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The Grihya Sutras, Part 2 (SBE30), by Hermann Oldenberg, [1892], at sacred-texts.com


NDIKÂ 8.

1. To the east (is placed) the Âgya, to the west the mess of cooked food.

2. 2 Having sprinkled (water) round (the fire) and poured Âgya on the mess of cooked food, he begins to sacrifice simply with the pot-ladle, picking out portions of the sacrificial food (without 'underspreading' and pouring Âgya over the Havis).

3. 3 If he intends, however, to sacrifice so as to 'underspread' (the Havis with Âgya) and to pour (Âgya) over it, let him sacrifice first the two Âgya portions (in the following way):

4. He should take four portions of Âgya—five portions (are taken) by the Bhrigus—and should sacrifice from west to east, on the northern side with (the formula), 'To Agni Svâhâ!' on the southern side with (the words), 'To Soma Svâhâ!'

5. He then cuts off (two or three Avadânas) from the Havis, having 'spread under' (Âgya).

6. 6 (Two Avadânas) from the middle and from the east side, if he (belongs to the families who) make

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four Avadânas. (Three Avadânas) from the middle, from the east and from the west side, if (he belongs to those who) make five Avadânas.

7. 7 He sprinkles (Âgya) on the cut-off portions.

8. He anoints the places from which he has cut them off (with Âgya) in order that the strength (of the Havis) may not be lost.

9. He should sacrifice over the middle of the fire with (the words), 'To Agni Svâhâ!'—

10. Once or thrice, in that same way.

11. 11 Now for the Svishtakrit (oblation), after having 'spread under' (Âgya), he cuts off once a very big (Avadâna) from the eastern part of the northern part (of the Havis), Twice he should sprinkle (Âgya) on it.

12. But if he (belongs to the families who) make five Avadânas, he should 'spread under' twice, and cut off (the Avadâna), and sprinkle (Âgya) on it twice.

13. 13 He does not anoint the place from which he has cut off, in order that the strength (of the Havis) may be lost.

14. 14 With the words, 'To Agni Svishtakrit

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[paragraph continues] Svâhâ!' he should sacrifice it over the eastern part of the northern part (of the fire).

15. 15 He should sacrifice oblations of Âgya on (the chief oblations of cooked sacrificial food), with the Mahâvyâhritis.

16. 16 The insertion (stands) before the Svishtakrit (oblation).

17. If different sacrifices are performed together, there is only one sweeping (of the ground) round (the fire) (chap. 3, 1), one (putting of) fuel (on the fire) (chap. 7, 19), one Barhis, one sprinkling (of water) round (the fire) (chap. 8, 2), one Âgya, and one offering of the two Âgyabhâgas (chap. 8, 3).

18. Having cut off (the Avadânas) for all (the single sacrifices), he sacrifices the Svishtakrit oblation only once.

19. 19 After he has sacrificed, he should throw that pot-ladle (which he has used in the preceding ceremonies) into the fire.

20. Or having washed it, he should take with it (the rest of the sacrificial food), and should eat that.

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21. The Sruva he should not throw into the fire, say some (teachers).

22. 22 By one who has not set up the sacred fires, the mess of cooked food should be offered to Agni at the festivals both of the full and of the new moon.

23. To Agni, or to Agni and Soma, by one who has set them up, at the full-moon (sacrifice);

24. To Indra, or to Indra and Agni, or to Mahendra, at the new-moon (sacrifice).

25. Or also one who has set up the sacred fires, should offer it to Agni at the festivals both of the full and of the new moon.

26. 26 Having put a piece of wood (on the fire), and having afterwards sprinkled (water) round (the fire), he performs the Yagñavâstu ceremony (in the following way):

27. 27 From that same Barhis he should take a handful of Kura grass, and should dip it thrice into the Âgya or into the Havis, the points, the middle, and the roots, with (the words), 'May the birds come, licking what has been anointed.'

28. He then should besprinkle that (handful of grass) with water, and should throw it into the fire with (the verse), 'Thou who art the lord of cattle, Rudra, who walkest with the lines (of cattle), the manly one: do no harm to our cattle; let this be offered to thee! Svâhâ!

29. This (ceremony) they call Yagñavâstu.


Footnotes

34:2 8, 2. On the sprinkling of water round the fire, comp. above, chap. 3, 1 seq. On the technical meaning of upaghâtam, see Bloomfield's note on Grihya-samgraha Parisishta I, 111 (Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, XXXV, 568).

34:3 3 seq. Comp. Khâdira-Grihya II, 1, 17.

34:6 Khâdira-Grihya II, I, 19 seq. The Upastarana (Sûtra 5) and p. 35 the Abhighârana (Sûtra 7) are reckoned as two Avadânas, so that they form together with the two or three portions cut off from the Havis, four or five Avadânas respectively. On the difference of the families regarding the number of Avadânas, comp. Weber, Indische Studien, X, 95.

35:7 7 seqq. Comp. Khâdira-Grihya II, I, 21-24.

35:11 Comp. the corresponding regulations of the Srauta ritual at Hillebrandt, Neu- and Vollmondsopfer, 117-119.

35:13 The same rule re-occurs in the Srauta ritual; Hillebrandt, l.l. 117, note 8.

35:14 The expression used here uttarârdhapûrvârdhe is also found in most of the corresponding passages of the Srauta ritual, p. 36 given by Hillebrandt, l.l. 119, note 3. The Khâdira-Grihya has prâgudîkyâm.

36:15 If the chief oblations consist in Âgya, they are both preceded and followed by the Mahâvyâhriti oblations. See below, chap. 9, Sûtra 27.

36:16 On the âvâpa (i.e. the special characteristic offerings of each sacrifice) see Sâṅkhâyana-Grihya I, 9, 12, and the note there (vol. xxix, p. 28).

36:19 According to the commentary, etad would belong to sauvishtakritam (Sûtra 18): 'After he has sacrificed that, he should throw the pot-ladle into the fire.' The comparison of Baudhâyana 1, 17, 23, atraitan mekshanam âhavanîvenupraharati (Hillebrandt, p. 119, note 3), shows that the commentary is wrong, and that etad belongs to mekshanam.

37:22 22-25. Comp. Khâdira-Grihya II, 2, 1-4.

37:26 26-29. Khâdira-Grihya II, 1, 26 seq.; Grihya-samgraha II, 1 seq.

37:27 The expression tata eva barhishah has occurred already at chap. 7, 21. The Mantra re-occurs in Vâg. Samhitâ II. 16 e, &c.


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