Praśna 11, Kaṇḍikā 3

1. He should forge the hollow down to the third (= lowest) elevation.

2. With the formula, “Do thou be burnt with the heat of the sun; thou art the sacrifice,”^[1] he should place it upon gravel towards the north.

3. In the same way he should place the second (Mahāvīra); in the same way the third.

4. (He should place) the other (utensils) without reciting any formula.

5. He should prepare two milking pots out of the same earth; they should resemble the lip of an elephant, have a beak, and (look) like a ladle without handle.

6. The milking pot of the Adhvaryu should be taller; that of the Pratiprasthātṛ shorter.

7. Out of the same earth he should prepare a vessel for clarified butter, and two rauhiṇa potsherds^[2] which are round (at the bottom) and resemble a horse.

8. If the Pravargya is accompanied by a fire-altar,^[3] one should prepare also the gharmeṣṭakā and the kulāyinī brick.

9. The Mahāvīra-utensils should be polished with the polishing materials, namely, new garments of a bride, gavīdhuka grains, the seeds of karañja (klītakā), sections of bamboo, and clarified butter.

10. For the purpose of fumigation the Adhvaryu should burn the excrement of a strong horse on the Gārhapatya fire, and with the formula, “Thou art the excrement of a strong horse; may Varuṇa, the holder of laws, fumigate thee through the steady law of Mitra and Varuṇa,”^[4] he should fumigate the first-prepared Mahāvīra held by means of a pair of tongs.

11. Similarly he should fumigate the second Mahāvīra; similarly the third.

12. He should fumigate the other utensils without reciting any formula.

13. Henceforward he should take up the Mahāvīras (holding them) by means of the pair of tongs.

14. He should get a pit dug out in front of the Gārhapatya fire, spread out into it the substances by means of the burning of which the Ṃahāvīras would be turned red, and place upon them the first prepared Mahāvīra with the formula, “Thou art the flame.”^[5]

15. He should place the second Mahāvīra with the formula, “Thou art brilliance;”^[6] the third with the formula, “Thou art light, thou art heat.”^[6]

16. He should then place the other utensils without reciting any formula, cover (all the utensils) with the substances by means of the burning of which the utensils would be turned red, light muñja grass on the

Gārhapatya fire, and then burn the substances—towards the east with the formula, “For flame thee,”^[7] towards the south with the formula, “For brilliance thee,”^[7] towards the west with the formula, “For light thee,”^[7] and towards the north with the formula, “For heat thee.”^[7]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.2.5.

[2]:

XI.7.3; 9.1; 10.6; 11.5.

[3]:

The Agnicayana-portion of Bhāradvāja-śrauta-sūtra is not available.

[4]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.1.

[5]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.6.

[6]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.6.

[7]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.3.2.