Paraskara-grihya-sutra

by Hermann Oldenberg | 1886 | 27,910 words

The Grihya-sutra of Paraskara, which belongs to the White Yajurveda and forms an appendix to Katyayana's Shrauta-sutra, has been edited, with a German translation. Alternative titles: Pāraskara-gṛhya-sūtra (पारस्कर-गृह्य-सूत्र), Grhya, Pāraskaragṛhyasūtra (पारस्करगृह्यसूत्र), Paraskaragrihyasutra, Paraskaragrhyasutra....

Adhyāya II, Kaṇḍikā 9

1[1]. Now (follow) the five great sacrifices.

2[2]. Of the Vaiśvadeva food he should, after having sprinkled (water) round (the sacred fire), make oblations, with the word Svāhā (each time repeated), to Brahman, to Prajāpati, to the (deities) of the house, to Kaśyapa, and to Anumati.

3[3]. To the domestic deities (he offers) three (Balis) in the water-pot: to Parjanya, to the waters, to the Earth;

4. To Dhātṛ and Vidhātṛ at the two doorposts;

5. To the different quarters (of the horizon), to Vāyu and (to the presiding deities) of the quarters;

6. In the middle three (Balis) to Brahman, to the Air, to the Sun.

7. To the north of those (he offers Balis) to the Viśve devās and to all the beings;

8. Further on to Uṣas and to the Lord of beings;

9. To the south (to the Fathers) with (the words), To the Fathers, Svadhā! Adoration!'

10. Having rinsed out the vessel, he should pour it out towards the north-west with (the words), 'Consumption! this to thee!'

11[4]. Taking the Brāhmaṇa's portion (of the food which he is going to distribute), he should give it to a Brāhmaṇa, after he has made him wash himself, with (the words), 'Well! (this) to thee!'

12. To (religious) mendicants and to guests they should apportion (food) as due to them.

13. The persons belonging to the house, the young and the old, should eat what is due to them;

14. Afterwards the householder and his wife.

15[5]. Or the householder (should eat) first, because the Śruti says, 'Therefore the householder should eat the sweetest food before his guests.'

16[6]. Every day he should sacrifice with the word svāhā. If he has no food (to offer, he should make his offering) with something else, be it even a piece of wood (only), to the gods, or be it (only) a water-pot, to the Fathers and to men.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

9, 1. The five Mahāyajñas are, the sacrifice to the gods, the sacrifice to living Beings, the sacrifice to the Fathers, the sacrifice to the Brahman, the sacrifice to men. As to the meaning of the five categories, see Āśvalāyana-Gṛhya III, 1.

[2]:

Compare above, I, 12, 3.

[3]:

Compare above, I, 12, 2.

[4]:

What I have translated 'the Brāhmaṇa's portion' is agra. See on this word the remark of Nīlakaṇṭha quoted by Böhtlingk-Roth sv. agrahāra: agraṃ brāhmaṇabhojanaṃ, tadarthaṃ hriyante rājadhanāt pṛthakkriyante tegrahārāḥ kṣetrādayaḥ. According to different commentators and lexicographers one Agra is equal to four or to sixteen mouthfuls of food.

[5]:

I cannot indicate any more than Professor Stenzler could, where the passage here quoted occurs in a Brāhmaṇa.

[6]:

Comp. Śāṅkhāyana-Gṛhya II, 17, 2; Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa XI, 5, 6, 2.

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