Praśna 10, Kaṇḍikā 22

1. Having crossed the altar (towards the south) by the rear of the Āhavanīya fire, the Adhvaryu should spread on the stool the skin of a black antelope with its neck towards the east and with the hairy side upwards with the formula, “Thou art the scat of Aditi.”^[1]

2. With the formula, “Seat thyself on the seat of Aditi,”^[2] he should place king Soma upon it.

3. With the formula, “Varuṇa art thou, the possessor of ordinances,”^[3] he should enfold him with a garment.

4. He should then pay homage to him with the verse addressed to Varuṇa, “Do you pay homage to the great Varuṇa; do you bow down to him, firm, guardian of immortality. May he bestow upon us threefold protection. Do you guard us always with your blessings.”^[4]

5. Then he should give out a call, “Do you not pass between the king (Soma) and the sacred fire.”

6. The rites up to the taking up of clarified butter should be similar.^[5]

7. He should take up four spoonfuls of clarified butter into each of the ladles.

8. He should place within the altar the oblations pertaining to the Ātithyeṣṭi with the caturhotṛ formula, recite the sambhārayajus formulas and go through the rite of churning following the procedure of churning.^[6]

9. There should be seventeen sāmidhenī verses.

10. The rites up to the Prayājas should be similar.^[7]

11. The Adhvaryu should take up the entire quantity of clarified butter from the Upabhṛt at the (end of the) fourth (Prayāja-offering).

12. Here he should not pour out clarified butter into the Upabhrt.^[8]

13. The Ātithyeṣṭi should be concluded with the rite of Iḍā.

14. There is a view that the Hotṛ should invoke the Iḍā represented by the entire cake. There is another view that it should be represented by portions of the same.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.10.1.

[2]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.10.1.

[3]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.2.10.2.

[4]:

cf. Ṛg-veda VIII.42.2; Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa II.5.8.4.

[5]:

II.7.1 ff.

[6]:

VII.9.12.

[7]:

II.16.2ff.

[8]:

II. 16.10.