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


KHANDA 15.

1. The Sravana (oblation) he offers on the full moon day that falls under (the Nakshatra) Sravishthâs, of the flour of fried barley, or of cooked food,

2. With (the words), 'To Vishnu svâhâ! To (the Nakshatra) Sravana svâhâ! To the full moon of Srâvana svâhâ! To the rainy season svâhâ!'

p. 128

3. Having established the (sacred) domestic fire outside, and having mixed together fried grain and the flour of fried barley with butter, he sacrifices—

4. With (the words), 'To the Lord of the celestial Serpents svâhâ! To the celestial Serpents svâhâ!'

5. Having placed to the north of the fire a new water-pot on eastward-pointed, fresh Kusa grass,

6. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents wash himself! May the celestial Serpents wash themselves!'—he pours water into it.

7. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents comb himself! May the celestial Serpents comb themselves!'—he makes movements with a comb.

8. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents paint himself! May the celestial Serpents paint themselves!'—he pours out portions of paint.

9. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents tie (this) to (himself)! May the celestial Serpents tie (this) to themselves!'—he offers flowers.

10. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents clothe himself! May the celestial Serpents clothe themselves!'—he offers a thread.

11. With (the words), 'May the Lord of the celestial Serpents anoint (his eyelashes)! May the celestial Serpents anoint (their eyelashes)!'—he spirts out (small portions of collyrium) with a young Kusa shoot.

12. With (the words), 'May the Lori of the celestial Serpents look (at himself)! May the celestial Serpents look (at themselves)!'—he makes them look in a mirror.

p. 129

13. With (the words), 'Lord of the celestial Serpents, this is thy Bali! Celestial Serpents, this is your Bali!'—he makes a Bali-offering.

14. In the same way for the aërial (Serpents).

15. For those dwelling in the directions (of the horizon).

16. For the terrestrial ones.

17 17-18. (He repeats these Mantras) thrice each time, the first (part) with higher voice each time,

18. The second (part) with lower voice each time.

19 19. In this way he shall offer day by day with the spoon, in small portions, a Bali of the flour of fried barley with water, down to the Pratyavarohana (or the ceremony of the 'redescent'), at night, keeping silence.

20 20. And (his wife) shall put (it) down silently.

21. The close of the ceremony is the same as the beginning.

22 22. With (the verse), 'The good protectress' (Rig-veda X, 63, 10), let him ascend the (high) couch.


Footnotes

128:7 15, 7. For this signification of phana, comp. Kullavagga V, 2, 3.

129:17-18 17, 18. The text has ukkaistarâm—ukkaistarâm, and nîkaistarâm—nîkaistarâm. Nârâyana(comp. the text of his scholion, p. 155 of the German edition) understands this in a different way; he says that in the water-pot mentioned in the fifth Sûtra two different sthânas are to be distinguished, a higher part of it and a lower (uttarâdharatayâ). Now when the sacrificer, for instance, as prescribed in Sûtra 6, invites the Lord of the celestial Serpents, and the celestial Serpents to wash themselves, the pouring out of water would have to be performed first thrice for the Lord of the celestial Serpents in the higher place, then thrice for the celestial Serpents in the lower place.

129:19 On the Pratyavarohana see chap. 17.

129:20 Nârâyana: vâgyamayuktâ yagamânapatnî evam balidravyâdikam upasâdayet.

129:22 'From the Srâvanî till the Âgrahâyanî (see chap. 1 7, 1) one shall not sleep on the ground out of fear of the snakes.' Nârâyana.


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