Praśna I, Paṭala 6, Section 20

1.^[1] Facing the east, while she faces the west, or facing the west, while she faces the east, he should seize her hand. If he desires to generate male children, let him seize her thumb; if he desires (to generate) female children, her other fingers; if he desires (to generate) both (male and female children), let him seize the thumb together with the other fingers, (so as to seize the hand) up to the hairs (on the hair-side of the hand).

(He should do so with the two Mantras),

'Sarasvatī! Promote this (our undertaking), O gracious one, rich in studs, thou whom we sing first of all that is.

'I seize thy hand that we may be blessed with offspring, that thou mayst live to old age with me, thy husband. Bhaga, Aryaman, Savitṛ, Purandhi, the gods have given thee to me that we may rule our house.'

2.^[2] He makes her turn round, from left to right, so that she faces the west, and recites over her (the following texts),

'With no evil eye, not bringing death to thy husband, bring luck to the cattle, be full of joy and vigour. Give birth to living children, give birth to heroes, be friendly. Bring us luck, to men and animals.

'Thus, Pūṣan, lead her to us, the highly blessed one, into whom men pour forth their sperm, yā na ūrū uśatī visrayātai (read, viśrayātai), yasyām uśantaḥ praharema śepam.

'Soma has acquired thee first (as his wife); after him the Gandharva has acquired thee. Thy third husband is Agni; the fourth am I, thy human husband.

'Soma has given her to the Gandharva; the Gandharva has given her to Agni. Agni gives me cattle and children, and thee besides.

'This am I, that art thou; the heaven I, the earth thou; the Sāman I, the Ṛc thou. Come! Let us join together. Let us unite our sperm that we may generate a male child, a son, for the sake of the increase of wealth, of blessed offspring, of strength.

'Bountiful Indra, bless this woman with sons and with a happy lot. Give her ten sons; let her husband be the eleventh.'

3.^[3] After he has made her sit down in her proper place (see Sūtra 5 of the preceding section), and has sprinkled Ājya into her joined hands, he twice pours fried grain into them, with (the verse), 'This grain I pour (into thy hands): may it bring prosperity to me, and may it unite thee (with me). May this Agni grant us that.'

4. After he has sprinkled (Ājya) over (the grain in her hands), he sacrifices (the grain) with her joined hands (which he seizes), with (the verse), 'This woman, strewing grain into the fire, prays thus, "May my husband live long; may my relations be prosperous. Svāhā!"'

5.^[4] Having made her rise with (the verse which she recites), 'Up! with life' (Taitt. Saṃh. I, 2, 8, 1), and having circumambulated the fire (with her) so that their right sides are turned towards it, with (the verse), 'May we find our way with thee through all hostile powers, as through streams of water'—he pours fried grain (into her hands, and sacrifices them), as before.

6. Having circumambulated (the fire) a second time, he pours fried grain (into her hands, and sacrifices them), as before.

7. Having circumambulated (the fire) a third time, he sacrifices to (Agni) Sviṣṭakṛt.

8.^[5] Here some add as subordinate oblations the Jaya, Abhyātāna, and Rāṣṭrabhṛt (oblations) as above.

9.^[6] To the west of the fire he makes her step forward in an easterly or a northerly direction the (seven) 'steps of Viṣṇu.'

10. He says to her, 'Step forward with the right (foot) and follow with the left. Do not put the left (foot) before the right.'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

20, 1. Śāṅkhāyana I, 13, 2; Āśvalāyana I, 7, 3 seq., &c. The text of the first Mantra ought to be corrected according to Pāraskara I, 7, 2; in the second Mantra we ought to read yathāsaḥ instead of yathāsat; comp. Ṛg-veda X, 85, 36; Pāraskara I, 6, 3. The bridegroom and the bride, of course, are to face each other; thus, if the bridegroom stands on the eastern layer of grass (Sūtra 9 of the preceding section), he is to face the west; if on the western, he is to face the east.

[2]:

The words, agreṇa dakṣiṇam aṃsam . . . abhyāvartya, evidently have the same meaning which is expressed elsewhere (Śāṅkhāyana p. 190 II, 3, 2), dakṣiṇam bāhum anvāvṛtya. With the first Mantra comp. Ṛg-veda X, 85, 44; Pāraskara I, 4, 16; with the second, Ṛg-veda, loc. cit., 37; Pāraskara, loc. cit.; with the following ones, Ṛg-veda X, 85, 40. 41. 45; Pāraskara I, 4, 16; 6, 3, &c.

[3]:

3 seq. Comp. Śāṅkhāyana I, 13, 15 seq.

[4]:

Comp. above, I, 2, 7, 13; Ṛg-veda II, 7, 3.

[5]:

Comp. I, 2, 8, 16.

[6]:

9 seq. Comp. Gobhila II, 2, 11 seq.; Śāṅkhāyana I, 14, 5 seq.