G<I>ri</I>hya ... | Sacred Texts Archive

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

PATALA 4, SECTION 13.

1. ¹ With (the formula), 'The milk of Virâg art thou. May the milk of Padyâ Virâg (dwell) in me'—(the guest) touches the hands of the person that

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washes his feet, and then he touches himself with (the formula), 'May in me dwell brilliancy, energy, strength, life, renown, splendour, glory, power!'

2. (The host) then makes to him the announcement, 'The Argha water!'

3. ³ (The guest) accepts it with (the formula), 'Thou camest to me with glory. Unite me with brilliancy, splendour, and milk. Make me beloved by all creatures, the lord of cattle.'

4. ⁴ 'To the ocean I send you, the imperishable (waters); go back to your source. May I not suffer loss in my offspring. May my sap not be shed'—this (verse the guest) recites over the remainder (of the Argha water), when it is poured out (by the person who had offered it to him).

5. Then he utters to him the announcement, 'The water for sipping!'

6. ⁶ With (the formula), 'Thou art the first layer for Ambrosia,' he sips water.

7. Then he utters to him the announcement, 'The honey-mixture!'

8. ⁸ He accepts that with both hands with the Sâvitra (formula), and places it on the ground with (the formula), 'I place thee on the navel of the earth in the abode of Idâ.' He mixes (the different substances) three times from left to right with his thumb and his fourth finger, with (the formula), 'What is the honied, highest form of honey which consists in the enjoyment of food, by that honied,

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highest form of honey may I become highest, honied, and an enjoyer of food.' He partakes of it three times with (the formula), 'I eat thee for the sake of brilliancy, of luck, of glory, of power, and of the enjoyment of food,' and gives the remainder to a person who is kindly disposed towards him.

9. ⁹ Or he may eat the whole (Madhuparka). Then he sips water with (the formula), 'Thou art the covering of Ambrosia.'

10. ¹⁰ Then he utters to him the announcement, 'The cow!'

11. That (cow) is either killed or let loose.

12. If he chooses to let it loose, (he murmurs), 'This cow will become a milch cow.

'The mother of the Rudras, the daughter of the Vasus, the sister of the Âdityas, the navel of immortality. To the people who understand me, I say, "Do not kill the guiltless cow, which is Aditi."

'Let it drink water! Let it eat grass'—

(And) gives order (to the people), 'Om! Let it loose.'

13. ¹³ If it shall be killed, (he says), 'A cow art thou; sin is driven away from thee. Drive away my sin and the sin of N.N.! Kill ye him whoever hates me. He is killed whosoever hates me. Make (the cow) ready!'

14. ¹⁴ If (the cow) is let loose, a meal is prepared with other meat, and he announces it (to the guest) in the words, 'It is ready!'

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15. He replies, 'It is well prepared; it is the Virâg; it is food. May it not fail! May I obtain it! May it give me strength! It is well prepared!'—and adds, 'Give food to the Brâhmanas!'

16. ¹⁶ After those (Brâhmanas) have eaten, (the host) orders blameless (?) food to be brought to him (i.e. to the guest).

17. He accepts that with (the formula), 'May the heaven give it to thee; may the earth accept it. May the earth give it to thee; may breath accept it. May breath eat thee; may breath drink thee.'

18. With (the verse), 'May Indra and Agni bestow vigour on me' (Taitt. Samh. III, 3, 3, 3) he eats as much as he likes, and gives the remainder to a person who is kindly disposed towards him.

19. If he desires that somebody may not be estranged from him, he should sip water with (the Mantra), 'Whereon the past and the future and all worlds rest, therewith I take hold of thee; I (take. hold) of thee; through the Brahman I take hold of thee for myself, N.N.!'—

Footnotes

172:1 13, 1. Comp. Sâṅkhâyana III, 7, 5, &c.

173:3 Pâraskara I, 3, 15.

173:4 Pâraskara I, 3, 14.

173:6 Âsvalâyana I, 21, 13.

173:8 Pâraskara I, 3, 18 seq.; Âsvalâyana I, 21, 15 seq.—The Sâvitra formula is, 'On the impulse of the god Savitri . . . I take thee.' Comp. above, I, 3, 11, 7.

174:9 Âsvalâyana I, 21, 27. 28.

174:10 10 seq. Âsvalâyana I, 21, 30 seq.; Pâraskara I, 3, 26 seq.; Sâṅkhâyana II, 15, 2. 3 note; Gobhila IV, 10, 18 seq.

174:13 N.N., of course, means the host's name.

174:14 14 seq. Comp. Gobhila I, 3, 16 seq.; Âpastamba II, 2, 3, 11.

175:16 The meaning of anusamvriginam (comp. above, I, 4, 12, 15) is uncertain. See the commentary, p. 120 of Dr. Kirste's edition.