Praśna 2, Kaṇḍikā 1

[The New-moon and the Full-moon Sacrifices (continued)]

1. The Adhvaryu should take the wooden sword with the formula, “In the impulse of god Savitṛ...,” ^[1] and sharpen it by means of a darbha-blade with the formula, “Thou art hundred-spiked, derived from wood, the smīter of the enemy; thousand-spiked and hundred-edged. Thou art the wind of sharp edges.”^[2]

2. To the rear of the Āhavanīya fire, there should be the altar, (ending) towards the east, as long as the sacrificer, or unmeasured (that is, a little more).

3. It should be so broad that it could accommodate the oblations placed (within it).

4. With the verse, “The gods obtained wide altar through the veda. That wide altar spread out earthly substances. That altar carries the womb within her regions. Therefrom is born the sacrifice, the all-giver,”^[3] he should cleanse the altar three times by means of the veda before the carrying of stambayajus or after it.

5. He should carry the stambayajus from that part of the eastern half of the altar which remains after leaving out the (easternmost) third part (of the altar).^[4]

6. With the formula, “Thou art the shelter of the earth,”^[5] he should place within the altar a darbha-blade with its end either towards the north or towards the east, and strike upon it by means of the wooden sword, with the formula, “O earth, whereon sacrifice is offered to the gods, Jet me not harm the root of thy plant.”^[6]

7. With the formula, “Araru is smitten away from the earth,”^[7] he should take the dust together with a darbha-blade by means of the wooden sword and carry it with the formula, “Do thou go to the stable, the shed of cows.”^[7]

8. He should gaze at the altar with the formula, “May heaven rain for thee.”^[7]

9. He should put it down towards the north^[8] with the formula, “O god Savitṛ, do thou bind, in the farthest distance with a hundred fetters, him who hates us and whom we hate; thence let him not flee.”^[9]

10. It becomes the rubbish-heap.

11. The Āgnīdhra should take that (dust together with the darbha-blade) with the formula, “O Araru, do thou not fly to the heaven.”^[10]

12. With the same procedure, he should carry (the stambayajus) for the second and the third time.

13-14. (The only difference is that) he should take (the dust together with the darbha-blade) for the second time with the formula, “Araru is smitten away from the earth, the place of sacrifice”¹ and for the third time with the formula, “Araru is smitten away from the earth, he that does not sacrifice to the gods.”^[11]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

I.19.10.

[2]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā II.6.4.1.

[3]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.3.9.10.

[4]:

This sūtra is identical with Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra II.1.4 which CALAND renders as, “from the front part forming a third part of the vedi.” According to his note, he divides the altar into three parts, and mentions the easternmost third one from which the stambayajus is to be carried. According to the commentators of Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra and Satyāṣāḍha-sūtra , it is the middle third part that is intended. According to our opinion, it is that portion of the middle third part which belongs to the eastern half of the altar.

[5]:

Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā (Kāṇva). 1.9.2.

[6]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.19.1.

[7]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.1.9.1.

[8]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra II.1.6 gives the exact location; two steps towards the north of the region lying to the east of the vitṛtīyadeśa from where he has been carrying the stambayajus. Āpastamba further adds that he should do so facing the north.

[9]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.1.9.1.

[10]:

Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā 1.26. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra II.1.8 prescribes the formula, ararus te divam mā skān, instead of this one.

[11]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.1.9.1.