०७

अवसानं जोषयेत १

1. ¹ Let him select the site for building his house—

समं लोमशमविभ्रँ शि २

2. On even ground, which is covered with grass, which cannot be destroyed (by inundations, &c.),

प्राच्य उदीच्यो वा यत्रापः प्रवर्तेरन् ३

3. On which the waters flow off to the east or to the north,

अक्षीरिण्योऽकण्टका अकटुका यत्रौषधयः स्युः ४

4. On which plants grow which have no milky juice or thorns, and which are not acrid.

गौरपाँ सु ब्राह्मणस्य ५

5. The earth should be white, if he is a Brāhmaṇa,

लोहितपाँ सु क्षत्रियस्य ६

6. Red, if he is a Kṣatriya,

कृष्णपाँ सु वैश्यस्य ७

7. Black, if he is a Vaiśya.

स्थिराघातमेकवर्णमश्ष्कुमनूषरममरुपरिहितमकिलिनम् ८

8. (The soil should be) compact, one-coloured, not dry, not salinous, not surrounded by sandy desert, not swampy.

दर्भसम्मितं ब्रह्मवर्चसकामस्य ९

9. (Soil) on which Darbha grass grows, (should be chosen) by one who is desirous of holy lustre,

बृहत्तृणैर्बलकामस्य १०

10. (Soil covered) with big sorts of grass, by one who is desirous of strength,

मृदुतृणैः पश्कुआ!मस्य ११

11. (Soil covered) with tender grass, by one who is desirous of cattle.

शादासम्मितम् १२

12. (The site of the house) should have the form of a brick,

मण्डलद्वीपसम्मितं वा १३

13. Or it should have the form of a round island.

यत्र वा श्वभ्राः स्वयङ्खाताः सर्वतोऽभिमुखाः स्युः १४

14. Or there should be natural holes (in the ground) in all directions.

तत्रावसानं प्राग्द्वारं यशस्कामो बलकामः कुर्वीत १५

15. On such (ground) one who is desirous of fame or strength, should build his house with its door to the east;

उदग्द्वारं पुत्रपश्कुआ!मः १६

16. One who is desirous of children or of cattle, (should build it) with its door to the north;

दक्षिणाद्वारं सर्वकामः १७

17. One who is desirous of all (those things), (should build it) with its door to the south.

न प्रत्यग्द्वारं कुर्वीत १८

18. Let him not build it with its door to the west.

अनुद्वारं च १९

19. ² And a back-door.

गृहद्वारम् २०

20. The house-door.

यथा न संलोकी स्यात् २१

21. So that (he?) may not be exposed to looks (?).

वर्जयेत्पूर्वतोऽश्वत्थं प्लक्षं दक्षिणतस्तथा न्यग्रोधमपराद्देशादुत्तराच्चाप्युदुम्बरम् २२

22. ³ ‘Let him avoid an Aśvattha tree on the east-side (of his house), and a Plakṣa on the south-side, a Nyagrodha on the west-side, and on the north-side an Udumbara.

अश्वत्थादग्निभयं च प्लक्षाद्ब्रूयात्प्रमायुकान्न्यग्रोधाच्छस्त्रसम्पीडामक्ष्यामयमुदुम्बरात् २३

23. ‘One should say that an Aśvattha brings (to the house) danger from fire; one should say that a Plakṣa tree brings early death (to the inhabitants of the house), that a Nyagrodha brings oppression through (hostile) arms, that an Udumbara brings diseases of the eye.

आदित्यदेवतोऽश्वत्थः प्लक्षो च यमदेवतः न्यग्रोधो वारुणो वृक्षः प्राजापत्य उदुम्बरः २४

24. ‘The Aśvattha is sacred to the sun, the Plakṣa to Yama, the Nyagrodha is the tree that belongs to Varuṇa, the Udumbara, to Prajāpati.’

तानस्वस्थानस्थान्कुर्वीत २५

25. ⁴ He should place those (trees) in another place than their proper one,

एताश्चैव देवता अभियजेत् २६

26. ⁵ And should sacrifice to those same deities.

मध्येऽग्निमुपसमाधाय कृष्णया गवा यजेत २७

27. ⁶ Let him put wood on the fire in the middle of the house, and sacrifice a black cow,

अजेन वा श्वेतेन २८

28. Or a white goat,

सपायसाभ्याम् २९

29. (The one or the other) together with milk-rice.

पायसेन वा ३०

30. Or (only) milk-rice.

वसामाज्यं माँ सं पायसमिति संयूय ३१

31. Having mingled together the fat (of the animal), Ājya, its flesh, and the milk-rice,

अष्टगृहीतं गृहीत्वा जुहुयात् ३२

32. He should take eight portions (of that mixture) and should sacrifice (the following eight oblations):

वास्तोष्पत इति प्रथमा ३३

33. The first (verse, accompanying the first oblation), is, ‘Vāstoṣpati!’ (MB. II, 6, 1).

वामदेव्यर्चः ३४

34. ⁷ (Then follow) the (three) verses of the Vāmadevya,

महाव्याहृतयः ३५

35. (And the three) Mahāvyāhṛtis.

प्रजापतय इत्युत्तमा ३६

36. ⁸ The last (oblation is offered with the formula), ‘To Prajāpati (svāhā).’

हुत्वा दश बलीन्हरेत् ३७

37. After he has sacrificed, he should offer ten Balis,

प्रदक्षिणं प्रतिदिशम् ३८

38. In the different directions (of the horizon), from left to right,

अवान्तरदेशेषु ३९

39. And in the intermediate points,

आनुपूर्व्येणाव्यतिहरन् ४०

40. In due order, without a transposition.

इन्द्रा येति पुरस्ताद्वायव इत्यवान्तरदेशे यमायेति दक्षिणतः पितृभ्य इत्यवान्तरदेशे वरुणायेति पश्चान्महाराजायेत्यवान्तरदेशे सोमायेत्युत्तरतो महेन्द्रा येत्यवान्तरदेशे वासुकय इत्यधस्तादूर्ध्वं नमो ब्रह्मण इति दिवि ४१

41. (He should offer a Bali) in the east with (the formula), ‘(Adoration) to Indra!’ in the intermediate direction—’To Vāyu!’ in the south—’To Yama!’ in the intermediate direction—’(Svadhā) to the Fathers!’ in the west—’(Adoration) to Varuṇa!’ in the intermediate direction—’To Mahārāja!’ in the north—’To Soma!’ in the intermediate direction—’To Mahendra!’ downwards—

‘To Vāsuki!’ upwards, in the sky (i.e. throwing the Bali into the air), with (the formula), ‘Adoration to Brahman!’

प्राच्यू र्ध्वावाचीभ्योऽहरहर्नित्यप्रयोगः ४२

42. To the east, upwards, and downwards this should be done constantly, day by day.

संवत्सरेसंवत्सरे नवयज्ञयोर्वा ४३

43. ⁹ (The whole ceremony is repeated) every year or at the two sacrifices of the first fruits.