Praśna 9, Kaṇḍikā 4

1. If a burning ember falls outside the enclosing sticks before the Prayāja offerings, one should hold it by means of the lower end of the spoon with the verse, “Do thou not be exhausted; let the sacrifice not be exhausted; let the sacrificer not be exhausted. O Rudra, obeisance to thee, coming; obeisance to thee, going away; obeisance to thee where thou seatest thyself,”^[1] and with the formula, “Do thou not harm the Adhvaryu; do thou not harm the sacrificer,” if it has fallen towards the east; with the formula, “Do thou not harm the Brahman; do thou not harm the sacrificer,” if it has fallen towards the south; with the formula, “Do thou not harm the Hotṛ; do thou not harm the sacrificer’s wife; do thou not harm the sacrificer,” if it is fallen towards the west; and with the formula, “Do thou not harm the Āgnīdhra; do thou not harm the cattle; do thou not harm the sacrificer,” if it has fallen towards the north.^[2]

2. He should then throw it into the fire^[3] with the verse, “Jātavedas, the thousand-horned bull, having the Stomas as the back, rich in ghee, beautiful; met together, may he not abandon us; may we not abandon thee; do thou give us abundance in cows and abundance in heroes.”^[4]

3. According to some teachers, one should throw the burning ember into the fire (without reciting any formula) and then offer the oblation (with the verse mentioned in sūtra 2).^[5]

4. One should throw it into the fire by that direction towards which it had fallen.^[6]

5. If the fire of one, who has set up the sacred fires, is not produced while being churned out,^[7] one should recite over it the verse, “Men have generated, through the movements of their hands, Agni rich in splendour, praised, visible from a distance, lord of the house, the flickering one.”^[8] He should bring the fire from where he finds it, spread out the fires,^[9] and offer an oblation.

6. If he is not in a hurry, he should churn it out again.^[10]

7. If one does not get another tire, he should make the offering in the right ear of a she-goat.^[11]

8. He should, however, not consume a goat thenceforward.^[12]

9. If one does not get a she-goat, he should make the offering on the right hand of a Brāhmaṇa.^[13]

10. He should, however, not deny accomodation to a Brāhmaṇa (thenceforward).^[14]

11. If one does not get a Brāhmaṇa, he should make the offering on a stem of darbha-blades.^[15]

12. He should, however, not sit upon darbha-grass (thenceforward).^[16]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.2.7. This verse is to be repeated in each contingency.

[2]:

= Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX. 2.9.

[3]:

According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX.2.10, he should take it up with the verse ā’haṃ yajñaṃ dadhe... and then throw it.

[4]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa III.7.2.7.

[5]:

= Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX.3.2.

[6]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra does not give parallel injunction.

[7]:

According to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX.3.3, the contingency is: if one has consigned his sacred fires into the kindling woods by reason of journey and has to spread out the fires at the end of the journey for the Agnihotra-offering.

[8]:

Ṛg-veda VII.l. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX.3.3 does not mention this verse.

[9]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra does not have the word vihṛtya. Rudradatta, therefore, prescribes laukikāgnīm āhṛtya gārhapatyāyatane nidhāya vihṛtya juhuyād ily arthaḥ.

[10]:

= Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX.3.4.

[11]:

= Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX.3.5.

[12]:

= Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX.3.6.

[13]:

= Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX.3.7.

[14]:

= Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX.3.8.

[15]:

= Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX.3.9.

[16]:

= Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra IX.3.10.