Praśna II, Paṭala 1, Section 4

1. 'The four divine quarters of the heaven, the consorts of Wind, whom the sun surveys: to their long life I turn thee; may consumption go away to destruction!'

2.^[1] Having placed (him there) he addresses (his wife with the Mantra), 'May no demon do harm to thy son, no cow that rushes upon him (?). Mayst thou become the friend of treasures; mayst thou live in prosperity in thy own way.'

3. He washes her right breast and makes her give it to the child with (the formula), 'May this boy suckle long life; may he reach old age. Let thy breast be exuberant for him, and life, glory, renown, splendour, strength.'

4. In the same way the left breast.

5. With (the words), 'He does not suffer, he does not cry, when we speak to him and when we touch him'—he touches both breasts. Then he places a covered water-pot near her head, with (the formula), 'O waters, watch in the house. As you watch with the gods, thus watch over this wife, the mother of a good son.'

6. On the twelfth day the mother and the son take a bath.

7. They make the house clean.

8.^[2] They take the Sūtikāgni away, and they bring the Aupāsana fire.

9. Having put wood on that fire, and having performed the rites down to the Vyāhṛti oblations, they sacrifice twelve oblations with the verses, 'May Dhātṛ give us wealth' (III, 3, II, 2-5); according to some (teachers they make) thirteen (oblations).

10. 'This, O Varuṇa' (&c.; see I, chap. 27, Sūtra 2, down to): 'Hail! Good luck!' Then let him give a name to the child, of two syllables or of four syllables, beginning with a sonant, with a semi-vowel in it, with a long vowel (or) the Visarga at its end, or a name that contains the particle su, for such a name has a firm foundation; thus it is understood.

11.^[3] Let the father and the mother pronounce (that name) first. For it is understood, 'My name first, O Jātavedas.'

12. He should give him two names. For it is understood (Taitt. Saṃh. VI, 3, I, 3), 'Therefore a Brāhmaṇa who has two names, will have success.'

13.^[4] The second name should be a Nakṣatra name.

14. The one name should be secret; by the other they should call him.

15. He should give him the name Somayājin (i.e. performer of Soma sacrifices) as his third name; thus it is understood.

16. When he returns from a journey, or when his son returns, he touches him with (the formula), 'With Soma's lustre I touch thee, with Agni's splendour, with the glory of the sun.'

17.^[5] With (the formula), 'With the huṃkāra (the mystical syllable huṃ) of the cattle I kiss thee, N.N.! For the sake of long life and of glory! Huṃ!' he kisses his head. Then he seizes with his right hand (his son's) right hand together with the thumb, with the five sections, 'Agni is long-lived.'

18.^[6] 'May Agni bestow on thee long life everywhere' (Taitt. Saṃh. I, 3, 14, 4)—this (verse) he murmurs in (his son's) right ear as above.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

4, 2. I am not certain about the translation of dhenur atisāriṇī. The Āpastambīya Mantrapāṭha has atyācāriṇī. Atisārin means, suffering from diarrhoea; perhaps we should read abhisāriṇī.

[2]:

Comp. chap. 3, Sūtra 4.

[3]:

The verse beginning with 'My name,' &c., contains the words, 'which my father and my mother have given me in the beginning' (pitā mātā ca dadhatur yad agre).

[4]:

Comp. Professor Weber's second article, 'Die vedischen Nachrichten von den Naxatra' (Abb. der Berliner Akademie), pp. 316 seq.

[5]:

Comp. above, I, 2, 5, 14.

[6]:

18. 1, 2, 5, 15; 2, 6, 1.