०५

1. ¹ ‘To him who comes (to us), we have come. Drive ye away death! May we walk with him safely; may he walk here in bliss; (may he) walk in bliss until (he returns) to his house’ - this (verse the teacher repeats) while (the boy) walks round the fire so as to keep his right side turned towards it.

आगन्त्रा समगन्महि प्र स मृत्युं युयोतन । अरिष्टाः सञ्चरेमहि स्वस्ति च-रतादिह । स्वस्त्या गृहेभ्यः । इति प्रदक्षिणमग्निं परिक्रामन्तमभिमन्त्रयते १

2. ² (The teacher) then causes him to say, ‘I have come hither to be a student. Initiate me! I will be a student, impelled by the god Sāvitrī.’

अथैनमभिव्याहारयति । ब्रह्मचर्यमागामुप मा नयस्व ब्रह्मचारी भवानि देवेन सवित्रा प्रसूतः । इति २

3. (The teacher then) asks him:

तं पृच्छति ३

4. ‘What is thy name?’

को नामासि । इति ४

5. ³ He says, ‘N.N!’ - what his name is.

असौ । इत्याचष्टे यथानामा भवति ५

6. ⁴ (The teacher says), ‘Happily, god Savitṛ, may I attain the goal with this N.N.’ - here he pronounces (the student’s) two names.

स्वस्ति देव सवितरहमनेनामुनो-दृचमशीय । इति नामनी गृह्णाति ६

7. ⁵ With (the verse), ‘For bliss may the goddesses afford us their protection; may the waters afford drink to us. With bliss and happiness may they overflow us’ - both wipe themselves off.

शं नो देवीरभिष्टय आपो भवन्तु पीतये । शं योरभिस्रवन्तु नः । इति मार्जयेते ७

8. ⁶ Then (the teacher) touches with his right hand (the boy’s) right shoulder, and with his left (hand) his left (shoulder), and draws (the boy’s) right arm towards himself with the Vyāhṛtis, the Sāvitrī verse, and with (the formula), ‘By the impulse of the god Savitṛ, with the arms of the two Aśvins, with Pūṣan’s hands I initiate thee, N.N.!’

अथास्य दक्षिणेन हस्तेन दक्षिण-मंसमन्वारभ्य सव्येन सव्यं व्याहृतिभिः सावित्र्येति दक्षिणं बाहुमभ्यात्म-न्नुपनयते । देवस्य त्वा सवितुः प्रसवेश्विनोर्बाहुभ्यां पूष्णो हस्ताभ्यामुपनयेसौ । इति च ८

9. ⁷ He then seizes with his right hand (the boy’s) right hand together with the thumb, with (the words), ‘Agni has seized thy hand; Soma has seized thy hand; Savitṛ has seized thy hand; Sarasvatī has seized thy hand; Pūṣan has seized thy hand; Bṛhaspati has seized thy hand; Mitra has seized thy hand; Varuṇa has seized thy hand; Tvaṣṭṛ has seized thy hand; Dhātṛ has seized thy hand; Viṣṇu has seized thy hand; Prajāpati has seized thy hand.’

अथास्य दक्षिणेन हस्तेन दक्षिणं हस्तं साङ्गुष्ठं गृह्णाति । अग्निष्टे हस्तमग्रभीत्सोमस्ते हस्तमग्रभीत्सविता ते हस्तमग्रमीत्सरस्वती ते हस्तमग्रभीत्पूषा ते हस्तमग्रभीद्बृहस्पतिस्ते हस्तमग्रभीन्मित्रस्ते हस्तमग्रभीद्व-रुणस्ते हस्तमग्रभीत्त्वष्टा ते हस्तमग्रभीद्धाता ते हस्तमग्रभीद्विष्णुस्ते हस्तमग्रभीत्प्रजापतिस्ते हस्तमग्रभीत् । इति ९

10. ⁸ ‘May Savitṛ protect thee. Mitra art thou by rights; Agni is thy teacher.

‘By the impulse of the god Savitṛ become Bṛhaspati’s pupil. Eat water. Put on fuel. Do the service. Do not sleep in the day-time’ - thus (the teacher) instructs him.

सविता त्वाभिरक्षतु मित्र-स्त्वमसि धर्मणा । अग्निराचार्यस्तव । देवेन सवित्रा प्रसूतो बृहस्पतेर्ब्रह्मचारी भवासावपोशानः समिध आधेहि कर्म कुरु मा दिवा स्वाप्सीः । इत्येनं संशास्ति १०

11. ⁹ Then (the teacher) gradually moves his right hand down over (the boy’s) right shoulder and touches the place of his heart with (the formulas), ‘Thy heart shall dwell in my heart; my mind thou shalt follow with thy mind; in my word thou shalt rejoice with all thy heart; may Bṛhaspati join thee to me!

‘To me alone thou shalt adhere. In me thy thoughts shall dwell. Upon me thy veneration shall be bent. When I speak, thou shalt be silent.’

अथास्य दक्षिणेन हस्तेन दक्षिणमंसमुपर्युपर्यन्ववमृश्य हृदयदेशमभिमृशति । मम हृदये हृदयं ते अस्तु मम चित्तं चित्तेनान्वेहि । मम वाचमेकमना जुषस्व बृहस्पतिस्त्वा नियुनक्तु मह्यम् । मामेवानुसंरभस्व मयि चित्तानि सन्तु ते । मयि सामीच्यमस्तु ते मह्यं वाचं नियच्छतात् । इति ११

12. With (the words), ‘Thou art the knot of all breath; do not loosen thyself’ - (he touches) the place of his navel.

प्राणानां ग्रन्थिरसि स मा विस्रसः । इति नाभिदेशम् १२

13. ¹⁰ After (the teacher) has recited over him (the formula),

‘Bhūḥ! Bhuvaḥ! Suvaḥ! By offspring may I become rich in offspring! By valiant sons, rich in valiant sons! By splendour, rich in splendour! By wealth, rich in wealth! By wisdom, rich in wisdom! By pupils, rich in holy lustre!’

And (again the formulas),

‘Bhūḥ! I place thee in the Ṛcas, in Agni, on the earth, in voice, in the Brahman, N.N.!

‘Bhuvaḥ! I place thee in the Yajus, in Vāyu, in the air, in breath, in the Brahman, N.N.!

‘Suvaḥ! I place thee in the Sāmans, in Sūrya, in heaven, in the eye, in the Brahman, N.N.!

‘May I be beloved (?) and dear to thee, N.N.!

May I be dear to thee, the fire (?), N.N.! Let us dwell here! Let us dwell in breath and life! Dwell in breath and life, N.N.!’ -

भूर्भुवः सुवः सुप्रजाः प्रजया भूयासं सुवीरो वीरैः सुवर्चा वर्चसा सुपोषः पोषैः सुमेधा मेधया सुब्रह्मा ब्रह्मचारिभिः । इत्येनमभिमन्त्र्य । भूरृक्षु त्वाग्नौ पृथिव्यां वाचि ब्रह्मणि ददेसौ । भुवो यजुःषु त्वा वायावन्तरिक्षे प्राणे ब्रह्मणि ददेसौ । सुवः सामसु त्वा सूर्ये दिवि चक्षुषि ब्रह्मणि ददेसौ । इष्टस्ते प्रियो-सान्यसावनलस्य ते प्रियोसान्यसौ । इदं वत्स्यावः प्राण आयुषि वत्स्यावः प्राण आयुषि वसासौ । इति च १३

14. ¹¹ He then seizes with his right hand (the boy’s) right hand together with the thumb, with the five sections, ‘Agni is long-lived.’

अथास्य दक्षिणेन हस्तेन दक्षिणं हस्तं साङ्गुष्ठं गृह्णाति । अग्निरायुष्मान् । इति पञ्चभिः पर्यायैः १४

15. ‘May (Agni) bestow on thee long life everywhere’ (Taitt. Saṃh. I, 3, 14, 4) -

आयुष्टे विश्वतो दधत् । इति १५