Shantikamalakara 2.5

2.5

In the Matsyapurāṇa: / 'And one should offer firewood sticks, ghee, pot-cooked grain offering, food preparations, and so forth again. / Having offered ten oblations with the mantras, [one should perform] the fire oblation with the vyāhṛtis thereafter.' / / Facing north, the foremost brahmins should perform it. / Here, regarding the expression 'with the vyāhṛtis'—since the plurality of togetherness understood from the single remainder (ekaśeṣa) as an exception to the dvandva compound pertains to what is enjoined—it is indeed fitting that the entire [performance consists of] one oblation per vyāhṛti. In Hemādri, from the Bhaviṣyottarapurāṇa as well: / 'And in the fire oblation with the vyāhṛtis, everything is deposited therein.' / / Having offered the food preparations and the remainder of the food offering, having offered ten oblations each with the respective planet mantras using substances such as sesame for the ten-thousand-oblation fire ritual, one repeats three oblations with the separated vyāhṛtis beginning with Oṃ and Bhūḥ, and one with the combined ones, to complete the count of the ten-thousand or hundred-thousand-oblation fire rituals—so it is stated in Hemādri and in the Madanaratna. We do not know the source text for such a division; the truth, however, appears to be that the entire fire oblation consists solely of one oblation with the three vyāhṛtis. As stated in Hemādri from the Bhaviṣyapurāṇa: '"Bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ svadhā svāhā" is recorded as the rule for the hundred-thousand-oblation fire ritual.' But Hemādri, due to contradictions between earlier and later statements, is simply confused because there is no contradiction. In the Matsyapurāṇa: / 'And pot-cooked grain offerings should be prepared with mantras for each deity. / Having duly offered those pot-cooked grain offerings, one should then perform the fire oblation. / And one should make the full oblation fall with [the mantra] "mūrdhānaṃ divaḥ". / Then the consecratory sprinkling with the mantra, accompanied by auspicious songs and instruments. / / With that very full pitcher, at the end of the fire oblation, facing northeast, / four twice-borns should perform the bathing of the sacrificer.' / / There, the mantras 'sūryāśva' and so forth will be stated in the ritual manual. In the Agnipurāṇa: / 'With the mantra "mūrdhānaṃ divaḥ" and with an uninterrupted stream, / standing up, one should offer the full [oblation]; never while seated.' / / In the Mahārṇava, four mantras are stated for the full oblation: 'mūrdhānaṃ divaḥ', 'punas tvādityāḥ', 'pūrṇā darvi', and 'saptate agne'. The Bhaviṣyottarapurāṇa: / 'There is no fixed rule for the number of brahmins here, O best of men, / nor is there any restriction of time; the sacrifice is said to be according to one's desire. / / Then, wearing white garments, adorned with white garlands and ointments, / bathed with all herbs and all perfumes by the foremost twice-borns, / / the sacrificer, accompanied by his wife and composed with the officiating priests, / should worship with diligence through priestly gifts, free from pride.' / / In the Vāsiṣṭha: / 'Then, for the protection of him who has been sprinkled, one should throw out a propitiatory offering / in the cardinal and intermediate directions with variegated rice; then one should wave lamps.' / / In the Prayogapārijāta, Vāmana: / 'From the preceptor and the others, the fruit of the planet worship, / and likewise the fruit of the fire oblation of firewood sticks, ghee, pot-cooked grain offering, and sesame, / / as well as the fruit of their recitation, he should take preceded by water. / Then, according to one's capacity, separate priestly gifts should be given to them.' / / And they are stated by Yājñavalkya: / 'A milch cow, a conch, an ox, gold, a cloth, and a horse in order; / a black cow, a copper vessel, a cart—these indeed are the priestly gifts in order.' / / In the Matsyapurāṇa: / 'The priestly gifts should be made equal to gold by the sacrificer. / Or he should give a cow to all, or whatever satisfies the preceptor. / All priestly gifts should be given everywhere with their own mantras.' / / And those mantras are to be learned from the Dānakamalākara composed by me. Here too, the ritual manual will be stated. In the Madanaratna, Āśvalāyana: