1 1. When a son has been born, (the father) should, before other people touch him, give him to eat from gold (i.e. from a golden vessel or with a golden spoon) butter and honey with which he has ground gold(-dust), with (the verse), 'I administer to thee the wisdom ('veda') of honey, of ghee, raised by Savitri the bountiful. Long-living, protected by the gods, live a hundred autumns in this world!'
2. Approaching (his mouth) to (the child's) two ears he murmurs the 'production of intelligence:' 'Intelligence may give to thee god Savitri, intelligence may goddess Sarasvatî, intelligence may give to thee the two divine Asvins, wreathed with lotus.'
3 3. He touches (the child's) two shoulders with (the verse), 'Be a stone, be an axe, be insuperable gold. Thou indeed art the Veda, called son; so live a hundred autumns'and with (the verses), 'Indra, give the best treasures' (Rig-veda II, 21, 6), Bestow on us, O bountiful one, O speedy one' (Rig-veda III, 36, 10).
4. And let them give him a name beginning with
182:1 15, 1. Comp. Âsv.-Grihya-Parisishta I, 26. I follow Professor Stenzler, who corrects maghonâm into maghonâ; comp. Sâṅkh.-Grihya I, 24, 4. 182:3 Vedo may as well be the nominative of veda as that of vedas ('property').