२४

1. ‘Agni! Expiation! Thou art expiation. I, the Brāhmaṇa, entreat thee, desirous of protection. What is terrible in her, drive that away from here. Svāhā!

‘Vāyu! Expiation! Thou art expiation. I, the Brāhmaṇa, entreat thee, desirous of protection. What is blameful in her, drive that away from here. Svāhā!

‘Sun! Expiation! Thou art expiation. I, the Brāhmaṇa, entreat thee, desirous of protection. What dwells in her that is death-bringing to her husband, drive that away from here. Svāhā!

‘Sun! Expiation! &c.

‘Vāyu! Expiation! &c.

‘Agni! Expiation! &c.

‘Agni! Expiation! &c.

‘Vāyu! Expiation! &c.

‘Sun! Expiation! &c.’

अग्ने प्रायश्चित्ते त्वं प्रायश्चित्तिरसि ब्राह्मणस्त्वा नाथकाम उपधावामि यास्यै घोरा तनूस्तामितो नाशय स्वाहा । वायो प्रायश्चित्ते त्वं प्रायश्चित्तिरसि ब्राह्मणस्त्वा नाथकाम उपधावामि यास्यै निन्दिता तनूस्तामितो नाशय स्वाहा । आदित्य प्रायश्चित्ते त्वं प्रायश्चित्तिरसि ब्राह्मणस्त्वा नाथकाम उपधावामि यास्यै पतिघ्नी तनूस्तामितो नाशय स्वाहा । आदित्य प्रायश्चित्ते वायो प्रायश्चित्तेग्ने प्रायश्चित्तेग्ने प्रायश्चित्ते वायो प्रायश्चित्त आदित्य प्रायश्चित्ते । इति १

2. Having sacrificed (these oblations), he then pours the remainder as an oblation on her head, with (the formulas), ‘Bhūḥ! I sacrifice fortune over thee. Svāhā! Bhuvaḥ! I sacrifice glory over thee. Svāhā! Suvaḥ! I sacrifice beauty over thee. Svāhā! Bhūr bhuvaḥ suvaḥ! I sacrifice brightness over thee. Svāhā!’

हुत्वाथास्यै मूर्ध्नि संस्रावं जुहोति । भूर्भगं त्वयि जुहोमि स्वाहा । भुवो यशस्त्वयि जुहोमि स्वाहा । सुवः श्रियं त्वयि जुहोमि स्वाहा । भूर्भुवः सुवस्त्विषिं त्वयि जुहोमि स्वाहा । इति २

3. There (near the sacrificial fire) he places a water-pot, walks round the fire (and that water-pot) keeping his right side turned towards it, makes (the wife) lie down to the west of the fire, facing east or north, and touches her secret parts, with (the formula), ‘We touch thee with the five-forked, auspicious, unhostile (?), thousandfoldly blessed, glorious hand that thou mayst be rich in offspring!’

अत्रैवोदपात्रं निधाय प्रदक्षिणमग्निं परिक्रम्यापरेणाग्निं प्राचीमुदीचीं वा संवेश्याथास्यै योनिमभिमृशति । अभि त्वा पञ्चशाखेन शिवेनाविद्विषावता । साहस्रेण यशस्विना हस्तेनाभिमृशा-मसि सुप्रजास्त्वाय । इति ३

4. He then cohabits with her with (the formula), ‘United is our soul, united our hearts, united our navel, united our skin. I will bind thee with the bond of love; that shall be insoluble.’

अथैनामुपयच्छते । सं नाम्नः सं हृदयानि सं नाभिः सं त्वचः । सं त्वा कामस्य योक्त्रेण युञ्जान्यविमोचनाय । इति ४

5. He then embraces her with (the formula), ‘Be devoted to me; be my companion. What dwells in thee that is death-bringing to thy husband, that I make death-bringing to thy paramours. Bring luck to me; be a sharp-cutting (destroyer) to thy paramours.’

अथैनां परिष्वजते । मामनुव्रता भव सहचर्या मया भव । या ते पतिघ्नी तनूर्जारघ्नीं त्वेतां करोमि । शिवा त्वं मह्यमेधि क्षुरपविर्जारेभ्यः । इति ५

6. ¹ He then seeks her mouth with his mouth, with (the two verses), ‘Honey! Lo! Honey! This is honey! my tongue’s speech is honey; in my mouth dwells the honey of the bee; on my teeth dwells concord.

‘The (magic charm of) concord that belongs to the cakravāka birds, that is brought out of the rivers, of which the divine Gandharva is possessed, thereby we are concordant.’

अथास्यै मुखेन मुखमीप्सते । मधु हे मध्विदं मधु जिह्वा मे मधुवादिनी । मुखे मे सारघं मधु दत्सु संवननं कृतम् । चाक्रवाकं संवननं यन्नदीभ्य उदाहृतम् । यद्युक्तो देवगन्धर्वस्तेन संवनिनौ स्वके । इति ६

7. ² A woman that has her monthly courses, keeps through a period of three nights the observances prescribed in the Brāhmaṇa.

त्रिरात्रं मलवद्वाससा ब्राह्मणव्याख्यातानि व्रतानि चरति ७

8. In the fourth night (the husband) having sipped water, calls (the wife) who has taken a bath, who wears a clean dress and ornaments, and has spoken with a Brāhmaṇa, to himself (with the following verses):

चतुर्थ्यां स्नातां प्रयतवस्त्रामलङ्कृतां ब्राह्मणसम्भाषामाचम्योपह्वयते ८