I, 7, 23

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

PATALA 7, SECTION 23.

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

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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 (Âgya) on it, takes it from the fire, sacrifices to Agni, and then sacrifices to Agni Svishtakrit.

5. ⁵ 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 (guhoti) 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

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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. ¹¹ 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):

Footnotes

196:5 5, 6. In the commentary these Sûtras are divided thus: 5. tena brâhmanam vidyâvantam pariveveshti; 6. yo^ऽsyâpakito bhavati tasmâ rishabham 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, prâyaskittiparyantam kritvâ sa tvam no Agna ity etadantam kritvâ nava prâyaskittîr guhoti . . . vyâhritiparyantam kritvâ imam me Varuneti katasro (I, 3, 5) hutvaitâ guhoti.