Praśna 3, Kaṇḍikā 4

1 The Adhvaryu should give out a call (to the Āgnīdhra), “In order to carry forth (the cooked rice) towards (the officiating priests) sitting towards the south.”

2. (The sacrificer) should say to the officiating priests, who are towards the north, “Do you come towards the south.”

3. To the officiating priests who are seated towards the south he should give away the anvāhārya cooked rice as dakṣiṇā saying, “O Brāhmaṇas, this cooked rice belongs to you.”

4. He should further say to them,“Do you go round towards the north.”

5. The Adhvaryu should take out the remnants of the oblations, put the two fire-brands^[1] (into the Āhavanīya fire), and give out the call, “O Brahman, we shall start; O Āgnīdhra, do thou put the fire-stick on the fire,^[2] and cleanse once the enclosing sticks and the fire.”

6. The Āgnīdhra, impelled by the Brahman,^[3] should put the Anūyāja fire-stick on the fire with the formula, “This, O Agni, is thy firestick; do thou be increased and swollen. May the lord of sacrifice be increased and swollen by you.”

7. The Āgnīdhra should cleanse once the enclosing sticks and the fire with the tie of the faggot, not accompanied by the wooden sword. He should cleanse the enclosing sticks without reciting any formula.

8. He should cleanse the fire^[4] with the formula, “O Agni, the winner of wealth, I cleanse, for the winning of wealth and for food, thee who hast flown wealth, who hast won wealth, possessor of wealth, and who hast won wealth.”^[5]

9. He should apply water to the cord with which he cleansed (the enclosing sticks and the fire) and throw it on the Āhavanīya fire with the verse, “Thou, who art the lord of cattle, Rudra, the bull who moves within the herd of cattle, do thou not injure our cattle. May this oblation be offered to thee, svāhā.”^[6]

10. According to some teachers, he should throw it on the rubbish-heap.^[7]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

II.9.2

[2]:

II.12.3.

[3]:

Rudradatta presumes that the impelling by the Brahman is meant for all the officiating priests, hence also for the Āgnīdhra; while Rāmāgnicit, in his commentary on the bhāṣya of Dhūrtasvāmin, takes the impelling as addressed to the Adhvaryu alone whereupon the Āgnīdhra does his job.

[4]:

Towards the east, cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra III.4.7.

[5]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.6.7.17-18.

[6]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.3.2.5.

[7]:

According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra III.4.8, he may optionally throw it within the (fire)hall, or a heap of corn or grass, or at a place beyond the cow-pen or the way of the cows.