| Grihya Sûtra of Hiranyakesin — Prasna I, Patala 7 | Title page | Grihya Sûtra of Hiranyakesin — Prasna II, Patala 1 |
[ p. 204 ]
1. If he will have a house built, he should during the northerly course of the sun, in the time of the increasing moon, under the constellation Rohidhî and under the three constellations designated as Uttara (Uttara-Phalgunî, Uttara-Ashâdhâ, Uttara-Proshdhapadâh) put wood on the fire, perform the rites down to the Vyâhdhti oblations, and should sacrifice with (the verses), ‘This, O Varudha’ (&c.; see I, 2, 8, 16, down to the end of the Sûtra). Then he serves food to the Brâhmadhas and causes them to say, ‘An auspicious day! Hail! Good luck!’ he puts on a garment that has not yet been washed, touches water, takes a shovel with (the formula), ‘On the impulse of the god Savitri’ (Taitt. Sadhh. I, 3, 1, 1) draws lines thrice from the left to the right round (the places where the pits for the posts shall be dug) with (the formula), ‘A line has been drawn’ (Taitt. Sadhh. I, 3, 1, 1), digs the pits (in which the posts shall be erected) as it is fit, and casts the earth (dug out of those pits) towards the inside (of the building-ground).
2. He erects the southern door-post with (the verse), ‘Here I erect a firm house; it stands in peace, streaming ghee. Thus may we walk in thee, O house, blessed with heroes, with all heroes, with unharmed heroes;’
3. The northern (door-post) with (the verse), ‘Stand here firmly, O house, rich in horses and cows, rich in delight; rich in sap, overflowing with milk be set up, for the sake of great happiness.’ [ p. 205 ]
4. 4 With (the verse), ‘To thee (may) the young child (go), to thee the calf with its companion, to thee the golden cup; to thee may they go with pots of curds’—he touches the two posts, after they have been erected.
5. In the same way (Sûtras 2. 3) he erects the two chief posts,
6. And touches them as above (Sûtra 4).
7. He fixes the beam of the roof on the posts with (the formula), ‘Rightly ascend the post, O beam, erect, shining, drive off the enemies. Give us treasures and valiant sons.’
8. 8 When the house has got its roof, he touches it with (the verse),
‘The consort of honour, a blissful refuge, a goddess, thou hast been erected by the gods in the beginning; clothed in grass, cheerful thou art; bring us bliss, to men and animals.’
9. Then, under the constellation Anurâdhâ, the ground (on which the house stands) is expiated (in the following way).
10. By night he puts wood on the fire in an inner room (of the house), performs the rites down to the Vyâhriti oblations, and sacrifices (with the following Mantras):
1. [1] The two verses commencing ‘Vâstoshpati!’ (Taitt. Samh. III, 4, 10, 1).
[ p. 206 ]
‘Vâstoshpati! Be our furtherer; make our wealth increase in cows and horses, O Indu (i.e. Soma). Free from decay may we dwell in thy friendship; give us thy favour, as a father to his sons. Svâhâ!
‘May death go away; may immortality come to us. May Vivasvat’s son (Mama) protect us from danger. May wealth, like a leaf (that falls) from a tree, fall down over us. May _Sak_îpati (i.e. Indra) be with us. Svâhâ!
‘Go another way, O death, that belongs to thee, separated from the way of the gods. Vâstoshpati! To thee who hears us, I speak: do no harm to our offspring nor to our heroes. Svâhâ!
‘To this most excellent place of rest we have gone, by which we shall victoriously gain cows, treasures, and horses. May wealth, like a leaf (that falls) from a tree, fall down over us. May Sakîpati be with us. Svâhâ!
‘This, O Varuna’ (&c.; see chap. 27, Sûtra 1, down to): ‘Hail! Good luck!’
2. In this way the ground (on which the house stands) should be expiated every year;
3. Every season, according to some (teachers).
1. [2] 'House, do not fear, do not tremble; bringing strength we come back. Bringing strength, gaining wealth, wise I come back to the house, rejoicing in my mind.
‘Of which the traveller thinks, in which much joy [ p. 207 ] dwells, the house I call. May it know us as we know it.
‘Hither are called the cows; hither are called goats and sheep; and the sweet essence of food is called hither to our house.
‘Hither are called many friends, the sweet companionship of friends. May our dwellings always be unharmed with all our men.
‘Rich in sap, rich in milk, refreshing, full of joy and mirth, free from hunger (?) and thirst, O house, do not fear us’—with (these verses) he approaches his house (when returning from a journey).
2. ‘To thee I turn for the sake of safety, of peace. The blissful one! The helpful one!, Welfare! Welfare!’—with (this formula) he enters.
3. On that day, on which he has arrived, he should avoid all quarrelling.
4. ‘The joyful house I enter which does not bring death to men; most manly (I enter) the auspicious one. Bringing refreshment, with genial minds (we enter the house); joyfully I lie down in it’—with (this verse) he lies down.
5. [3] ‘May we find our way with thee through all hostile powers, as through streams of water’—with (this verse) he looks at his wife; he looks at his wife.
End of the First Prasna.
| Grihya Sûtra of Hiranyakesin — Prasna I, Patala 7 | Title page | Grihya Sûtra of Hiranyakesin — Prasna II, Patala 1 |