Shantikamalakara 8.p5

8.p5

Now, the warding off of premature death. In the Madanaratna, Bodhāyana states:
Now we shall explain the Mṛtyuṃjaya rite. On one's natal lunar mansion, or on an auspicious lunar mansion, having gratified Brāhmaṇas with food to avert [the ill effects of] three births, and having made them declare 'auspicious day' (puṇyāha), 'welfare' (svasti), and 'prosperity' (ṛddhi), and having performed [the rites] up to the face of the fire beginning with marking out the sacred sacrificial ground, he offers cooked barley grains with the Sāvitrī [verse]. Taking firewood sticks of dūrvā grass, each a span in length, three at a time—either a thousand and eight, or a hundred and eight—having mixed and anointed them with curd, honey, ghee, and milk, he places them [into the fire]:
'Depart, O death, along another path...' (apaitu paraṃ mṛtyoḥ), 'Do not harm our great one...' (mā no mahāntam), 'Do not harm our children...' (mā nas toke), 'The three-eyed one...' (tryambakam),
[and] 'These thousands...' (ete sahasram). Then he offers oblations of ghee: 'May death be destroyed, may lifespan increase, bhūḥ svāhā;
may death be destroyed, may lifespan increase, bhuvaḥ svāhā; may death be destroyed, may lifespan increase, svaḥ svāhā; may death be destroyed, may lifespan increase, bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ svāhā.' Thus, beginning from the sviṣṭakṛt up to the gifting of the excellent cow, the procedure is established. Then, in front of the fire, upon a clump of dūrvā grass, he places the propitiatory offering consisting of the remainder of what was offered [reciting] 'We choose that blessing...' (tac chaṃ yoḥ). Then he gives the sacrificial fee: a cow, a bull, a draft ox, a horse, gold, bronze, or a garment—thus says Bodhāyana.