१३

1. ¹ With (the formula), ‘The milk of Virāj art thou. May the milk of Padyā Virāj (dwell) in me’ - (the guest) touches the hands of the person that washes his feet, and then he touches himself with (the formula), ‘May in me dwell brilliancy, energy, strength, life, renown, splendour, glory, power!’

विराजो दोहोसि । मयि दोहः पद्यायै विराजः । इति योस्य पादौ प्रक्षालयति तस्य हस्तावभिमृश्यात्मानं प्रत्यभिमृशति । मयि तेज इन्द्रि यं वीर्यमायुः कीर्तिर्वर्चो यशो बलम् । इति १

2. (The host) then makes to him the announcement, ‘The Argha water!’

अथास्मै । अर्घ्यम् । इति प्राह २

3. ² (The guest) accepts it with (the formula), ‘Thou camest to me with glory. Unite me with brilliancy, splendour, and milk. Make me beloved by all creatures, the lord of cattle.’

तत्प्रतिगृह्णाति । आ मागन्यशसा संसृज तेजसा वर्चसा पयसा च । तं मा कुरु प्रियं प्रजानामधिपतिं पशूनाम् । इति ३

4. ³ ‘To the ocean I send you, the imperishable (waters); go back to your source. May I not suffer loss in my offspring. May my sap not be shed’ - this (verse the guest) recites over the remainder (of the Argha water), when it is poured out (by the person who had offered it to him).

समुद्रं वः प्रहिणोम्यक्षिताः स्वां योनिमपिगच्छत । अच्छिद्रः प्रजया भूयासं मा परासेचि मत्पयः । इति शेषं निनीयमानमनुमन्त्रयते ४

5. Then he utters to him the announcement, ‘The water for sipping!’

अथास्मै । आचमनीयम् । इति प्राह ५

6. ⁴ With (the formula), ‘Thou art the first layer for Ambrosia,’ he sips water.

अमृतोपस्तरणमसि । इत्यप आचामति ६

7. Then he utters to him the announcement, ‘The honey-mixture!’

अथास्मै । मधुपर्कः । इति प्राह ७

8. ⁵ He accepts that with both hands with the Sāvitra (formula), and places it on the ground with (the formula), ‘I place thee on the navel of the earth in the abode of Iḍā.’ He mixes (the different substances) three times from left to right with his thumb and his fourth finger, with (the formula), ‘What is the honied, highest form of honey which consists in the enjoyment of food, by that honied, highest form of honey may I become highest, honied, and an enjoyer of food.’ He partakes of it three times with (the formula), ‘I eat thee for the sake of brilliancy, of luck, of glory, of power, and of the enjoyment of food,’ and gives the remainder to a person who is kindly disposed towards him.

तं सावित्रेणोभाभ्यां हस्ताभ्यां प्रतिगृह्य । पृथिव्यास्त्वा नाभौ सादयामीडायाः पदे । इति पृथिव्यां प्रतिष्ठाप्य । यन्मधुनो मधव्यं परममन्नाद्यं रूपम् । तेनाहं मधुनो मधव्येन परमेण रूपेण परमो मधव्योन्नादो भूयासम् । इत्यङ्गुष्ठेनोपमध्यमया चाङ्गुल्या त्रिः प्रदक्षिणं संयुज्य । तेजसे त्वा श्रियै यशसे बलायान्नाद्याय प्राश्नामि । इति त्रिः प्राश्य योस्य रातिर्भवति तस्मा उच्छिष्टं प्रयच्छति ८

9. ⁶ Or he may eat the whole (Madhuparka). Then he sips water with (the formula), ‘Thou art the covering of Ambrosia.’

सर्वं वा प्राश्य । अमृतापिधानमसि । इत्यप आ-चामति ९

10. ⁷ Then he utters to him the announcement, ‘The cow!’

अथास्मै । गौः । इति प्राह १०

11. That (cow) is either killed or let loose.

तस्याः कर्मोत्सर्गो वा ११

12. If he chooses to let it loose, (he murmurs), ‘This cow will become a milch cow.

‘The mother of the Rudras, the daughter of the Vasus, the sister of the Ādityas, the navel of immortality. To the people who understand me, I say, “Do not kill the guiltless cow, which is Aditi.”

‘Let it drink water! Let it eat grass’ -

(And) gives order (to the people), ‘Om! Let it loose.’

गौर्धेनुर्भव्या माता रुद्रा णां दुहिता वसूनां स्वसादित्यानाममृतस्य नाभिः । प्र णु वोचं चिकितुषे जनाय मा गामनागामदितिं वधिष्ट । पिबतूदकं तृणान्यत्तु । ओमुत्सृजत । इत्युत्सर्गे संशास्ति १२

13. ⁸ If it shall be killed, (he says), ‘A cow art thou; sin is driven away from thee. Drive away my sin and the sin of N.N.! Kill ye him whoever hates me. He is killed whosoever hates me. Make (the cow) ready!’

गौरस्यपहतपाप्माप पाप्मानं जहि मम चामुष्य च हतं मे द्विषन्तं हतो मे द्विषन् । कुरुत । इति द्रि यमाणायाम् १३

14. ⁹ If (the cow) is let loose, a meal is prepared with other meat, and he announces it (to the guest) in the words, ‘It is ready!’

उत्सर्गेन्येन मांसेनान्नं संस्कृत्याथास्मै । भूतम् । इति प्राह १४

15. He replies, ‘It is well prepared; it is the Virāj; it is food. May it not fail! May I obtain it! May it give me strength! It is well prepared!’ - and adds, ‘Give food to the Brāhmaṇas!’

तत्सुभूतं विराडन्नं तन्मा क्षायि तन्मेशीय तन्म ऊर्जं धास्तत्सुभूतम् । इत्युत्त्काथाह । ब्राह्मणान्भोजयत । इति १५

16. ¹⁰ After those (Brāhmaṇas) have eaten, (the host) orders blameless (?) food to be brought to him (i.e. to the guest).

तेष्वस्मै भुक्तवत्स्वनुसंवृजिनमन्नमाहारयति १६

17. He accepts that with (the formula), ‘May the heaven give it to thee; may the earth accept it. May the earth give it to thee; may breath accept it. May breath eat thee; may breath drink thee.’

तत्प्रतिगृह्णाति । द्यौस्ते ददातु पृथिवी प्रतिगृह्णातु पृथिवी ते ददातु प्राणः प्रतिगृह्णातु प्राणस्त्वाश्नातु प्राणः पिबतु । इति १७

18. With (the verse), ‘May Indra and Agni bestow vigour on me’ (Taitt. Saṃh. III, 3, 3, 3) he eats as much as he likes, and gives the remainder to a person who is kindly disposed towards him.

इन्द्रा ग्नी मे वर्चः कृणुताम् । इति यावत्कामं प्राश्य योस्य रातिर्भवति तस्मा उच्छिष्टं प्रयच्छति १८

19. If he desires that somebody may not be estranged from him, he should sip water with (the Mantra), ‘Whereon the past and the future and all worlds rest, therewith I take hold of thee; I (take. hold) of thee; through the Brahman I take hold of thee for myself, N.N.!’ -

यं कामयेत न विच्छिद्येतेति । यस्मिन्भूतं च भव्यं च सर्वे लोका इह श्रिताः । तेन त्वाहं प्रतिगृह्णामि त्वामहं ब्रह्मणा त्वा मह्यं प्रतिगृह्णाम्यसौ । इत्याचम्य १९