Prapāṭhaka IV, Kāṇḍikā 4

1.^[1] By (the description of) the Sthālīpāka offered at the Anvaṣṭakya ceremony the Piṇḍapitṛyajña has been declared;

2. This is a Śrāddha offered on the day of the new moon.

3.^[2] Another (Śrāddha) is the Anvāhārya.

4. (It is performed) monthly.

5.^[3] The Havis is prepared (by one who has set up the sacred Śrauta fires) in the Dakṣiṇāgni (i.e. in that of the three fires which is situated towards the south).

6. And from the same (fire the fire is taken which) is carried forward (in order to be used at the ceremonies).

7. In the domestic fire (the Havis is prepared) by one who has not set up the (Śrauta) fires.

8. One pit (only is made);

9.^[4] To the south of it the fire has its place.

10.^[5] Here the laying down of the fire-brand is omitted,

11.^[6] And (the spreading out of) the layer (of grass),

12.^[7] And the anointing (of the bunches of Darbha grass), and the anointing (of the Fathers),

13.^[8] And the (offering of) perfume,

14.^[9] And the ceremony of deprecation.

15.^[10] (The ceremony performed with) the vessel of water forms the conclusion (of the Piṇḍapitṛyajña).

16.^[11] He should, however, put down one garment (for the Fathers in common).

17.^[12] On the eighth day after the full moon of Māgha a Sthālīpāka (is prepared).

18. He should sacrifice of that (Sthālīpāka).

19. 'To the Aṣṭakā Svāhā!'—with (these words) he sacrifices.

20.^[13] The rest (should be performed) according to the Sthālīpāka rite.

21.^[14] Vegetables (are taken instead of meat) as ingredient to the Anvāhārya(-rice).

22. At animal sacrifices offered to the Fathers let— him sacrifice the omentum with (the verse), 'Carry the omentum, O Jātavedas, to the Fathers' (MB. II, 3, 16);

23. At (such sacrifices) offered to the gods, with (the verse), 'Jātavedas, go to the gods with the omentum' (ibid. 17).

24. If no (god to whom the sacrifice should be offered, and no Mantra with which the oblation should be made) is known, he sacrifices, assigning (his offering to the personified rite which he is performing), thus as (for instance), 'To the Aṣṭakā Svāhā!'

25.^[15] The rest (should be performed) according to the Sthālīpāka rite.

26.^[16] If a debt turns up (which he cannot pay), he should sacrifice with the middle leaf of Golakas, with (the verse), 'The debt which' (MB. II, 3, 18).

27. Now (follows) the putting into motion of the plough.

28. Under an auspicious Nakṣatra he should cook a mess of sacrificial food and should sacrifice to the following deities, namely, to Indra, to the Maruts, to Parjanya, to Aśani, to Bhaga.

29.^[17] And he should offer (Ājya) to Sītā, Āśā, Araḍā, Anaghā.

30. The same deities (receive offerings) at the furrow-sacrifice, at the thrashing-floor-sacrifice, at the sowing, at the reaping of the crop, and at the putting of the crop into the barn.

31. And at mole hills he should sacrifice to the king of moles.

32.^[18] To Indrāṇī a Sthālīpāka (is prepared).

33. Of that he should make an offering with (the verse), 'The Ekāṣṭakā, performing austerities' (MB. II, 3, 19).

34. The rest (should be performed) according to the Sthālīpāka ritual. The rest according to the Sthālīpāka ritual.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

4, 1. Khādira-Gṛhya III, 5, 35. Comp. M.M., 'India, what can it teach us?' p. 240. The word Sthālīpāka is used here, as is observed in the commentary, in order to exclude the mess of meat (chap. 2, 14) from the rites of the Piṇḍapitṛyajña.

[2]:

Anvāhārya literally means, what is offered (or given) after something else, supplementary. In the commentary on Gobhila, p. 666, a verse is quoted:

[3]:

According to the commentary this and the following Sūtras refer only to the Piṇḍapitṛyajña, not to the Anvāhārya Śrāddha. Comp. Khādira-Gṛhya III, 5, 36-39.

[4]:

See chap. 2, 18.

[5]:

See chap. 3, 3.

[6]:

Chap. 2, 23.

[7]:

Chap. 2, 30; 3, 13.

[8]:

Chap. 3, 16.

[9]:

Chap. 3, 17 seq.

[10]:

Chap. 3, 26.

[11]:

Comp. chap. 3, 24. 25.

[12]:

17-21. Description of the third Aṣṭakā festival.

[13]:

Comp. above, III, 7, 20 note.

[14]:

Comp. IV, I, 12.

[15]:

See III, 7, 20 note.

[16]:

I am not sure about the translation of the words golakānāṃ madhyamaparṇena. The ordinary meaning of golaka is 'ball,' see, for instance, Śāṅkhāyana-Gṛhya IV, 19, 4. The commentary says, golakānāṃ palāśānaṃ madhyamaparṇena madhyamacchadena.

[17]:

The name of the third of those rural deities is spelt differently; Dr. Knauer gives the readings, Araḍām, Araṭhām, Aragam, Ararām, Aram.

[18]:

32-34. Khādira-Gṛhya III, 5, 40. I understand that this sacrifice stands in connection with the rural festivals which are treated of in the preceding Sūtras. In the commentary, from the mantra the conclusion is drawn that the ceremony in question belongs to the day of the Ekāṣṭakā. But the Ekāṣṭakā is the Aṣṭakā of the dark fortnight of Māgha (see S.B.E. XXIX, 102), and the description of the rites belonging to that day has already been given above, Sūtras 17-21. It very frequently occurs in the Gṛhya ritual that Mantras are used at sacrifices standing in no connection with those for which they have originally been composed.