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The Grihya Sutras, Part 1 (SBE29), by Hermann Oldenberg, [1886], at sacred-texts.com


KHANDA 15.

1. The three verses, 'I loosen thee' (Rig-veda X, 85, 24), when she departs from the house.

2. 'The living one they bewail' (Rig-veda X, 40, 10), if she begins to cry.

3. The wife then smears the axle of the chariot with clarified butter with this (verse), 'They feasted, they got drunk' (Rig-veda I, 82, 2),

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4. And with the two (verses), 'Pure are thy wheels,' 'Thy two wheels' (Rig-veda X, 85, 12. 16), of the two wheels the first with the first (verse) and the second with the second (verse),

5. And the two bulls.

6. After (the wife?) has put, with this (verse), 'In the box of the wheel' (Rig-veda VIII, 80, 7), a branch of a fruit-bearing tree into each of the holes destined for the pins,

7. Or, if (such branches) are (already) fixed, has recited (that verse) over them,

8. They then harness the two bulls with the two (verses), 'Harnessed be thy right one' (Rig-veda I, 82, 5-6), (the bridegroom) reciting the half-verse, 'White the two bulls' (Rig-veda X, 85, 10), over them when they have been harnessed.

9. Now should any part of the chariot break or burst, let him take the girl to the house of one who keeps the sacred fires,

10. And repair (the damage) with the verse, 'Cover thyself with the Khadiras' (Rig-veda III, 53, 19).

11. A knot with the verse, 'Him like a horse' (Rig-veda X, 143, 2).

12. He then murmurs the five verses, 'May prosperity give us' (Rig-veda V, 51, 11-15).

13. 'Adorned with Kimsuka flowers' (Rig-veda X, 85, 20), when she mounts the chariot;

14. 'May no waylayers meet us' (ibid. 32), at a cross-way;

15. 'Which the woman’s' (ibid. 31), near a cemetery;

16. The half-verse, 'O tree with thy hundred

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branches' (Rig-veda III, 8, 11), he mutters near a big tree;

17. 'The good protectress' (Rig-Veda X, 63, 10), when she ascends a ship;

18. 'Carrying stones' (Rig-veda X, 53, 8), when she crosses a river;

19. Optionally (he) also (murmurs the same verse, if that is done) with the harnessed chariot;

20. 'Up may your wave' (Rig-veda III, 33, 13), at deep places (in the river);

21. And (at such places) let her not look out.

22. The seven verses, 'Here may delight' (Rig-veda X, 85, 27 seq.), when she has reached the house, omitting the verses already employed.


Footnotes

39:3 15, 3. Probably the use of this verse on this occasion rests on the assonance of its opening word akshan and aksha (rathâksha).

40:6 See Nârâyana's note on samyâgarta, p. 129 of the German edition.


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