Praśna 11, Kaṇḍikā 6

1. Without reciting any formula, the Adhvaryu should accomplish the prokṣaṇī-water in the prokṣaṇī-ladle and call upon the Brahman (and others) with the words,“O Brahman, we shall start with the Pravargya-rite; O Hotṛ, do you praise the Gharma; O Āgnīdhra, do thou put the two rauhiṇa cakes on the (Gārhapatya) fire; O Pratiprasthātṛ, do you place the various implements at the proper places;^[1] O Prastotṛ, do you chant the relevant Sāmans.”^[2]

2. The Brahmin should impel him with the verse recited to himself, “May the exultations carry thee who thou art possessed of smeared with the Sāmans, accompanied by all gods and the Maruts, extended by the dakṣiṇās, bringing through, and cheerful. Do thou give us brilliance without being angry. Bhūr bhuvaḥ suvaḥ,”^[3] and then saying loudly, “Om, do you go ahead with Indra.”^[3]

3. Or he should say loudly, “Do you go ahead,” and the rest to himself.

4. Impelled by the Brahman, the Adhvaryu should sprinkle with water all the Pravargya-utensils by means of the hand with the palm turned upwards.

5. He should sprinkle them three times respectively with the three formulas, “For Yama thee; for Makha thee; for the heat of the sun thee.”^[4]

6. He should sprinkle them in the same order.^[5]

7. He should keep asunder the utensils which have been sprinkled. So is it said.

8. (The Pratiprasthātṛ)^[6] should bring round the saṃrāḍāsandī along the front of the Āhavanīya fire, put it down in front of the rājāsandī, spread upon it a skin of a black antelope with its neck towards the east and the hairy part upwards, and place upon it the two Mahāvīras, which are not to be utilized, with the formula, “O forward-moving god, may I be able to bear thee,” recited each time.

9. There is a view that this formula should be recited after the two Mahāvīras have been placed.

10. He should take up a pole, pegs and (three) two-pronged cords, proceed along the front of the Hotṛ and by the rear of the Gārhapatya fire, go out by the southern door, and fix, to the south of the southern door, the pole at such a place that it can be seen by the Hotṛ.

11. Towards the south of the eastern post of that very door, he should fix a peg for the calf of the cow.

12. To the south of the western post of that very door he should fix a peg for the she-goat, and to the north (that is,) inwards, another for the lamb.

13. He should fasten the three two-pronged cords to the pegs.

14. At the proper time these^[7] should be tethered to these.

15. Then the Adhvaryu should pile up the mounds:

16. one towards the north of the Gārhapatya fire; the other towards the north of the Āhavanīya fire; towards the north-east he should prepare a mound for leavings (ucchiṣṭakhara) with an outlet.

17. The two-pronged cords should remain fastened until the time for the disposal of the Pravargya(–implements).^[8]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

CALAND in his note on Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XV.6.1 says that the direction given to the Pratiprasthātṛ is not clear. He has, however, rightly quoted Baudhāyana-śrauta-sūtra IX.6: pratiprasthātaḥ pravargyaṃ vihara.

[2]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.4.1.

[3]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.4.1.

[4]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka IV.5.1,

[5]:

Each time beginning with the same utensil with which he had begun at the first time.

[6]:

In view of the direction given to the Pratiprasthātṛ in sūtra 1 above, it seems reasonable to regard the duties mentioned in XI.6.8-7.2 as assigned to the Pratiprasthātṛ. In XI.7.1 the Pratiprasthātṛ is asked to accomplish the clarified butter. But it can hardly be said that this is the only duty which is assigned to him. Āpastamba seems to have assigned to him the duties mentioned in Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XV.6.7-7.1 which are parallel to those mentioned in Bhāradvāja-śrauta-sūtra as stated above. The mention of the Pratiprasthātṛ in Bhāradvāja-śrauta-sūtra XI.7.1 may be regarded as an instance of loose construction.

[7]:

The calf, the she-goat and the lamb.

[8]:

XI.13.1.