1. Now, on the third, or the sixth, or the twelfth day 2, having combined (the two performances of) the Pravargya and Upasads 3, he 'sets out 4' the Pravargya, for set out (removed), as it were, is this head (from the trunk). Having gathered together all around it 5 (the Mahâvîra pot), they
3. And as to why (it is held) on a level with the mouth,--well, what is level with the mouth is, as it were, above; and above, as it were, is yonder (heavenly) world: thus he thereby supplies and completes it (the Pravargya) with that heat which had entered yonder world.
4. [He offers, with Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 18,] 'What heavenly fire of thine there is, O Gharma,'--just the fire which is heavenly;--'what is in the Gâyatrî and in the Havirdhâna,'--
6. 'What fire of thine is in the air,'--just the fire which is in the air;--'what is in the Trishtubh and in the Âgnîdhra,' just that which is in the Trishtubh (metre) and Âgnîdhra (fire-shed);--'may that (fire) of thine increase and become firm: to that (fire) of thine, hail!' in this there is nothing hidden, so to speak.
7. Then, having put the third (bundle) on the fire, he offers on it whilst sitting; for below, as it were, is he who is sitting; and below, as it were, is this (terrestrial) world: thus the thereby supplies and completes it with that heat which had entered this (terrestrial) world.
8. 'What fire of thine is in the earth,'--just that fire which is in the earth;--'what is in the Gagatî and in the Sadas,' just that which is in the Gagatî (metre) and the Sadas (shed);--'may that (fire) of thine increase and become firm: to that (fire) of thine, hail!' in this there is nothing hidden, so to speak.
9. He (the Adhvaryu) then steps out 1, with
10. He then says (to the Prastotri), 'Sing the Sâman!' or 'Recite the Sâman!' but let him rather say, 'Sing the Sâman!' for they indeed sing the Sâman. When he sings the Sâman it is in order that the fiends, the Rakshas, should not injure these
12. He sings 1, 'Agni burneth, encountereth with flames, Ahâvo! Ahâvo 1!'--it is thus he repels the fiends, the Rakshas, from here.
13. They walk out (from the sacrificial ground) northwards 2, along the back of the pit and the front side of the Âgnîdhra (fire-house)--for this is the gate of the sacrifice--and proceed in whatever direction from there water is (to be found).
14. Let him 'set out' that (Pravargya) on an island; for, when heated, it becomes burning-hot 3; and were he to set it out on this (earth), its heat would enter this (earth); and were he to set it out on water, its heat would enter the water; but when he sets it out on an island--thus, indeed, it does not injure either the water or this (earth), for inasmuch as he does not throw it into the water, it does not injure the water; and inasmuch as the water flows all round it--water being a means
16. The first Pravargya (pot) he sets out so as to be close to (the front side of) the navel (of the Uttara-vedi), for the northern (upper) navel is the voice, and the Pravargya is the head: he thus places the voice in the head.
17. [He does so, with Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 20,] 'The four-cornered,'--four-cornered, indeed, is he who shines yonder, for the quarters are his corners: therefore he says, 'Four-cornered';--
18. --'Mighty navel of the divine order,'--the divine order being the truth, he thereby means to say, 'The mighty navel of the truth;'--'that mighty one (be) unto us of all life;'--'that mighty one (be) unto us (a bestower) of the complete (term of) life,' he thereby means to say 2;
20. In front thereof (he places) the reserve (lump of) clay, whereby he puts flesh upon it (Pravargya); on the two sides thereof the two lifting-sticks, whereby he gives two arms to it; and on the two sides yet further away the two Rauhina offering-ladles, whereby he gives two hands to it.
21. On the left (north) side (he places) the spade, for there is its place of rest; on the right (right) side the imperial throne, for there is its place of rest; on the left side the black antelope-skin, for there is its place of rest; on all sides (save the front side) the fans, for, the fans being the vital airs, he thereby bestows vital airs on it; there are three of them, for there are three vital airs, the out- (and in-) breathing, the up-breathing, and the through-breathing: it is these he thus bestows on him.
22. He then puts the cords and halter on the supporting-tray, and places (the latter) behind (the
23. He then pours milk into that (chief pot), with (Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 21), 'This, O Gharma, is the contents of thy bowels,'--the contents of the bowels being food, it is food he thus puts into it;--'Grow thou, and fill out thereby!'--in this there is nothing hidden, so to speak;--'and may we ourselves grow, and fill out!'--it is a blessing he thereby invokes.
24. Let him not pour in all (the milk), lest the food should turn away from the Sacrificer.--He leaves over half of it or more; and on that same afternoon he pours it to the fast-milk, and hands it to the Sacrificer: thereby he bestows food upon
26. He then says (to the Prastotri), 'Sing the Vârshâhara Sâman!'--the fallow stallion 1 (vrishâ harih) doubtless is he who shines yonder, and the Pravargya also is that (sun): it is thus him he thereby pleases, and therefore he says, 'Sing the Vârshâhara Sâman 2!'
27. They then cleanse themselves at the pit. With (Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 23), 'May the waters and plants be friendly unto us,' he takes water in his joined hands; for water is a thunderbolt: he thus makes a covenant with the thunderbolt;--and with, 'May they be unfriendly unto him who hateth us, and whom we hate!' let him sprinkle it in whatever direction he who is hateful to him may be, and he thereby overthrows him.
28. He (the Sacrificer) then steps out towards the north-east, with (Vâg. S. XXXVIII, 24), 'From out of the gloom have we risen,'--gloom is
29. And at a continued pressing of Soma they also perform the Gharma of curds and whey (Dadhi-gharma),--for Soma is the sacrifice, and the Pravargya is its head: he thus restores to the sacrifice its head,--at the midday-pressing, for that--to wit, the midday-pressing--is Indra's special pressing: he thus pleases him in his own share;--when the Mâdhyandina-pavamâna has been chanted, for the Mâdhyandina-pavamâna is the breath: it is breath he thereby lays into him;--with the Agnihotra-ladle, for the Agnihotra is the mouth of sacrifices: he thus puts a mouth in the head.
30. On its being brought, he says, 'Hotâr, speak what thou hast to speak!' for the Hotri speaks on this occasion. Then, stepping up, he says, 'Cooked is the offering-food;' for cooked, indeed, it is. Having stepped across (behind the Âhavanîya), and called for the Sraushat, he says, 'Pronounce the offering-formula!' and offers on the Vashat being uttered. When the Vashat is
32. Now, then, as to the sacrificial gifts. The gold plate he gives to the Brahman; for the Brahman is seated, and gold is settled 2 glory: therefore he gives the gold plate to the Brahman.
33. And that cow which yielded the Gharma-milk he gives to the Adhvaryu; for scorched, as it were, is the Gharma, and the Adhvaryu comes forth (from the sacrificial ground) like something scorched 3: therefore he gives it to the Adhvaryu.
34. And that cow which yielded the Sacrificer's
36. And, verily, whosoever either teaches, or partakes of, this (Pravargya) enters that life, and that light: the observance thereof is the same as at the creation 1.
493:2 That is, according to whether there are three, six, or twelve Upasad days to the particular form of Soma-sacrifice about to be performed. On each of these days there would be two performances of the Upasads,--and in case the Pravargya is to be performed--as many performances of that sacrifice.
493:3 On the day before the Soma-sacrifice, the two performances of the Pravargya and the Upasads are combined and gone through in the forenoon, instead of the forenoon and afternoon as is otherwise the case. Kâty. XXVI, 7, 1 does not refer to the performance of the Pravargya on this day, but merely remarks that 'at the end of the Upasads (i.e. of the combination of the Upasads, comm.) the removal of the Pravargya' takes place. Âpast. XV, 12, 4-6, on the other hand, states distinctly that the total number of performances of the Pravargya is to be double that of the Upasad days.
493:4 The 'setting out' (utsâdana) of the Pravargya is the technical phrase for the removal and orderly laying out (in the form of a man) of the apparatus used for the Pravargya ceremony.
493:5 After collecting the implements they take them out of the sâlâ
495:1 Viz. out of the sâlâ, with the Sacrificer's wife in front of him,
497:1 The same Sâman is sung when they betake themselves to the expiatory bath at the end of the Soma-sacrifice, cf. IV, 4, 5, 8 where the stobha had better be altered to 'ahâvo' (though the Sandhi in the text is the same as of 'ahâvas'). As on that former occasion, all the priests, as well as the Sacrificer, join in the finale.
497:2 In doing so, they take the Pravargya-vessels and implements along with them.
497:3 Hardly 'is suffering pain,' as it was taken at IX, 2, 1, 29; though 'susukâna' and 'suk' evidently refer to internal heat, or passion, cf. p. 464, note 4 , p. 468, note 1.
498:1 Kâtyâyana only lays down the rule that, in the case of the sacrifice not being accompanied with the building of a fire-altar, the Pravargya apparatus should be removed to the Uttara-vedi; whilst, in the case of one who likewise performs the Agnikayana, he would doubtless follow the indication already laid down in the Brâhmana, IX, 2, 1, 19; viz. that the pot may be removed to an island, but should rather be deposited on the fire-altar (in which case, however, the 'setting out' of the apparatus would apparently have to be deferred till after the performance of the Soma-sacrifice). Âpastamba treats of the Uttara-vedi as the place where the implements are to be deposited, but finally he allows an option of other places, including an island, but not the fire-altar.
498:2 The words 'sa nah sarvâyuh saprathâh,' being here used as explanatory of 'sa no visvâyuh saprathâh,' have probably got by mistake into the Samhitâ.
499:1 The author evidently understands the text more in accordance with Mahîdhara's interpretation which makes 'anyavratasya' to refer to the Supreme Spirit (paramâtmâ) whose law, or ways, are different front men's, and construes it with 'saskima' (we serve, are devoted, to that righteous one). The preceding part of the half-verse he would thus take independently of this:--'Away hatred! away guile!'
499:2 Viz. consisting of bone, skin, and hair.
500:1 That is, the sand used for them, and brought thither in vessels.
500:2 That is, the sand of the 'mound of remains' (ukkhishtakhara), see p. 489, note 3.
501:1 Or, bull.--The Vâg. S. (XXXVIII, 22) here inserts the verse Rig-v. IX, 2, 6, to be used during the sprinkling,--'The fallow stallion hath whinnied--or, the fallow bull hath roared--the mighty one, beautiful as Mitra, the water-holding vessel hath shone like unto the sun." The italicised words, evidently added to suit the Mahâvîra vessel, are wanting in the Rik.
501:2 Kâty. XXVI, 7, 36 (doubtless in accordance with another sâkhâ) also prescribes here the Ishtâhotrîya Sâman.
502:1 The Sacrificer's wife (according to another sâkhâ) also silently puts one on the Gârhapatya fire.
503:2 Lit., lying, i.e. not standing or moving.
503:3 Cf. XI, 2, 7, 32.
