II, 5, 15

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

PATALA 5, SECTION 15.

1. On the following day he sacrifices a cow to the Fathers.

2. ² Having put wood on the fire and strewn southward-pointed and eastward-pointed Darbha grass around it, he sacrifices the oblation for the touching of the animal (see below), with (the verse), 'This cow I touch for the Fathers; may my assembled fathers gladly accept it (which is offered) with fat and ghee, with the word svadhâ; may it satiate my fathers in the other world. Svadhâ! Adoration!' Then he touches (the cow) with one (blade of) sacrificial grass and with an unforked Vapâsrapanî of Udumbara wood, with (the formula), 'I touch thee agreeable to the Fathers.'

3. He sprinkles (the cow with water) with (the words), 'I sprinkle thee agreeable to the Fathers.'

4. ⁴ When it has been sprinkled and fire has been

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carried round it, they kill it to the west of the fire, its head being turned to the west, its feet to the south.

5. ⁵ After it has been killed, he silently 'strengthens' its sense-organs (by touching them) with water, and silently takes out the omentum, the heart, and the kidneys.

6. With the Vapâsrapanî of Udumbara wood he roasts the omentum; with spits of Udumbara wood the other (parts mentioned in Sûtra 5) separately.

7. After he has roasted them, and has sprinkled Âgya over them, and has taken them from the fire, he sprinkles water round (the fire) from right to left, puts a piece of Udumbara wood on (the fire), and sacrifices with a Darvi spoon of Udumbara wood the omentum, spreading under and sprinkling over it (Âgya), with (the verse), 'Carry the omentum, Gâtavedas, to the Fathers, where thou knowest them resting afar. May streams of fat flow to them; may their wishes with all their desires be fulfilled. Svadhâ! Adoration!'

8. ⁸ He sacrifices the omentum entirely. The other parts (Sûtra 5) he should offer to the Brâhmanas and should feed them (with those parts of the cow).

9. When the food (for the Brâhmanas) is ready, he cuts off (the Avadânas) together from the mess of boiled rice, and from the pieces of meat, and mixing them with clarified butter he makes oblations

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thereof with the verses, 'Behold the Ekâshtakâ, the giver of food with meat and ghee, (which is offered) with (the word) svadhâ. By the Brâhmanas that food is purified. May it be an imperishable (blessing) to me! Svadhâ! Adoration!'

'The Ekâshtakâ, devoting herself to austerities, the consort of the year, exuberant (with milk), has poured forth milk. May you live on that milk, O Fathers, all together. May this (food) be well offered and well sacrificed by me! Svadhâ! Adoration!

'The image of the year' (Taitt. Samh. V, 7, 2, 1).

10. After he has sacrificed, he cuts off (the Avadânas) from the food and from the pieces of meat, and mixing them with clarified butter he makes an oblation with (the formula), 'To Agni Kavyavâhana Svishtakrit svadhâ! Adoration!'

11. ¹¹ The known (rites) down to the pouring out of the handfuls of water (are performed here) as at the monthly (Srâddha).

12. ¹² The gifts of food and presents, however, are not necessary here.

13. ¹³ On the following day, he prepares food for the Fathers with the rest of the meat, and sacrifices with (the two verses), 'Thou, Agni, art quick,' (and), Pragâpati!' (see above, I, 1, 3, 5).

14. (= Sûtra 11).

End of the Fifth Patala.

Footnotes

234:2 15, 2. On the Vapâsrapanî, comp. Kâtyâyana VI, 5, 7; Âsval.-Grihya I, II, 8. Comp. besides, Taitt. Samh. VI, 3, 6; Âpastamba-Srauta-sûtra VII, 8, 3; 12, 5 seq.

234:4 The Udîkyas read, as Mâtridatta states, 'to the south of the fire.'

235:5 On the 'strengthening' of the sense-organs of an immolated victim, comp. Âpastamba-Srauta-sûtra VII, 18, 6 seq. Schwab, Thieropfer, 110.—On matasne, see Indische Studien, IX, 248; Schwab 127.

235:8 Possibly the reading of the Udîkyas indicated by Mâtridatta, vyâkritya instead of upâkritya, is correct. The translation would be, 'With the rest, distributing it, &c.'

236:11 See above, chap. 14, 10.

236:12 See chap. 14, 9.

236:13 This is the so-called Anvashtakya ceremony.