Sankhayana-grihya-sutra

by Hermann Oldenberg | 1886 | 37,785 words

The Grihya-sutra ascribed to Shankhayana, which has been edited and translated into German in the XVth volume of the "Indische Studien", is based on the first of the four Vedas, the Rig-veda in the Bashkala recension, and among the Brahmana texts, on the Kaushitaka. Alternative titles: Śāṅkhāyana-gṛhya-sūtra (शाङ्खायन-गृह्य-सूत्र), Shank...

Adhyāya I, Khaṇḍa 11

1[1]. Now when the bride is to be carried away (to the bridegroom's house) that night, or on the next, or on the third night,

2[2]. On that night, when (the darkness of) night is gone, they wash the girl up to her head with (water that has been made fragrant by) all sorts of herbs and the choicest fruits together with scents;

3. They put on her a newly-dyed garment or (a new one) which has not yet been washed;

4[3]. Then (the Ācārya of the bride's family) makes the girl sit down behind the fire, and while she takes hold of him he sacrifices with the Mahāvyāhṛtis, and then he makes Ājya oblations to Agni, to Soma, to Prajāpati, to Mitra, to Varuṇa, to Indra, to Indrāṇī, to the Gandharva, to Bhaga, to Pūṣan, to Tvaṣṭar, to Bṛhaspati, to the king Pratyānīka.

5. After they have regaled four or eight women, who are not widows, with lumps of vegetables, Surā, and food, these should perform a dance four times.

6. The same deities (they worship also) on behalf of the man,

7. And Vaiśravaṇa and Īśāna.

8. Then follows the distribution of food to Brāhmaṇas.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

11, 1. The ceremony described in this chapter is called Indrāṇīkarman. The goddess Indrāṇī is mentioned in Sūtra 4 among the deities to whom Ājya oblations are made.

[2]:

Niśākāle, niśā madhyasthaṃ praharadvayaṃ, tasmin kale atīte. Nārāyaṇa.

[3]:

The 'king Pratyānīka' has given origin to a very curious misunderstanding in the Śāmbavya-Gṛhya and its commentary; see p. 127 of the German edition.

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