Praśna I, Paṭala 1, Section 3

1. This is the rite for all Darvi-sacrifices.

2.^[1] At the end of the Mantras constantly the word Svāhā (is pronounced).

3.^[2] (Oblations) for which no Mantras are prescribed (are made merely with the words), 'To such and such (a deity) svāhā!'—according to the deity (to whom the oblation is made).

4.^[3] He sacrifices with the Vyāhṛtis, 'Bhūḥ! Bhuvaḥ! Suvaḥ!'—with the single (three Vyāhṛtis) and with (the three) together.

5.^[4] (The Mantras for the two chief oblations are), the (verse), 'Life-giving, Agni!' (Taitt. Brāhmaṇa I, 2, 1, 11), (and),

'Life-giving, O god, choosing long life, thou whose face is full of ghee, whose back is full of ghee, Agni, drinking ghee, the noble ambrosia that comes from the cow, lead this (boy) to old age, as a father (leads) his son. Svāhā!'

6. (Then follow oblations with the verses),

'This, O Varuṇa' (Taitt. Saṃh. II, 1, 11, 6),

'For this I entreat thee' (Taitt. Saṃh., loc. cit.),

'Thou, Agni' (Taitt. Saṃh. II, 5, 12, 3),

'Thus thou, Agni' (Taitt. Saṃh., loc. cit.),

'Thou, Agni, art quick. Being quick, appointed (by us) in our mind (as our messenger), thou who art quick, earnest the offering (to the gods). O quick one, bestow medicine on us! Svāhā!'—(and finally) the (verse),

'Prajāpati!' (Taitt. Saṃh. I, 8, 14, 2).

7.^[5] (With the verse), 'What I have done too much in this sacrifice, or what I have done here deficiently, all that may Agni Sviṣṭakṛt, he who knows it, make well sacrificed and well offered for me. To Agni Sviṣṭakṛt, the offerer of well-offered (sacrifices), the offerer of everything, to him who makes us succeed in our offerings and in our wishes, svāhā!'—he offers (the Sviṣṭakṛt oblation) over the easterly part of the northerly part (of the fire), separated from the other oblations.

8.^[6] Here some add as subordinate oblations, before the Sviṣṭakṛt, the Jaya, Abhyātāna, and Rāṣṭrabhṛt (oblations).

9.^[7] The Jaya (oblations) he sacrifices with (the thirteen Mantras), 'Thought, svāhā! Thinking, svāhā!'—or, 'To thought svāhā! To thinking svāhā!' (&c.);

10.^[8] The Abhyātāna (oblations) with (the eighteen Mantras), 'Agni is the lord of beings; may he protect me' (&c.).

11.^[9] (The words), 'In this power of holiness, in this worldly power (&c.)' are added to (each section of) the Abhyātāna formulas.

12.^[10] With (the last of the Abhyātāna formulas) 'Fathers! Grandfathers!' he sacrifices or performs worship, wearing the sacrificial cord over his right shoulder.

13.^[11] The Rāṣṭrabhṛt (oblations he sacrifices) with (the twelve Mantras), 'The champion of truth, he whose law is truth.' After having quickly repeated (each) section, he sacrifices the first oblation with (the words), 'To him svāhā!' the second (oblation) with (the words), 'To them svāhā!'

14.^[12] Having placed a stone near the northerly junction of the pegs (which are laid round the fire), (the teacher)—

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

3, 2. Gobhila I, 9, 25.

[2]:

Sāṅkhāyana I, 9, 18.

[3]:

Śāṅkhāyana I, 12, 12. 13; Gobhila I, 9, 27. As to suvaḥ, the spelling of the Taittirīyas for svaḥ, see Indische Studien, XIII, 105.

[4]:

5, 6. In the second Mantra we should read vṛṇāno instead of gṛṇāno; comp. Atharva-veda II, 13, 1. As to the Mantras that follow, comp. Pāraskara I, 2, 8; Taittirīya Āraṇyaka IV, 20, 3.—Regarding the Mantra tvam Agne ayāsi (sic), comp. Taitt. Brāh. II, 4, 1, 9; Āśvalāyana-Śrauta-sūtra I, 11, 13; Kātyāyana-Śrauta-sūtra XXV, 1, 11; Indische Studien, XV, 125.

[5]:

Āśvalāyana-Gṛhya I, 10, 23; Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa XI V, 9, 4, 24.

[6]:

Comp. the next Sūtras and Pāraskara I, 5, 7-10.

[7]:

Taittirīya Saṃhitā III, 4, 4.

[8]:

Taittirīya Saṃhitā III, 4, 5.

[9]:

See the end of the section quoted in the last note.

[10]:

'He performs worship with that Mantra, wearing the sacrificial cord over his right shoulder, to the Manes. According to others, he worships Agni. But this would stand in contradiction to the words (of the Mantra).' Mātṛdatta.

[11]:

Taittirīya. Saṃhitā III, 4, 7. 'To him' (tasmai) is masculine, 'to them' (tābhyaḥ) feminine. The purport of these words will be explained best by a translation of the first section of the Rāṣṭrabhṛt formulas: 'The champion of truth, he whose law is truth, Agni is the Gandharva. His Apsaras are the herbs; "sap" is their name. May he protect this power of holiness and this worldly power. May they protect this power of holiness and this worldly power. To him svāhā! To them svāhā!'

[12]:

See above, section 2, § 13.