I, 7, 22

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

PRASNA I, PATALA 7, SECTION 22.

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. ⁴ 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.

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9. ⁹ 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. ¹² (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,

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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!'

Footnotes

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.