०२

द्वादश महानाम्निकाः संवत्सराः १

1. ¹ For the Mahānāmnī verses (the Vrata is to be kept) twelve years,

नव षट् त्रयः २

2. (Or) nine, six, three (years).

इति विकल्पः ३

3. These are the various possibilities.

संवत्सरमप्येके ४

4. Or also one year, according to some (teachers).

व्रतं तु भूयः ५

5. (In this case), however, the observances are enhanced.

पूर्वैश्चेच्छ्रुता महानाम्न्यः ६

6. (Keeping the Vrata through one year is allowed only) if (the student’s) ancestors have learnt the Mahānāmnī verses.

अथापि रौरुकिब्राह्मणं भवति ७

7. There is also a Brāhmaṇa of the Rauruki (Śākhā, in which it is said):

कुमारान्ह स्म वै मातरः पाययमाना आहुः ८

8. ‘The mothers forsooth say to their sons, when they suckle them:

शक्वरीणां पुत्रका व्रतं पारयिष्णवो भवतेति ९

9. ‘“Become men, my little sons, who endeavour to accomplish the Śakvarī-vrata!”’

तास्वनुसवनमुदकोपस्पर्शनम् १०

10. ² During (the Vrata preparatory to the study of) these (i.e. the Mahānāmnī verses), touching water at the time of each Savana (is prescribed).

नानुपस्पृश्य भोजनं प्रातः ११

11. Let him not eat in the morning before he has touched water.

सायमुपस्पृश्याभोजनमा समिदाधानात् १२

12. ³ In the evening, after he has touched water, he should not eat, before he has put the piece of wood on the fire.

कृष्णवस्त्रः १३

13. He should wear dark clothes.

कृष्णभक्षः १४

14. He should eat dark food.

आचार्याधीनः १५

15. Let him be devoted to his teacher.

अपन्थदायी १६

16. Let him make way for nobody.

तपस्वी १७

17. He should be addicted to austerities.

तिष्ठेद्दिवा १८

18. He should stand in day-time.

आसीत नक्तम् १९

19. He should sit at night.

वर्षति च नोपसर्पेच्छन्नम् २०

20. And when it is raining, he should not retire to a covered place.

वर्षन्तं ब्रूयादापः शक्वर्य इति २१

21. He should say to (the god) when he sends rain, ‘The Śakvarīs are water.’

विद्योतमानं ब्रूयादेवंरूपाः खलु शक्वर्यो भवन्तीति २२

22. When (the god) sends lightning, he should say to him, ‘Such forsooth is the nature of the Śakvarīs.’

स्तनयन्तं ब्रूयान्मह्या महान्घोष इति २३

23. When (the god) thunders, he should say to him, ‘The great voice of the great (cow)!’

न स्रवन्तीमतिक्रामेदनुपस्पृशन् २४

24. Let him not cross a river without touching water.

न नावमारोहेत् २५

25. Let him not ascend a ship.

प्राणसंशये तूपस्पृश्यारोहेत् २६

26. If his life is in danger, however, he may ascend (a ship), after having touched water.

तथा प्रत्यवरुह्य २७

27. In the same way (he should touch water) having disembarked.

उदकसाधवो हि महानाम्न्य इति २८

28. For in water the virtue of the Mahānāmnīs is contained.

एवं खलु चरतः कामवर्षी पर्जन्यो भवति २९

29. If he practises these duties, (the god) Parjanya will send rain according to his wish.

अनियमो वा कृष्णस्थानासनपन्थभक्षेषु ३०

30. ⁴ The rules about dark (clothes), standing, sitting, (making) way, and (dark) food may be considered as optional.

तृतीये चरिते स्तोत्रीयामनुगापयेत् ३१

31. After he has kept his vow through one third (of the prescribed time, the teacher) should sing to him the (first) Stotriya verse (of the Mahānāmnīs).

एवमितरे स्तोत्रीये ३२

32. In the same way the two other Stotriya verses (after two-thirds of the time and at the end of the whole time).

सर्वा वान्ते सर्वस्य ३३

33. Or all (the three verses) at the end of the whole (time).

उपोषिताय सम्मीलितायानुगापयेत् ३४

34. He should sing them to (the student) who has fasted and shuts his eyes.

कँ समपां पूरयित्वा सर्वौषधीः कृत्वा हस्ताववधाय प्रदक्षिणमाचार्योऽहतेन वसनेन परिणह्येत् ३५

35. ⁵ Having filled a brass vessel with water, having thrown into it all sorts of herbs, and dipped (the student’s) hands into it, the teacher should veil (the student’s eyes) from left to right with a (new) garment that has not yet been washed.

परिणहनान्ते वानुगापयेत् ३६

36. ⁶ Or he should sing (the Mahānāmnīs to him) immediately after he has veiled (his eyes).

परिणद्धो वाग्यतो न भुञ्जीत त्रिरात्रमहोरात्रौ वा ३७

37. ⁷ With veiled eyes, keeping silence, he should abstain from food through a period of three nights, or through one day and one night.

अपि वारण्ये तिष्ठेदास्तमयात् ३८

38. Or he should stand in the forest till sunset (and spend the night in the village).

श्वो भूतेऽरण्येऽग्निमुपसमाधाय व्याहृतिभिर्हुत्वाथैनमवेक्षयेत् ३९

39. On the next morning he should put wood on the fire in the forest, should sacrifice with the Mahāvyāhṛtis, and should cause the student to look at (the following objects, viz.)

अग्निमाज्यमादित्यं ब्रह्माणमनड्वाहमन्नमपो दधीति ४०

40. Fire, Ājya, the sun, a Brahman, a bull, food, water, curds,

स्वरभिव्यख्यं ज्योतिरभिव्यख्यमिति ४१

41. With (the words), ‘The sky have I beheld! Light have I beheld!’

एवं त्रिः सर्वाणि ४२

42. In that way all (the objects stated in Sūtra 40) three times.

शान्तिं कृत्वा गुरुमभिवादयते ४३

43. ⁸ After the ceremony for averting evil has been performed, the student respectfully salutes the teacher.

सोऽस्य वाग्विसर्गः ४४

44. Thus he has to break the silence (enjoined upon him).

अनड्वान्कँ सो वासो वर दक्षिणाः ४५

45. ⁹ A bull, a brass vessel, a garment, an optional gift (of a cow): this is the sacrificial fee.

प्रथमे विकल्पः ४६

46. The first time he may choose (either a bull or a brass vessel).

आच्छादयेद्गुरुमित्येके ४७

47. Let him provide his teacher with clothes, according to some (teachers).

ऐन्द्रः स्थालीपाकस्तस्य जुहुयादृचं साम यजामह इत्येतयर्चा सदसस्पतिमद्भुतमिति वोभाभ्यां वा ४८

48. ¹⁰ A mess of cooked food, sacred to Indra, (is prepared). Let him sacrifice of that (food) with this verse, ‘To the Ṛc, to the Sāman we sacrifice’ (Sāma-veda I, 369), or (with the verse), ‘The lord of the seat, the wonderful’ (ibid. I, 171), or with both (verses).

अनुप्रवचनीयेष्वेवम् ४९

49. ¹¹ This (he should do) at (all) the Anupravacanīya ceremonies.

सर्वत्राचार्षं तदशकं तेनारात्समुपगामिति मन्त्रविशेषः ५०

50. ¹² The Mantra has to be altered everywhere (so that he has to say), ‘I have kept (the vow),’ ‘I have been able,’ ‘Thereby I have prospered,’ ‘I have undergone.’

आग्नेयेऽज ऐन्द्रे मेषो गौः पावमाने पर्वदक्षिणाः ५१

51. ¹³ The fee to be given after the study of the Parvans is, a goat for the Agni-Parvan, a ram for the Indra-Parvan, a cow for the Pavamāna-Parvan.

प्रत्येत्याचार्यं सपरिषत्कं भोजयेत् ५२

52. After (the student) has returned (from the forest), he should entertain his teacher and his retinue with food,

सब्रह्मचारिणश्चोपसमेतान् ५३

53. And his fellow-students who have come together.

ज्येष्ठसाम्नो महानाम्निकेनैवानुगापनकल्पो व्याख्यातः ५४

54. The way to sing the Jyeṣṭhasāmans has been explained by (the statements given with regard to) the Mahānāmnī-(vrata).

तत्रैतानि नित्यव्रतानि भवन्ति ५५

55. ¹⁴ Here the following standing duties are to be observed:

न शूद्रा मुपेयात् ५६

56. He should not have intercourse with a Śūdrā woman.

न पक्षिमाँ सं भुञ्जीत ५७

57. He should not eat bird’s flesh.

एकधान्यमेकदेशमेकवस्त्रं च वर्जयेत् ५८

58. ¹⁵ He should avoid (constantly living on) the same grain, and in the same place, and wearing one garment.

उद्धृताभिरद्भिरुपस्पृशेत् ५९

59. He should perform the rite of ’touching water’ with water drawn out (of a pond, &c.).

आदेशनात्प्रभृति न मृण्मयेऽश्नीयात् ६०

60. ¹⁶ From (the time of) his being directed (to observe the duties of his Vrata) he should not eat from an earthen vessel,

न पिबेत् ६१

61. Nor drink (from such a vessel),

श्रवणादित्येके ६२

62. ¹⁷ (Or rather) from (the time of) his being taught (the Jyeṣṭhasāmans, after the whole preparatory time, or after one third of that time), according to some (teachers).