Manava Dharmashastra 3.217

3.217

dhānā śaṣkulyādayo 'bhakṣyāḥ' | kharaviśadamabhyavaharaṇīyaṃ hi bhakṣyamityucyate | bhojyaṃ ghṛtapūrādiḥ |

Turning to the north, having sipped water and having gently suppressed his breath three times, he shall salute, with proper formulas, the six seasons and also the Pitṛs.—(217)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Having placed the balls on the kuśa-grass, he should turn towards the North, leftwards; since we read in another Smṛti—‘turning to the left, towards the north.’

Seated with his face towards the North, he should sip water. ‘Having sipped water’— he should perform ‘breath-suppression’ three times; e.g., simply supressing the breath three times—only this much;—the rule relating to the repeating of the Gāyatrī verse along with the ‘Śiras’ formula (Yājña. Ācāra 23) not applying to the present case.

‘Gently’—so that there may not he much pain. This is what has been asserted (elsewhere) in the words—‘having suppressed the breathing as much as one can.’

Still facing the North, he should salute, &c., &c.—saying, ‘Salutation to the spring!’ and so forth.

He should also salute the Pitṛs; ‘with proper formulas with the mantra, ‘Na mo vaḥ pitaraḥ, &c., &c.’ This saluting of the Pitṛs should be done with face turned towards the Balls; for another Smṛti says that this is to be done by ‘turning round.’—(217).

This verse is quoted in Smṛtitattva (p. 241), which explains the word ‘mantravat’ (the reading adopted by it, along with Medhātithi, in place of ‘mantravit’), as referring to the Yajurveda-text—‘namo vaḥ pitaro rasāya—namo vaḥ pitaraḥ śoṣāya—namo vaḥ pitaro jīvāya—namo vaḥ pitaraḥ svadhāyai—namo vaḥ pitaro ghorāya—namo vaḥ pitaro manyave,’ where, according to Halāyudha, the six names—‘Rasa—Śoṣa—Jīva—Svadhā—Ghora—and Manyu’—stand respectively for the six seasons—Spring, Summer, Rains, Autumn, Pre-winter and Mid-winter; and what is meant is that these should be thought of as ‘Pitṛs’ and then saluted.—It further adds that as no such ‘salutation to the Seasons’ is spoken of in Gobhila’s Gṛhyasūtra, what Manu says should be taken as applying to Brāhmaṇas other than those who belong to the Sāmaveda.

Madanapārijāta (p. 601) also quotes this verse, and adds that the salutation to the Seasons is to be made with the mantra—‘namo vaḥ pitaraḥ &c., &c.’

Nirṇayasindhu (p. 328) quotes this verse, and adds that Medhātithi has explained the phrase ‘trirāyamya asūn’ as ‘triḥ prāṇāyāmam kṛtvā.’

It is quoted in Aparārka (p. 507);—in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 1451) to the effect that the sipping of water should be done after the washing of the hand;—and in Śrāddhakriyākaumudī (p. 193), which adds that the mantra for bowing to the seasons begins with ‘vasantāya’ and that for saluting the Pitṛs, with ‘amīmadanta.’

Comparative notes by various authors
Laghu-Āśvalāyana (13.75).—‘Having taken leave with the mantra, Atra, etc., he shall turn towards the north and restrain his breath.’