Prapāṭhaka IV, Kāṇḍikā 10

1.^[1] To the north of the place (in which the Arghya reception will be offered to a guest), they should bind a cow (to a post or the like), and should (reverentially) approach it with (the verse), 'Arhaṇā putra vāsa' (MB. II, 8, 1).

2.^[2] (The guest to whom the Arghya reception is going to be offered) should come forward murmuring, 'Here I tread on this Padyā Virāj for the sake of the enjoyment of food' (ibid. 2).

3. (He should do so) where they are going to perform the Arghya ceremony for him,

4. Or when they perform it.

5. Let them announce three times (to the guest) separately (each of the following things which are brought to him): a bed (of grass to sit down on), water for washing the feet, the Argha water, water for sipping, and the Madhuparka (i.e. a mixture of ghee, curds, and honey).

6. Let him spread out the bed (of grass, so that the points of the grass are) turned to the north, with (the verse), 'The herbs which' (MB. II, 8, 3), and let him sit down thereon;

7. If there are two (beds of grass), with the two (verses) separately (MB. II, 8, 3. 4);

8.^[3] On the second (he treads) with the feet.

9. Let him look at the water (with which he is to wash his feet), with (the formula), 'From which side I see the goddesses' (ibid. 5).

10. Let him wash his left foot with (the formula), 'The left foot I wash;' let him wash his right foot with (the formula), 'The right foot I wash' (MB. II. 8, 6. 7);

11.^[4] Both with the rest (of the Mantra, i.e. with the formula), 'First the one, then the other' (II, 8, 8).

12. Let him accept the Arghya water with (the formula), 'Thou art the queen of food' (ibid. 9).

13. The water (offered to him) for sipping he should sip with (the formula), 'Glory art thou' (ibid. 10).

14. The Madhuparka he should accept with (the formula), 'The glory's glory art thou' (ibid. 11).

15.^[5] Let him drink (of it) three times with (the formula which he repeats thrice), 'The glory's food art thou; the might's food art thou; the bliss's food art thou; bestow bliss on me' (MB. II, 8, 12);

16.^[6] Silently a fourth time.

17. Having drunk more of it, he should give the remainder to a Brāhmaṇa.

18. After he has sipped water, the barber should thrice say to him, 'A cow!'

19.^[7] He should reply, 'Let loose the cow from the fetter of Varuṇa; bind (with it) him who hates me. Kill him and (the enemy) of N.N., (the enemies) of both (myself and N.N.). Deliver the cow; let it eat grass, let it drink water' (MB. II, 8, 13).

20. (And after the cow has been set at liberty), let him address it with (the verse), 'The mother of the Rudras' (MB. II, 8, 14).

21.^[8] Thus if it is no sacrifice (at which the Arghya reception is offered),

22. (He should say), 'Make it (ready),' if it is a sacrifice.

23. There are six persons to whom the Arghya reception is due, (namely),

24.^[9] A teacher, an officiating priest, a Snātaka, a king, the father-in-law, a friend coming as a guest.

25.^[10] They should offer the Arghya reception (to such persons not more than) once a year.

26. But repeatedly in the case of a sacrifice and of a wedding. But repeatedly in the case of a sacrifice and of a wedding.

End of the Fourth Prapāṭhaka.

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End of the Gobhila-Gṛhya-sūtra.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

10, 1 seq. The Arghya reception; Khādira-Gṛhya IV, 4, 5 seq.; Gṛhya-saṃgraha II, 62-65. The first words of the Mantra quoted in Sūtra 1 are corrupt. The Mantra is evidently an adaptation of the well-known verse addressed to the Āgrahāyaṇī (Gobhila III, 9, 9; Mantra-Brāhmaṇa II, 2, 1), or to the Aṣṭakā (Pāraskara III, 3, 5, 8): prathamā ha vyuvāsa, &c. The first word arhaṇā ('duly'), containing an allusion to the occasion of the Arghya ceremony, to which this Mantra is adapted, seems to be quite right; the third word may be, as Dr. Knauer conjectures, uvāsa ('she has dwelt,' or perhaps rather 'she has shone'). For the second word I am not able to suggest a correction.

[2]:

Regarding Padyā Virāj, comp. Śāṅkhāyana III, 7, 5 note; Pāraskara I, 3, 12.

[3]:

See Pāraskara I, 3, 9.

[4]:

The commentary says, śeṣeṇāvaśiṣṭenodakena. Comp., however, Khādira-Gṛhya IV, 4, II.

[5]:

I have adopted the reading śrībhakṣo, which is given in the Mantra-Brāhmaṇa, and have followed the opinion of the commentator p. 131 that the whole Mantra, and not its single parts, should be repeated each time that he drinks of the Madhuparka. In the Khādira-Gṛhya the text of the Mantra differs, and the rite is described differently (IV, 4, 15).

[6]:

16, 17. Perhaps these two Sūtras should be rather understood as forming one Sūtra, and should be translated as I have done in Khādira-Gṛhya IV, 4, 16.

[7]:

Iti after abhidhehi ought to be omitted. Comp. the lengthy discussions on this word, pp. 766 seq. of the edition of Gobhila in the Bibliotheca Indica. 'N.N.' is the host who offers the Arghya; comp. Khādira-Gṛhya IV, 4, 18.

[8]:

21, 22. In the case of a sacrifice the cow is killed; comp. Śāṅkhāyana II, 15, 2. 3 note; Pāraskara I, 3, 30.

[9]:

Vivāhya is explained in the commentary by vivāhayitavyo jāmātā. Comp., however, Śāṅkhāyana II, 15, 1 note.

[10]:

25, 26. Comp. Śāṅkhāyana II, 15, 10 and the note.