Agniveshyagrihyasutra 1.1.1

We shall explain the initiatory investiture. One should invest a Brahmin in the seventh year, a Kṣatriya in the eleventh year, [and] a Vaiśya in the twelfth year.

A Brahmin in the spring, a Kṣatriya in the summer, [and] a Vaiśya in the autumn.

During the waxing fortnight, under an auspicious constellation, especially one with a masculine name, having served an even number of Brahmins with food, having made them recite, 'An auspicious day! Well-being! Prosperity!', having had the hair of the boy, who has eaten, shaved, having made him bathe, adorned him, and clothed him in an unwashed garment, having raised [and] sprinkled [the ground] on a site that slopes to the east, slopes to the north, slopes to the northeast, or is level, having made a sacrificial ground with sand, having furrowed lines, having churned the fire or having brought worldly fire, having had it placed down, he tends the fire.

He strews around with darbha grasses whose tips point east; moreover, behind and in front, they point north.

He places the southern ones above and the northern ones below, if the tips point northeast.

Having strewn darbha grasses south of the fire in the seat of the Brahman priest, having taken the fire into himself with the two [verses], 'In myself I take...', 'The fire that belongs to us...', [and] having strewn darbha grasses north of the fire, he then arranges his implements:

The millstone, the unwashed garment, the skin, a three-strand girdle of muñja grass for a Brahmin, a bowstring for a Kṣatriya, of sheep's wool for a Vaiśya; a staff of bilva or palāśa for a Brahmin, of banyan for a Kṣatriya, of udumbara for a Vaiśya; a firewood bundle of twenty-one sticks, or one measuring his oblations.

Along with this, he binds enclosing sticks of śamyā wood to the firewood bundle.

The ladle, the grass bunch, the ghee pot, the vessel for bringing forward the holy water, and whatever else is used to sprinkle other items—either all at once or in the order of occurrence. At this time the Brahman priest, having put on the sacred thread, having sipped water, having stepped around to the south by the west of the fire, having tossed away a blade of grass from the seat of the Brahman priest, [and] having touched water, sits down facing the fire.

Having made two strainers of equal darbha blades with uncut tips, a span in length, having cut them from the rest without fingernails, having wiped them along with water, having poured water into a vessel shielded by the strainers, having filled it up to the brim, having purified [it] three times by straining with the two strainers whose tips point north, [and] having placed it upon darbha grasses north of the fire, he covers it with darbha grasses.

Having prepared the sprinkling water across the strainer, having placed the vessels with rims turned upwards as before, having set apart the firewood bundle, he sprinkles them all three times.

Having heated the ladle over the fire, wiped it clean, [and] heated it again, he sets it down.

Having sprinkled [sticks] of equal tips, he places them into the fire.

Having melted clarified butter, having poured out the clarified butter into the ghee pot shielded by the strainers, having moved out embers to the north, having set it over them, having illuminated it, having thrown [the embers] back with two blades of darbha grass, having carried fire around it three times, having removed it to the north, having pushed back the embers, [and] having purified the clarified butter three times by straining again with the two strainers whose tips point north, he places the two strainers into the fire.

He surrounds [the fire] with enclosing sticks of śamyā wood; to the west of the fire he sets the middle one with its thicker end pointing north.

To the south of the fire, having touched the middle one, [he places an enclosing stick] with its thicker end pointing east; to the north of the fire, having touched the middle one, [he places an enclosing stick] with its thicker end pointing east; to the west of the fire he sits facing east.

To the south, wearing the sacred thread, having sipped water, the boy sits down and takes hold from behind.

Then he circum-pours water:

'Aditi, give your assent!' eastward to the south; 'Anumati, give your assent!' northward to the west; 'Sarasvatī, give your assent!' eastward to the north; 'Divine Savitṛ, impel [us]!'—having circum-poured water on all sides clockwise, having anointed a fuel stick with clarified butter, he places it on [the fire]:

'This firewood is your body, O Jātavedas; thereby blaze up and wax strong! Being kindled, make us wax strong with offspring, with cattle, with sacred brilliance, [and] with food! Make us prosper, svāhā!' Then he offers with the ladle.

Bringing [the ladle] down along the northern junction of the enclosing sticks, while meditating in his mind on Prajāpati with 'To Prajāpati, svāhā', he offers a straight, continuous [stream] from south to east and north.

Bringing [the ladle] down along the southern junction of the enclosing sticks, [saying,] 'To Indra, svāhā', he offers [a stream] straight from east to north; having offered the two clarified butter libations, he offers the two clarified butter portions:

'To Agni, svāhā' in the eastern half of the northern half;

'To Soma, svāhā' in the eastern half of the southern half.

Between the two, he offers the other oblations:

'Harnessed, carry [the oblation], O Jātavedas, in front; O Agni, know the rite being performed, as this is!

You are the physician, the maker of the remedy; through you may I obtain cattle, horses, [and] men, svāhā!

You who lie across, [saying,] "I am the supporter",

to you, as the Fulfiller, I sacrifice with a stream of clarified butter in the fire, svāhā!

To the fulfilling goddess, svāhā!

To the accomplishing goddess, svāhā!

Bhūḥ, svāhā!

Bhuvaḥ, svāhā!

Svaḥ, svāhā!

Bhūrbhuvaḥsvaḥ, svāhā!'

This is the rule for all ladle offerings. ||1