Adhyāya I, Kaṇḍikā 5

1. Having led her around the fire, keeping it on his right side, according to some (teachers)—

2. Having pushed with his right foot a bundle of grass or a mat to the west of the fire, he sits down.

3^[1]. While (the bride) touches him, (the following oblations are made:) the two Āghāra oblations, the two Ājya portions, the Mahāvyāhṛtis, the general expiation, the Prājāpatya oblation, and the Sviṣṭakṛt.

4. These are regular (oblations) at every sacrifice.

5. The Sviṣṭakṛt comes before the Mahāvyāhṛtis, if the sacrificial food is different from Ājya.

6^[2]. The place for the insertion (of the peculiar oblations belonging to the different sacrifices) is the interval between the general expiation and the oblation to Prajāpati.

7. At the wedding (he may make oblations) with the Rāṣṭrabhṛt formulas (i.e. the formulas procuring royal power), if he likes, and with the Jaya and Abhyātāna formulas (i.e. the formulas procuring victory, and aiming [at the hostile powers]), if he knows them—

8^[3]. Because it has been said, 'By what sacrifice he wishes to attain success.'

9^[4]. (The Jaya formulas run thus): 'Thought and thinking. Intention and intending. The understood and understanding. The mind and the Śakvarī (verses). The new moon and the full moon. Bṛhat and Rathantara.

'Prajāpati, the powerful one in victorious battles, has given victories (or, the Gaya formulas) to manly Indra. To him all subjects bowed down; he has become powerful and worthy of sacrifice. Svāhā!

10^[5]. (The Abhyātāna formulas run thus): 'May Agni, the lord of beings, protect me. May Indra, (the lord) of the noblest, Yama, of the earth, Vāyu, of the air, the Sun, of heaven, the Moon, of the Nakṣatras, Bṛhaspati, of the Brahman, Mitra, of truth, Varuṇa, of the waters, the sea, of the rivers, food, the lord of royalty, protect me. May Soma, (the lord) of herbs, Savitṛ, of impulses, Rudra, of cattle, Tvaṣṭṛ, of forms, Viṣṇu, of mountains, the Maruts, the lords of hosts, protect me. May the fathers, the grandfathers, the former, the later, the fathers, the grandfathers protect me here in this power of holiness, in this worldly power, in this prayer, in this Purohitaship, in this sacrifice, in this invocation of the gods. Svāhā!'—this is added each time.

11. (He then makes other oblations with the following texts:)

'May Agni come hither, the first of gods. May he release the offspring of this wife from the fetter of death. That may this king Varuṇa grant, that this wife may not weep over distress (falling to her lot) through her sons. Svāhā!

'May Agni Gārhapatya protect this woman. May he lead her offspring to old age. With fertile womb may she be the mother of living children. May she experience delight in her sons. Svāhā!

'Make, Agni, all ways of heaven and earth blissful to us, O thou who art worthy of sacrifices. What is great, born on this (earth); and praised, (born) in heaven, that bestow on us, rich treasures. Svāhā!

'Come hither, showing us an easy path. Give us bright, undecaying life. May death go away; may immortality come to us. May Vivasvat's son make us safe from danger. Svāhā!

12. And the (verse), 'Another way, O death' (Vāj. Saṃh. XXXV, 7), after the eating (of the remnant of the sacrificial food), according to some (teachers).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

5, 3. See the note on Śāṅkhāyana-Gṛhya I, 9, 12.

[2]:

See the note l.l.—I have altered the division of Sūtras 6 and 7, so as to draw the word vivāhe to the seventh Sūtra. The rule in § 6 has an entirely general character; the formulas stated in § 7 are given for the particular occasion of the vivāha ceremony.

[3]:

Taittirīya Saṃhitā III, 4, 6, 1: 'By what sacrifice he wishes to attain success, at that (sacrifice) he should make oblations with them (i.e. with the Abhyātāna Mantras): then he will attain success by that sacrifice.'

[4]:

Instead of sa i havyaḥ we ought to read probably sa u havyaḥ, or, as the Taitt. Saṃh. III, 4, 4, 1 gives, sa hi havyaḥ. The Maitr. Saṃh. has vihavyaḥ (II, 10, 2).

[5]:

The words, 'in this power of holiness . . . svāhā!' are to be added to each member of the whole formula (comp. Atharva-veda V, 24). The expressions 'fathers' and 'grandfathers,' which are twice identically repeated in the translation, stand the first time for pitaraḥ pitāmahāḥ, and then for tatās tatāmahāḥ of the Sanskrit text.