कल्पान्तरे विश्वासटिप्पन्यः

Source: TW

A very short remark on svasti puņyāhavāchanam. This is a preliminary ritual done before Main rituals, where an even number of brāhmaņas are invited, a kalaśa is installed with due decoration, water is filled, perfumes, gems, gold, herbs, and seeds are added. Varuna is invoked in the kalaśa. A japa of various mantras (typically around the themes of purification and auspiciousness) is done. I’ve examined prayoga manuals of all the 4 vedas as well as the vasudeva puņyāhavāchanam of pāñcharātrikas. Only in the pancharatra deployment, Sudarshana is invoked and the chakra mudra is shown on the kalasha. A long shloka to vāsudeva and other pāñcharātra deities replace the vedic mantras, though the vedic śānti mantra tacChamyo is recited in the end. I used to think this is the sectarian tendency reshaping a preexisting ritual. However, atharva vedīya prayoga bhānu, a smārta AV prayoga text has a curious remark: some invoke viṣņu in the kalaśa.

The viṣņu shlokas don’t overlap with vāsudeva puņyāha material.

So the ritual evolution is tentatively like this: first stage - varuņa in kalaśa -> second stage viṣņu replacing varuņa in some smārta circles -> third stage sectarian solidification in vāsudeva puņyāha.