Prapāṭhaka III, Kāṇḍikā 10

1.^[1] The Aṣṭakā (is a festival) sacred to the night.

2. It procures prosperity.

3. It is sacred to Agni, or to the Manes, or to Prajāpati, or to the Seasons, or to the Viśve devās—thus the deity (to which the Aṣṭakā is sacred), is investigated (by different teachers).

4.^[2] There are four Aṣṭakās in (the four months of) the winter;

5. These all he should endeavour to celebrate with (offerings of) meat;

6. Thus says Kautsa.

7. (There are only) three Aṣṭakās (in the winter), says Audgāhamāni,

8. And so say (also) Gautama and Vārkakhaṇḍi.

9. The eighth day of the dark fortnight after the Āgrahāyaṇī is called Apūpāṣṭakā (i.e. Aṣṭakā of the cakes).

10.^[3] Having prepared grains in the way prescribed for Sthālīpākas, he cooks (those grains and prepares thus) a caru.

11.^[4] And (besides he prepares) eight cakes, without turning them over in the dish (in which he bakes them);

12. (Each) in one dish;

13. Without Mantras, according to Audgāhamāni;

14.^[5] Of the size of the (cakes) sacred to Tryambaka.

15. After he has baked them, he should pour (Ājya) on them, should take them from the fire towards the north, and should pour (Ājya) on them again.

16.^[6] In the way prescribed for Sthālīpākas he cuts off (the prescribed portions) from the mess of boiled grains and from the cakes, and sacrifices with (the words), 'To the Aṣṭakā Svāhā!'

17.^[7] The rest (should be performed) according to the Sthālīpāka rite.

18.^[8] (At the second Aṣṭakā, on) the eighth day after the full-moon day of Taiṣa, a cow (is sacrificed).

19. Shortly before the time of junction (of day and night, i.e. before the morning twilight) he should place that (cow) to the east of the fire, and when (that time) has come, he should sacrifice (Ājya) with (the verse), 'What, O beasts, you think' (MB. II, 2, 5).

20. And after having sacrificed, he should recite over (the cow the verse), 'May thy mother give leave to thee' (ibid. 6).

21. Let him sprinkle (the cow) with water in which barley is, with (the words), 'Agreeable to the Aṣṭakā I sprinkle thee.'

22. Let him carry a fire-brand round it with (the verse), 'The lord of goods, the sage (goes) round' (Sāma-veda I, 30).

23. Let him give it water to drink.

24. The remainder of what it has drunk he should pour out under (the feet of) the beast with (the formula), 'Away from the gods the Havis has been taken' (MB. II, 2, 7).

25. They then walk in a northerly direction (from the fire) and kill (the cow),

26. The head of which is turned to the east, the feet to the north, if the rite is sacred to the gods,

27. The head to the south, the feet to the west, if the rite is sacred to the Manes.

28. After it has been killed, he should sacrifice (Ājya) with (the verse), 'If the beast has lowed' (ibid. 8).

29. And (the sacrificer's) wife should get water and should wash all the apertures of the cow's body.

30. They lay two purifiers (i.e. grass-blades) on (the cow's body) near its navel, cut it up in the direction of its hairs, and draw the omentum out.

31. He should spit it on two pieces of wood, on one (simple) branch and on another forked branch, should besprinkle it (with water), and should roast it.

32.^[9] When it has ceased to drop, he should say, 'Hew the (cow) to pieces—

33. 'So that the blood does not stain the ground to the east of the fire.'

34. After he has roasted (the omentum), he should pour (Ājya) on it, should take it from the fire towards the north, and should pour (Ājya) on it again.

35.^[10] After he has cut off (the prescribed portions from) the omentum in the way prescribed for Sthālīpākas, or in the way prescribed for the Sviṣṭakṛt (oblation), he sacrifices with (the words), 'To the Aṣṭakā Svāhā!'

36.^[11] The rest (should be performed) according to the Sthālīpāka rite. The rest according to the Sthālīpāka rite.

End of the Third Prapāṭhaka.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

10, 1 seq. The Aṣṭakā festivals; Khādira-Gṛhya III, 3, 28. Comp. Śāṅkhāyana-Gṛhya III, 12, 1 note (S.B.E. XXIX, 102).

[2]:

4, 7. As to the difference of opinion regarding the number of Aṣṭakās, comp. Weber, Naxatra, second article, p. 337. Gobhila himself follows the opinion of Audgāhamāni, for he mentions only three Aṣṭakās in the winter season, the first following after the Āgrahāyaṇī full moon (chap. 50, 9), the second after the Taiṣī (10, 18), and the third after the Māghī (IV, 4, 17).

[3]:

See above, I, 7, 2 seq.

[4]:

Gṛhya-saṃgraha II, 71: pṛthakkapālān kurvīta apūpān aṣṭakāvidhau.

[5]:

Regarding the Traiyambaka cakes, comp. Kātyāyana Śrauta-sūtra V, 10, 1 seq.; Vaitāna-sūtra IX, 18, &c.

[6]:

See above, I, 8, 5 seq.

[7]:

Comp. chap. 7, 20 note.

[8]:

With the following paragraphs the Śrauta rites of the animal sacrifice should be compared; see J. Schwab, Das altindische Thieropfer (Erlangen, 1886).

[9]:

In the text we ought to read viśasata, as Dr. Knauer has observed.

[10]:

The regulations concerning the Avadānas are given for Sthālīpākas, I, 8, 5 seq., and for the Sviṣṭakṛt oblation, I, 8, 11 seq.

[11]:

Comp. III, 7, 20 note.