०१

1. We shall explain the Upanayana (i.e. the initiation of the student).

उपनयनं व्याख्यास्यामः १

2. ¹ Let him initiate a Brāhmaṇa at the age of seven years,

सप्तवर्षं ब्राह्मणमुपनयीत २

3. A Rājanya, of eleven, a Vaiśya, of twelve.

एकादशवर्षं राजन्यं द्वादशवर्षं वैश्यम् ३

4. ² A Brāhmaṇa in the spring, a Rājanya in the summer, a Vaiśya in the autumn.

वसन्तो ब्राह्मणं ग्रीष्मे राजन्यं शरदि वैश्यम् ४

5. In the time of the increasing moon, under an auspicious constellation, preferably (under a constellation) the name of which is masculine,

आपूर्यमाणपक्षे पुण्ये नक्षत्रे विशेषेण पुन्नामधेये ५

6. ³ He should serve food to an even number of Brāhmaṇas and should cause them to say, ‘An auspicious day! Hail! Good luck!’ -

युग्मान्ब्राह्मणानन्नेन परिविष्य पुण्याहं स्वस्त्ययनमृद्धिमिति वाचयित्वा ६

7. (Then he) should have the boy satiated, should have his hair shaven, and after (the boy) has bathed and has been decked with ornaments -

आशितस्य कुमारस्य केशान्वापयित्वा स्नातमलङ्कृतम् ७

8. He should dress him in a (new) garment which has not yet been washed.

अहतं वासः परिधाय ८

9. ⁴ In a place inclined towards the east, (or) inclined towards the north, (or) inclined towards northeast, or in an even (place), he raises (the surface on which he intends to sacrifice), sprinkles it with water,

प्राचीनप्रवण उदीचीनप्रवणे प्रागुदक्प्रवणे समे वा देश उद्धत्यावोक्ष्य ९

10. Kindles fire by attrition, or fetches common (worldly) fire, puts the fire down, and puts wood on the fire.

अग्निं मथित्वा लौकिकं वाहृत्य न्युप्योपसमादधाति १०

11. ⁵ He strews eastward-pointed Darbha grass round the fire;

प्रागग्रैर्दर्भैरग्निं परिस्तृणाति ११

12. Or (the grass which is strewn) to the west and to the east (of the fire), may be northward-pointed.

अपि वोदगग्राः पश्चात्पुरस्ताच्च भवन्ति १२

13. ⁶ He (arranges the Darbha blades so as to) lay the southern (blades) uppermost, the northern ones below, if their points are turned (partly) towards the east and (partly) towards the north.

दक्षिणानुत्तरान्करोत्युत्तरानधरा-न्यदि प्रागुदगग्राः १३

14. ⁷ Having strewn Darbha grass, to the south of the fire, in the place destined for the Brahman,

दक्षिणेनाग्निं ब्रह्मायतने दर्भान्संस्तीर्य १४

15. ⁸ Having with the two (verses), ‘I take (the fire) to myself,’ and, ‘The fire which (has entered)’ - taken possession of the fire,

मयि गृह्णामि । यो नो अग्निः । इति द्वाभ्यामात्मन्नग्निं गृहीत्वा १५

16. ⁹ And having, to the north of the fire, spread out Darbha grass, he prepares the (following) objects, according as they are required (for the ceremony which he is going to perform):

उत्तरेणाग्निं दर्भान्संस्तीर्य यथार्थं द्र व्याणि प्रयुनक्ति १६

17. ¹⁰ A stone, a (new) garment which has not yet been washed, a skin (of an antelope, or a spotted deer, &c.), a threefold-twisted girdle of Muñja grass if he is a Brāhmaṇa (who shall be initiated), a bowstring for a Rājanya, a woollen thread for a Vaiśya, a staff of Bilva or of Palāśa wood for a Brāhmaṇa, of Nyagrodha wood for a Rājanya, of Udumbara wood for a Vaiśya.

अश्मानमहतं वासोजिनं मौञ्जीं मेखलां त्रिवृतां ब्राह्मणस्य ज्यां राजन्यस्यावीसूत्रं वैश्यस्य बैल्वं पालाशं वा दण्डं ब्राह्मणस्य नैय्यग्रोधं राजन्यस्यौदुम्बरं वैश्यस्य १७

18. ¹¹ He binds together the fuel, twenty-one pieces of wood, or as many as there are oblations to be made.

एकविंशतिदारुमिध्मं सन्नह्यत्या-हुतिपरिमाणं वा १८

19. Together with that fuel he ties up the (three) branches of wood which are to be laid round the fire, (which should have the shape of) pegs.

तस्मिञ्छम्याः परिधीनिध्म उपसन्नह्यति १९

20. ¹² (He gets ready, besides, the spoon called) Darvī, a bunch of grass, the Ājya pot, the pot for the Praṇīta water, and whatever (else) is required;

दर्वीं कूर्चमाञ्ज्यस्थालीं प्रणीताप्रणयनं येन चार्थः २०

21. All (those objects) together, or (one after the other) as it happens.

सकृदेव सर्वाणि यथोपपदं वा २१

22. ¹³ At that time the Brahman suspends the sacrificial cord over his left shoulder, sips water, passes by the fire, on its west side, to the south side, throws away a grass blade from the Brahman’s seat, touches water, and sits down with his face turned towards the fire.

एतस्मिन्काले ब्रह्मा यज्ञोपवीतं कृत्वाप आचम्यापरेणाग्निं दक्षिणा-तिक्रम्य ब्रह्मसदनात्तृणं निरस्याप उपस्पृश्याग्निमभिमुख उपविशति २२

23. ¹⁴ He takes as ‘purifiers’ two straight Darbha blades with unbroken points of one span’s length, cuts them off with something else than his nail, wipes them with water, pours water into a vessel over which he has laid the purifiers, fills (that vessel) up to near the brim, purifies (the water) three times with the two Darbha strainers, holding their points to the north, places (the water) on Darbha grass on the north side of the fire, and covers it with Darbha grass.

समावप्रच्छिन्नाग्रौ दर्भौ प्रादेशमात्रौ पवित्रे कृत्वान्येन नखाच्छित्त्वाद्भिरनुमृज्य पवित्रान्तर्हिते पात्रेप आनीयोपबिलं पूरयित्वोदगग्राभ्यां पवित्राभ्यां त्रिरु-त्पूयोत्तरेणाग्निं दर्भेषु सादयित्वा दर्भैरपिदधाति २३

24. ¹⁵ Having consecrated the Prokṣaṇī water by means of the purifiers as before, having placed the vessels upright, and having untied the fuel, he sprinkles (the sacrificial vessels) three times with the whole (Prokṣaṇī water).

तिरःपवित्रं प्रोक्षणीः संस्कृत्य यथा पुरस्ताद्बिलवन्त्युत्तानानि कृत्वा विषायेध्मं त्रिः सर्वाभिः प्रोक्षति २४

25. ¹⁶ Having warmed the Darvī spoon (over the fire), having wiped it, and warmed it again, he puts it down.

दर्वीं निष्टप्य सम्मृज्य पुनर्निष्टप्य निदधाति २५

26. Having besprinkled (with water) the Darbha grass with which the fuel was tied together, he throws it into the fire.

सम्मार्गानभ्युक्ष्याग्ना-वादधाति २६

27. ¹⁷ He melts the Ājya, pours the Ājya into the Ājya pot over which he has laid the purifiers, takes some coals (from the fire) towards the north, puts (the Ājya) on these (coals), throws light (on the

Ājya by means of burning Darbha blades), throws two young Darbha shoots into it, moves a fire-brand round it three times, takes it (from the coals) towards the north, pushes the coals back (into the fire), purifies the Ājya three times with the two purifiers, holding their points towards the north, (drawing them through the Ājya from west to east and) taking them back (to the west each time), throws the two purifiers into the fire,

आज्यं विलाप्य पवित्रान्तर्हितायामाज्यस्थाल्यामाज्यं निरू-प्योदीचोङ्गारान्निरूह्य तेष्वधिश्रित्यावद्योत्य दर्भतरुणाभ्यां प्रत्यस्य त्रिः पर्यग्नि कृत्वोदगुद्वास्याङ्गारान्प्रत्यूह्योदगग्राभ्यां पवित्राभ्यां पुनराहारमाज्यं त्रिरुत्पूय पवित्रेग्नावाधाय २७