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


KHANDA 4.

1. 'Unerring mind, vigorous eye (is) the sun, the noblest of the stars. Inauguration, do no harm to me!'—with (these words) they look at Savitri (I.e. the sun).

p. 146

2. One (verse), 'You both the gladdening one' (Rig-veda X, 131, 4), and the three (verses), 'Blessing to us on the paths' (Rig-veda X, 63, 15-17) (are to be repeated before the recitation) of the Mahâvrata (chapter).

3. But (at that) of the Sakvarî (verses) before (the formula mentioned in the first Sara):

4. The three Trikas, 'To him, the thirsty one' (Rig-veda VI, 42, 1-3), 'The wealthiest (Soma), O wealthy one' (VI, 44, 1-3), 'Him who does no harm to you' (VI, 44, 4-6), (the verse), 'To him, to him the sap of the herb' (VI, 42, 4), (and the verse), "Verily thou art a hero' (VIII, 81, 28)—thus for the Sakvarî (verses) before and afterwards.

5. Now for the Upanishad (texts)—

6. The same (recitation) as for the Mahâvrata.

7. For the Samhitâs, however, before (the text given in the first Sûtra the formula has to be recited), 'I shall speak right, I shall speak truth (&c.)'—this is the difference (in the case of the Samhitâs).

8. Now for the Mantha the two verses (have to be recited) before (the formula given in the first Sûtra), 'This we entreat of Savitar,' 'That glorious (splendour) of Savitar' (Rig-veda V, 82, 1; III, 62, 10).

p. 147

9. With (the formula), 'Unerring mind' (see Sûtra 1), then follow the expiatory formulas that belong to the (different) sections.

10. (All) this on one day.


Footnotes

145:1 4, 1. The formula 'Adabdham manah,' &c. has to be recited before each of the single Âranyaka texts (the Sakvarî verses, the Mahâvrata, &c.); to this formula are added, before or after it, as the case may be, other texts specified in the Sûtras 2-8. Of these there can be no doubt about the meaning of Sûtras 7, 8, treating of the introductory formulas of the Samhitâ section (Kaush. Âr. VII-VIII) and of the Mantha section (ibid. IX): before the text adabdham, &c. are to be added, in the first case the formula ritam vadishyâmi, &c., in the second case two Rikas addressed to Savitri. These formulas and verses have been received into the Âranyaka text and are found there in the order here stated, at the beginning of books VII and IX. The meaning of the words samhitânâm tu pûrvam (Sûtra 7) having thus been established, I can see no reason why we should not interpret the words sakvarînâm to pûrvam (Sûtra 3) quite in the same way. Thus the introductory benediction for the recital of the Sakvarî verses would consist, firstly of the verses stated in Sûtra 4, then of the formula adabdham, &c.; those verses would have to be repeated again after the Sakvarî verses (end of Sûtra 4). The recitation of the Mahâvrata (Sûtras 1, 2) and of the Upanishads (Sûtra 5) is preceded by adabdham, &c., and then by the four verses stated in Sûtra 2. The interpretation which Nârâyana gives of this Sûtra is not quite the same as that which I have here proposed; see p. 163 of the German edition.

146:4 According to the reading of some MSS. we should have to translate, or (the verse), 'Verily,' &c.

146:7 On the Samhitâs (Kaush. Âr. VII, VIII) see Max Müller, Rig-veda Prâtisâkhya, pp. 4 seq.; Ait. Âranyaka III (pp. 305 seqq., ed. Bibl. Ind.; Sacred Books of the East, I, pp. 247 seq.).

146:8 Regarding the description of the Mantha sacrifice (Kaush. Âr. IX) which has to be performed by one who wishes to attain greatness, comp. Satap. Brâhmana XIV, 9, 2; Khând. Up. V, 2, 4; Sacred Books of the East, I, p. 75.


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