Praśna I, Paṭala 5, Section 16

1. When he has first seen the new moon, he sips water, and holding (a pot of) water (in his hands) he worships (the moon) with the four (verses), 'Increase' (Taitt. Saṃh. I, 4, 32), 'May thy milk' (ibid. IV, 2, 7, 4), 'New and new again (the moon) becomes, being born' (ibid. II, 4, 14, 1), 'That Soma which the Ādityas make swell' (ibid. II, 4, 14, 1).

2.^[2] When he has yawned, he murmurs, '(May) will and insight (dwell) in me.'

3.^[3] If the skirt (of his garment) is blown upon him (by the wind), he murmurs, 'A skirt art thou. Thou art not a thunderbolt. Adoration be to thee. Do no haft to me.'

4. He should tear off a thread (from that skirt) and should blow it away with his mouth.

5.^[4] If a bird has befouled him with its excrements, he murmurs, 'The birds that timidly fly together with the destroyers, shall pour out on me happy, blissful splendour and vigour.'

Then let him wipe off that (dirt) with something else than his hand, and let him wash himself with water.

6.^[5] 'From the sky, from the wide air a drop of water has fallen down on me, bringing luck. With my senses, with my mind I have united myself, protected by the prayer that is brought forth by the righteous ones'—this (verse) he should murmur, if a drop of water unexpectedly falls down on him.

7.^[6] 'If a fruit has fallen down from the top of a tree, or from the air, it is Vāyu (who has made it fall). Where it has touched our bodies or the garment, (there) may the waters drive away destruction'—this (verse) he should murmur, if a fruit unexpectedly falls down on him.

8.^[7] 'Adoration to him who dwells at the cross-roads, whose arrow is the wind, to Rudra! Adoration to Rudra who dwells at the cross-roads!'—this (formula) he murmurs when he comes to a cross-road;

9. 'Adoration to him who dwells among cattle, whose arrow is the wind, to Rudra! Adoration to Rudra who dwells among cattle!'—thus at a dung-heap;

10. 'Adoration to him who dwells among the serpents, whose arrow is the wind, to Rudra! Adoration to Rudra who dwells among the serpents!'—thus at a place that is frequented by serpents.

11. 'Adoration to him who dwells in the air, whose arrow is the wind, to Rudra! Adoration to Rudra who dwells in the air!'—this (formula) let him murmur, if overtaken by a tornado.

12. 'Adoration to him who dwells in the waters, whose arrow is the wind, to Rudra! Adoration to Rudra who dwells in the waters!'—this (formula) he murmurs when plunging into a river which is full of water.

13. 'Adoration to him who dwells there, whose arrow is the wind, to Rudra! Adoration to Rudra who dwells there!'—this (formula) he murmurs when approaching a beautiful place, a sacrificial site, or a big tree.

14.^[8] If the sun rises whilst he is sleeping, he shall fast that day and shall stand silent during that day;

15. The same during the night, if the sun sets whilst he sleeps.

16.^[9] Let him not touch a sacrificial post. By touching it, he would bring upon himself (the guilt of) whatever faults have been committed at that sacrifice. If he touches one (sacrificial post), he should say, 'This is thy wind;' if two (posts), 'These are thy two winds;' if many (posts), 'These are thy winds.'

17.^[10] 'The voices that are heard after us (?) and around us, the praise that is heard, and the voices of the birds, the deer's running (?) athwart: that we fear (?) from our enemies'—this (verse) he murmurs when setting out on a road.

18.^[11] 'Like an Udgātṛ, O bird, thou singest the Sāman; like a Brahman's son thou recitest thy hymn, when the Soma is pressed.

'A blessing on us, O bird; bring us luck and be kind towards us!'—(This Mantra) he murmurs against an inauspicious bird;

19.^[12] 'If thou raisest thy divine voice, entering upon living beings, drive away our enemies by thy voice. O death, lead them to death!'—(thus) against a solitary jackal.

20. Then he throws before the (jackal, as it were), a fire-brand that burns at both ends, towards that region (in which the jackal's voice is heard), with (the words), 'Fire! Speak to the fire! Death! Speak to the death!' Then he touches water,

21. And worships (the jackal) with the Anuvāka, 'Thou art mighty, thou carriest away' (Taitt. Saṃhitā I, 3, 3).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This chapter contains different Prāyaścittas.

[2]:

Āśvalāyana-Gṛhya. III, 6, 7.

[3]:

Pāraskara III, 15, 17.

[4]:

I propose to read, nirṛthaiḥ saha.

[5]:

Atharva-veda VI, 124, 1. Read sukṛtāṃ kṛtena.

[6]:

Atharva-veda VI, 124, 2. The Atharva-veda shows the way to correct the corrupt third Pāda.

[7]:

8 seq. Comp. Pāraskara III, 15, 7 seq.

[8]:

14, 15. Āpastamba II, 5, 1 2, 13. 14; Gobhila III, 3, 34, &c.

[9]:

Gobhila III, 3, 34. Should it be eṣa te vāyur iti?

[10]:

The Mantra is very corrupt. Perhaps anihūtam should be corrected into anuhūtam, which is the reading of the Āpastambīya Mantrapāṭha. In the last Pāda bhayāmasi is corrupt; the meaning seems to be, 'that we (avert from ourselves and) turn it to our enemies.' Probably Dr. Kirste is right in reading bhajāmasi.

[11]:

Comp. Ṛg-veda II, 43, 2.

[12]:

As to ekasṛka, 'solitary jackal,' comp. Bühler's note on Āpastamba I, 3, 10, 17 (S.B.E., II, 38). Mātṛdatta says, śṛgālo mṛgaśabdaṃ kurvāṇa ekasṛka ity ucyate.