Praśna II, Paṭala 8, Section 18

1. Now we shall explain the opening and the conclusion (of the annual course of study).

2.^[1] During the fortnight that precedes the Śravaṇā

full moon, when the herbs have appeared, under (the Nakṣatra) Hasta or on the full-moon day (itself), the opening ceremony of the (annual course of) study (is performed).

3. Having put wood on the fire and performed the rites down to the Vyāhṛti oblations, he sacrifices (with his pupils) to the Ṛṣis of the Kāṇḍas: 'To Prajāpati, the Ṛṣi of a Kāṇḍa, svāhā! To Soma, the Ṛṣi of a Kāṇḍa, svāhā! To Agni, the Ṛṣi of a Kāṇḍa, svāhā! To the Viśve devās, the Ṛṣis of a Kāṇḍa, svāhā! To Svayambhū, the Ṛṣi of a Kāṇḍa, svāhā!'—these are the Ṛṣis of the Kāṇḍas. Or (he sacrifices) to the names of the Kāṇḍas, to the Sāvitrī, to the Ṛg-veda, the Yajur-veda, the Sāma-veda, the Atharva-veda, and to Sadasaspati.

4. Having (thus) sacrificed, they repeat the first three Anuvākas,

5. Or the beginnings of all Kāṇḍas.

6. He enters upon (sacrificing) the Jaya, &c. (oblations; see above, I, 1, 3, 8).

7. After all rites down to the Sviṣṭakṛt oblation have been performed, they stop studying three days or one day; then they should go on studying so as to commence where they have broken off: so say the teachers.

8.^[2] During the fortnight that precedes the Taiṣī full moon, under (the Nakṣatra) Rohiṇī or on the full-moon day (itself), the Utsarga (or conclusion of the term of study) is celebrated.

9.^[3] (The teacher) with his pupils goes in an easterly or northerly direction, and where they find a pleasant water with a pleasant bathing-place, they dive into it and perform three suppressions of the breath with the Agharmarshaṇa hymn (Ṛg-veda X, 190 = Taitt. Ar. X, 1, 13. 14.). Holding purifiers (i.e. Darbha blades) in their hands they bathe with the three (verses), 'Ye waters, ye are wholesome' (Taitt. Saṃh. IV, 1, 5, 1), with the four (verses), 'The gold-coloured, pure, purifying waters' (T.S.V, 6, 1, 1 seq.), and with the Anuvāka, '(Soma) which clears itself, the heavenly being' (Taitt. Br. I, 4, 8): giving the Darbha blades to each other and feigning to try to seize (??) each other.

10. Then they arrange on a pure spot that is inclined towards the east, seats of eastward-pointed Darbha grass, so that they end in the north—

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

18, 2. Śravaṇāpakṣa means, according to Mātṛdatta, śrāvaṇapūrvapakṣa, p. 242 and indeed the moon stands in conjunction with the Nakṣatra Hasta only on one day of the first, not of the second, fortnight of the month Śrāvaṇa (comp. the note on Āśvalāyana-Gṛhya III, 5, 2. 3). Comp. taiṣīpakṣasya rohiṇyām, below, § 8.

[2]:

As to taiṣīpakṣa, comp. the note on Sūtra 2.

[3]:

On the last words of this Sūtra, Mātṛdatta says, ditsanta iveti dātum icchanta ivānyonyaṃ prati. athavā āditsanta iveti pāṭhaḥ. āditsanto muṣṇanta ivānyonyaṃ.—Professor Kielhorn's text MS. has, ātsaṃta ivānyonyaṃ; Professor Bühler's text MS., ditsaṃta ivānyonyaṃ.