| Grihya Sûtra of Hiranyakesin — Prasna I, Patala 6 | Title page | Grihya Sûtra of Hiranyakesin — Prasna I, Patala 8 |
1. Then they let her depart (in a vehicle from her father’s house), or they let her be taken away.
2. Having put (the fire into a vessel) they carry that (nuptial) fire behind (the newly-married couple).
3. It should be kept constantly.
4. [1] If it goes out, (a new fire) should be kindled by attrition, or it should be fetched from the house of a Srotriya.
5. Besides, if (the fire) goes out, the wife or the husband should fast.
6. When (the bridegroom with his bride) has come to his house, he says to her, ‘Cross (the threshold) with thy right foot first; do not stand on the threshold.’
7. In the hall, in its easterly part, he puts down the fire and puts wood on it.
8. To the west of the fire he spreads out a red bull’s skin with the neck to the east, with the hair outside. [ p. 194 ]
9. [2] On that (skin) they both sit down facing the east or the north, so that the wife sits behind her husband, with (the verse), ‘Here may the cows sit down, here the horses, here the men. Here may also Pûshan with a thousand (sacrificial) gifts sit down.’
10. They sit silently until the stars appear.
11. When the stars have appeared, he goes forth from the house (with his wife) in an easterly or northerly direction, and worships the quarters (of the horizon) with (the hemistich), ‘Ye goddesses, ye six wide ones’ (Taitt. Samh. IV, 7, 14, 2).
12. [3] (He worships) the stars with (the Pâda), ‘May we not be deprived of our offspring;’
13. The moon with (the Pâda), 'May we not get into the power of him who hates us, O king Soma!
14. He worships the seven Rishis (ursa major) with (the verse), ‘The seven Rishis who have led to firmness she, Arundhatî, who stands first among the six Krittikâs (pleiads):—may she, the eighth one, who leads the conjunction of the (moon with the) six Krittikâs, the first (among conjunctions) shine upon us!’ Then he worships the polar star with (the formula), 'Firm dwelling, firm origin. The firm one art thou, standing on the side of firmness. Thou art the pillar of the stars; thus protect me against my adversary.
Adoration be to the Brahman, to the firm, immovable one! Adoration be to the Brahman’s son, Pragâpati! Adoration to the Brahman’s children, [ p. 195 ] to the thirty-three gods! Adoration to the Brahman’s children and grandchildren, to the Aṅgiras!
He who knows thee (the polar star) as the firm, immovable Brahman with its children and with its grandchildren, with such a man children and grandchildren will firmly dwell, servants and pupils, garments and woollen blankets, bronze and gold, wives and kings, food, safety, long life, glory, renown, splendour, strength, holy lustre, and the enjoyment of food. May all these things firmly and immovably dwell with me!’
1. (Then follow the Mantras), 'I know thee as the firm Brahman. May I become firm in this world and in this country.
‘I know thee as the immovable Brahman. May I not be moved away from this world and from this country. May he who hates me, my rival, be moved away from this world and from this country.
‘I know thee as the unshaken Brahman. May I not be shaken off from this world and from this country. May he who hates me, my rival, be shaken off from this world and from this country.
‘I know thee as the unfailing Brahman. May I not fall from this world and from this country. May he who hates me, my rival, fall from this world and from this country.
‘I know thee as the nave of the universe. May I become the nave of this country. I know thee as the centre of the universe. May I become the centre of this country. I know thee as the string that holds the universe. May I become the string that holds this country. I know thee as the pillar [ p. 196 ] of the universe. May I become the pillar of this country. I know thee as the navel of the universe. May I become the navel of this country.
‘As the navel is the centre of the Prânas, thus I am the navel. May hundred-and-onefold evil befall him who hates us and whom we hate; may more than hundred-and-onefold merit fall to my lot!’
2. Having spoken there with a person that he likes, and having returned to the house, he causes her to sacrifice a mess of cooked food.
3. The wife husks (the rice grains of which that Sthâlîpâka is prepared).
4. She cooks (that Sthâlîpâka), sprinkles (Âtya) on it, takes it from the fire, sacrifices to Agni, and then sacrifices to Agni Svishtaktt.
5. [4] With (the remains of) that (Sthâlîpâka) he entertains a learned Brâhmana whom he reveres.
6. To that (Brâhmana) he makes a present of a bull.
7. From that time he constantly sacrifices (yagate) on the days of the full and of the new moon a mess of cooked food sacred to Agni.
8. In the evening and in the morning he constantly sacrifices (_g_uhoti) with his hand (and not with the Darvî) the two following oblations of rice or of barley: ‘To Agni Svâhâ! To Pragâpati Svâhâ!’
9. Some (teachers) state that in the morning the [ p. 197 ] former (of these oblations) should be directed to Sûrya.
10. Through a period of three nights they should eat no saline food, should sleep on the ground, wear ornaments, and should be chaste.
11. [5] In the fourth night, towards morning, he puts wood on the fire, performs the (regular) ceremonies down to the (regular) expiatory oblations, and sacrifices nine expiatory oblations (with the following Mantras):
1. 'Agni! Expiation! Thou art expiation. I, the Brâhmana, entreat thee, desirous of protection. What is terrible in her, drive that away from here. Svâhâ!
‘Vâyu! Expiation! Thou art expiation. I, the Brâhmana, entreat thee, desirous of protection. What is blameful in her, drive that away from here. Svâhâ!
‘Sun! Expiation! Thou art expiation. I, the Brâhmana, entreat thee, desirous of protection. What dwells in her that is death-bringing to her husband, drive that away from here. Svâhâ!
‘Sun! Expiation! &c.
‘Vâyu! Expiation! &c.
‘Agni! Expiation! &c.
‘Agni! Expiation! &c.
‘Vâyu! Expiation! &c.
‘Sun! Expiation! &c.’ [ p. 198 ]
2. Having sacrificed (these oblations), he then pours the remainder as an oblation on her head, with (the formulas), ‘Bhû_h_! I sacrifice fortune over thee. Svâhâ! Bhuva_h_! I sacrifice glory over thee. Svâhâ! Suva_h_! I sacrifice beauty over thee. Svâhâ! Bhûr bhuva_h suvah_! I sacrifice brightness over thee. Svâhâ!’
3. There (near the sacrificial fire) he places a water-pot, walks round the fire (and that water-pot) keeping his right side turned towards it, makes (the wife) lie down to the west of the fire, facing east or north, and touches her secret parts, with (the formula), ‘We touch thee with the five-forked, auspicious, unhostile (?), thousandfoldly blessed, glorious hand that thou mayst be rich in offspring!’
4. He then cohabits with her with (the formula), ‘United is our soul, united our hearts, united our navel, united our skin. I will bind thee with the bond of love; that shall be insoluble.’
5. He then embraces her with (the formula), ‘Be devoted to me; be my companion. What dwells in thee that is death-bringing to thy husband, that I make death-bringing to thy paramours. Bring luck to me; be a sharp-cutting (destroyer) to thy paramours.’
6. [6] He then seeks her mouth with his mouth, with (the two verses), 'Honey! Lo! Honey! This is honey! my tongue’s speech is honey; in my mouth dwells the honey of the bee; on my teeth dwells concord.
‘The (magic charm of) concord that belongs to the kakravâka birds, that is brought out of the [ p. 199 ] rivers, of which the divine Gandharva is possessed, thereby we are concordant.’
7. [7] A woman that has her monthly courses, keeps through a period of three nights the observances prescribed in the Brâhmana.
8. In the fourth night (the husband) having sipped water, calls (the wife) who has taken a bath, who wears a clean dress and ornaments, and has spoken with a Brâhmana, to himself (with the following verses):
1. [8] (a) 'May Vishnu make thy womb ready; may Tvashnri frame the shape (of the child); may Pranâpati pour forth (the sperm); may Dhâtri give thee conception!
(b) 'Give conception, Sinîvâlî; give conception, Sarasvatî! May the two Asvins, wreathed with lotus, give conception to thee!
© 'The embryo which the two Asvins produce with their golden kindling-sticks: that embryo we call into thy womb, that thou mayst give birth to it after ten months.
(d) [9] 'As the earth is pregnant with Agni, as the heaven is with Indra pregnant, as Vâyu dwells in the womb of the regions (of the earth), thus I place an embryo into thy womb.
[ p. 200 ]
(e) 'Open thy womb; take in the sperm; may a male child, an embryo be begotten in the womb. The mother bears him ten months; may he be born, the most valiant of his kin.
(f) 'May a male embryo enter thy womb, as an arrow the quiver; may a man be born here, thy son, after ten months.
(g) [10] 'I do with thee (the work) that is sacred to Pragâpati; may an embryo enter thy womb. May a child be born without deficiency, with all its limbs, not blind, not lame, not sucked out by Pigâgas.
(h) [11] 'By the superior powers which the bulls shall produce for us, thereby become thou pregnant; may he be born, the most valiant of his kin.
(i) [12] ‘Indra has laid down in the tree the embryo of the sterile cow and of the cow that prematurely produces; thereby become thou pregnant; be a well-breeding cow’—
And (besides with the two Mantras), ‘United are our names’ (above, 24, 4), and, ‘The concord of the kakravâka birds’ (24, 6).
2. (He should cohabit with her with the formulas), ‘Bhû_h_! Through Pragâpati, the highest bull, I pour forth (the sperm); conceive a valiant son, N.N.! Bhuva_h_! Through Pragâpati, &c.—Suva_h_! Through Pragâpati, &c.’ Thus he will gain a valiant son.
3. The Mantras ought to be repeated whenever they cohabit, according to Âtreya,
4. Only the first time and after her monthly courses, according to Bâdarâyana.
[ p. 201 ]
1. The fire which (the sacrificer keeps) from the time of his marriage, is called the Aupâsana (or sacred domestic fire)
2. With this fire the sacred domestic ceremonies are performed.
3. [14] On account of his worship devoted to this (fire the sacrificer) is considered as an Âhitâgni (i.e. as one who has set up the Srauta fires), and on account of his fortnightly _Karu sacrifices (on the days of the new and full moon) as one who offers the sacrifices of the new and full moon (as prescribed in the Srauta ritual); so (is it taught).
4. If (the service at the domestic fire) has been interrupted for twelve days, the sacrificer ought to set the fire up again.
5. Or he should count all the sacrifices (that have been left out), and should offer them.
6. (The punarâdhâna or repeated setting up of the fire is performed in the following way): in an enclosed space, having raised (the surface), sprinkled it (with water), strewn it with sand, and covered it with Udumbara or Plaksha branches, he silently brings together the things belonging to (the sacrifice) according as he is able to get them, produces fire by attrition out of a sacrificially pure piece of wood, or gets a common fire, places it in a big vessel, sets it in a blaze, and puts (fuel) on it with the words, ‘Bhû_h_! Bhuva_h_! Suva_h_! Om! Fixity!’ [ p. 202 ]
7. He then puts wood on the fire, performs (the rites) down to the Vyâhriti oblations, and offers two ‘mindâ oblations’ (i.e. oblations for making up for defects) with (the two Mantras), ‘If a defect (mindâ) has arisen in me,’ (and), ‘Agni has given me back my eye’ (Taitt. Sarih. III, 2, 5, 4).
8. He offers three ‘tantu oblations’ with (the Mantras), ‘Stretching the weft (tantu)’ (Taitt. Samh. III, 4, 2, 2), ‘Awake, Agni!’ (IV, 7, 13, 5), ‘The thirty-three threads of the weft’ (I, 5, 10, 4).
9. He offers four ‘abhyâvartin oblations’ with (the Mantras), ‘Agni who turns to us (abhyâvartin)!’ ‘Agni Aṅgiras!’ ‘Again with sap,’ ‘With wealth’ (Taitt. Samh. IV. 2, 1, 2. 3).
10. [15] Having made oblations with the single Vyâhritis and with (the three Vyâhritis together), and having made an oblation with the verse, ‘Thou art quick, Agni, and free from imprecation. Verily (satyam) thou art quick. Held by us in our quick mind (manas), with thy quick (mind) thou carriest the offering (to the gods). Being quick bestow medicine on us! Svâhâ!’—this (last) oblation contains an allusion to the mind (manas), it refers to Prariâpati, and alludes to the number seven (?),—he quickly repeats in his mind the dariahotri formula (Taitt. Ârariy. III, 1, 1). Then he makes the sagraha oblation (?); (then follow the [ p. 203 ] oblations), ‘This, O Varuria’ (&c.; see I, 2, 8, 16, down to the end of the Sûtra). Then he serves food to the Brâhmarias and causes them to say, ‘An auspicious day! Hail! Good luck!’ he then performs in the known way the sacrifice of a mess of cooked food to Agni.
11. Here he gives an optional gift to his Guru: a pair of clothes, a milch cow, or a bull.
12. [16] If he sets out on a journey, he makes the fire enter himself or the two kindling-sticks in the way that has been described (in the Srauta-sûtra).
13. Or let him make it enter a piece of wood, in the same way as into the kindling-sticks.
14. A piece of Khadira wood, or of Palâsa, or of Udumbara, or of Asvattha wood—
15. With one of these kinds of wood he fetches, where he turns in (on his journey), fire from the house of a Srotriya, and puts the (piece of wood) into which his fire has entered, on (that fire), with the two verses, ‘He who has received the oblations’ (Taitt. Samh. IV, 6, 5, 3), and ‘Awake!’ (IV, 7, 13, 5).
16. The way in which he sacrifices has been explained (in the Srauta-sûtra).
17. If one half-monthly sacrifice has been omitted, he should have a sacrifice to (Agni) Pathikrit performed over this (fire). If two (half-monthly sacrifices), to (Agni) Vairivânara and Pathikrit. If more than two, (the fire) has to be set up again.
18. If the fire is destroyed or lost, or if it is mixed with other fires, it has to be set up again…
| Grihya Sûtra of Hiranyakesin — Prasna I, Patala 6 | Title page | Grihya Sûtra of Hiranyakesin — Prasna I, Patala 8 |
193:4 22, 4 ‘If the fire on which they had put wood, was a fire produced by attrition, (the new fire) should (also) be kindled by attrition. If it was a common (laukika) fire that they had fetched, (the new fire) should be fetched from a Srotriya’s house. Thereby it is shown that the common fire at the Upanayana ceremony, &c., should be fetched only from a Srotriya’s house.’ Mâtridatta. ↩︎
194:9 Comp. Pâraskara I, 8, 10, and the readings quoted there from the Atharva-veda. ↩︎
194:12 12, 13. These are the two last Pâdas of the verse of which the first hemistich is quoted in Sûtra 11. ↩︎
196:5 5, 6. In the commentary these Sûtras are divided thus: 5. tena brâhmana_mnmnt_i; 6. yoऽsyâpanito bhavati tasmâ rinm dadâti. (5. Therewith he entertains a learned Brâhmana. 6. To one whom he reveres, he presents a bull.) The commentator observes that some authorities make one Sûtra of the two, so that the Brâhmana who receives the food and the one to whom the bull is given, would be the same person. ↩︎
197:11 According to the commentary he performs the regular ceremonies down to the oblation offered with the Mantra, ‘Thus thou, Agni’ (see above, I, 3, 5, and compare Pâraskara I, 2, 8). Mâtridatta says, prâyaririittiparyanta_mriririm_ no Agna ity etadanta_mririris_riittîr guhoti . . . vyâhritiparyanta_mriririm_ me Varurieti gatasro (I, 3, 5) hutvaitâ guhoti. ↩︎
198:6 With the first verse comp. Taitt. Samh. VII, 5, 10, 1; Kâtyâyana XIII, 3, 21; Lâmyâyana IV, 3, 18. ↩︎
199:7 Taitt. Samhitâ II, 5, 1, 5.6: Therefore one should not speak with a woman that has her monthly courses, nor sit together with her, nor eat food that she has given him, &c. ↩︎
199:1 25, 1 (a-c). Rig-veda X, 184, 1-3; comp. S.B.E., vol. xv, p. 221. ↩︎
199:d (d-f). Sâṅkhâyana-Grihya I, 19. It should be observed that the text of Hirariyakeriin has in the beginning of (e) quite the same blunder which is found also in the Sâṅkhâyana MSS., yasya instead of vyasya. ↩︎
200:g (g) Comp. Atharva-veda III, 23, 5. The Âpastambîya Mantrapâtha reads (a)pithâthadhîta_h_. ↩︎
200:h (h) Sâṅkhâyana-Grihya I, 19, 6; Atharva-veda III, 23, 4. ↩︎
200:i (i) Comp. Atharva-veda III, 23, 1. ↩︎
201:1 This chapter is left out in Mâtridatta’s commentary; it seems to be a later addition. The division of the Sûtras is my own. ↩︎
201:3 26, 3. For tasyaupâsanena I think we should read tasyopâsanena. ↩︎
202:10 As to the Mantra, ‘Thou art quick, &c.,’ comp. above, I, 1, 3, 5, and the note on Sâṅkhâyana I, 9, 12. I cannot see why the oblation made with this Mantra is called saptavatî (alluding to the number seven); possibly we ought to read satyavatî (containing the word satyam, ‘verily’). Can the words sagraham hutvâ mean, ‘having performed the worship of the planets (graha) at his sacrifice’? ↩︎
203:12 Comp. Sâṅkhâyana V, 1, 1. ↩︎