Praśna 12, Kaṇḍikā 20

1. Each one (that is, the Adhvaryu, the Pratiprasthātṛ the Nesṭṛ, and the sacrificer), when chosen, should offer two pravara-oblations on the Āhavanīya fire respectively with the two verses, “May I be agreeable to speech; agreeable to the lord of speech; O divine speech, transfer me to what is sweet of speech, to Sarasvatī svāhā.—Provide the song with the verse, the Rathantara with the Gāyatrī, and the Bṛhat having the Gāyatrī for its path.”^[1]

2. There is a view that each one when chosen should make the offerings; there is another view that only the Adhvaryu should make the offerings.

3. The procedure up to the offering of the omentum should be similar.^[2]

4. After the omentum has been offered, the Subrahmaṇya should call out the subrahmaṇyā containing the names of the fathers (= first three ancestors) and sons (= the first three descendants).

5. In the afternoon the Adhvaryu should take up vasatīvarī water out of a flowing stream.^[3]

6. Standing in the opposite direction,^[4] he should dip the pitcher into water with the verse, “This water is full of oblation; the god, the sacrifice is full of oblation; rich in oblation he seeks to win (the gods); may the sun be full of oblation.”^[5]

7. He should not cross over the flowing water which may be the nearest.

8. He should take water from the junction of the shade (of a cloud) and the sun. Or^[6] from (the junction of) the shade of a tree or himself (and the sun).

9. If the sun sets while the vasatīvarī water has not yet been taken, one should take the water with the help of a light, or by putting a piece of gold into the water.

10. Or he should take water from the pitcher of a Brāhmaṇa who has performed a Soma sacrifice (bahuyājin).^[7]

11. According to some teachers, one should take the water after having given the Brāhmaṇa a boon.

12. The Adhvaryu should place the water to the rear of the Gārhapatya fire with the formula, “O gracious waters, I set you for favour within the seat of Agni whose house is unharmed. Do you hold me in favour.”^[8]

13. The procedure up to the invocation of the Iḍā should be similar.^[9]

14. The Adhvaryu should carry the pan, in which the animal’s organs are taken together (samavatta), along the south of the Havirdhāna-carts or along the north.^[10]

15. Then he should give out a call, “O Āgnīdhra, do thou fetch burning embers for the upayājas...”^[11]

16. The Āgnīdhra should fetch burning embers out of the Śāmitra fire or the Āgnīdhra fire, and put them on the Dhiṣṇya of the Hotṛ.

17. The Pratiprasthātṛ should offer the upayājas.

18. (However,) here, at this time the Adhvaryu should not put the svaru (on the fire) at the end of the Anūyāja offerings. Nor should he do so in the Savanīya animal-sacrifice. He should do so in connection with the Anūbandhyā animal-sacrifice only.

19. One should formally dedicate the animal to Agni-Soma by day, and finish the animal-sacrifice at night.

20. The Animal-sacrifice should come to an end with the Patnīsaṃyāja offerings.

21. After the rite relating to the heart-pike has been gone through, the sacrificer should not pray to the sacrificial post.^[12]

22. One should not perform the rite of (the disposal of) the heart-pike in the Agnīṣomīya animal-sacrifice nor in the Savanīya animal-sacrifice. He should perform it only in the Anūbandhyā animal-sacrifice. This is the view of some teachers.^[13]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.1.10.1.

[2]:

VII.16.16.

[3]:

Breaking through a hillock according to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.20.5 following Maitrāyaṇī-saṃhitā IV.5.1.

[4]:

In the original text the words pratīpaṃ tiṣṭhan in sūtra 5 should be regarded as forming part of the sūtra 6.

[5]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.12.1.

[6]:

If there is no shade of a cloud, cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.20.8.

[7]:

cf. Bhāradvāja Pariśeṣasūtra 113 and also Rudradatta’s commentary on Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.20.12.

[8]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā I.3.12.1. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.20.13 adds that the procedure of the Agnīṣomīya Paśupuroḍāśa should be started at this stage with the arranging of the relevant utensils.

[9]:

VII.21.1-5.

[10]:

Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.20.14 mentions the Brāhmaṇa-passage (Taittirīya-saṃhitā VI.1.11.6) that the sacrificer should partake of the Iḍā of the Agnīṣomīya animal-sacrifice, or he should not.

[11]:

VII.21.6.

[12]:

VII.23.7.

[13]:

Rudradatta on Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XI.20.16 adds that if the sacrificer is going to offer āmikṣā instead of the Anūbandhyā animal-sacrifice, then the Adhvaryu. should put the svaru oa the fire and dispose of the heart-pike at the Savanīya animal-sacrifice itself.