penetrated to the water; we are united with the sap. Rich in milk, O Agni, I have come. Do thou unite me with radiance.”^[12]

12. The sacrificer’s wife should similarly put a fire-stick on the Gārhapatya fire and pray to it (with the above-mentioned verse).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.45.3.

[2]:

Maitrāyaṇī-saṃhitā IV.8.5.

[3]:

III.12.7.

[4]:

cf. X.4.3;6.3 (and 18.2); 5; 8; 10; 12; 18; 7.12.

[5]:

According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII.22.3, the sacrificer should wear the somoṣṇīṣa and the sacrificers wife should wear either the somopanahana or the somapariśrayaṇa.

[6]:

XIV.24.1.

[7]:

Before this, according to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII.21.3, the sacrificer should sprinkle away water with the three verses in Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.14.1,2.

[8]:

cf. Maitrāyaṇī-saṃhitā I.3.39. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII.22.1 reads the verse rather differently.

[9]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.45.3.

[10]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.5.4.

[11]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III 7.9.8,9. cf. also Atharva-veda.VI.117.

[12]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.4.45.3.