Agniveshyagrihyasutra 1.1.4

Then he makes [the boy] place [on the fire] seven palāśa kindling sticks, fresh, unbroken at the tips, a span long, and smeared with ghee:

"To Agni I have brought a kindling stick, to the great Jātavedas;

as you, O Agni, are kindled by a kindling stick, so kindle me with wisdom, intelligence, offspring, cattle, holy luster, and food, svāhā"—with this, one [stick];

with "To Agni two kindling sticks…", two;

with "To Agni kindling sticks…", four.

Then he circum-pours water, modifying the ends of the mantras as before: "You have permitted", "Do not incite".

Then he attends upon the deities: Agni with "O Agni, lord of vows, I will perform a vow", Vāyu with "O Vāyu, lord of vows", Āditya with "O Āditya, lord of vows", and the lord of vows with "O lord of vows of vows".

Here he gives a chosen gift to the teacher.

Having raised him with "With life…" [and] having entrusted him [to the sun] with "O Sūrya, this is your son; I entrust him to you", [he recites:] "That eye placed by the gods, bright, rising in the east:

May we see for a hundred autumns;

May we live for a hundred autumns;

May we rejoice for a hundred autumns;

May we delight for a hundred autumns;

May we be for a hundred autumns;

May we hear for a hundred autumns;

May we speak forth for a hundred autumns;

May we remain undefeated for a hundred autumns;

And long to see the sun"—with this he attends upon Āditya.

"May Agni lengthen your life;

May Agni place nourishment further upon you;

May Indra with the Maruts give to you here;

May Āditya with the Vasus bestow [it] upon you"—

having handed over the staff with this [verse], he gives [him] a bowl.

Then he says: "Go wandering for alms."

He should beg from his mother first.

Then, having brought alms from other generous houses, he announces: "Alms!"

"You whose first garment we remove, may all the gods protect you;

may many well-growing brothers be born after you, who are growing and well-born"—with this he takes his first garment.

When food is prepared, cutting off portions of cooked rice, cakes, and barley groats mixed with clarified butter, he offers:

"To Agni, svāhā;

To Soma, svāhā;

To Agni the eater of food, svāhā;

To Agni the lord of food, svāhā;

To Prajāpati, svāhā;

To the Viśvedevas, svāhā;

To all deities, svāhā;

To Agni Sviṣṭakṛt, svāhā."

Everywhere thus, where a deity is unspecified, [he offers with:] "To such-and-such, svāhā; to such-and-such, svāhā."

Where a deity is specified, [he offers] according to the deity.

Taking portions from these very [foods], he makes an oblation on darbha grass pointing eastward with: "To the lord of the dwelling, svāhā."

Having served Brahmins with threefold food and having made them pronounce the blessing for an auspicious day, safety, and prosperity, he observes the three-day vow: eating food without pungent condiments or salt and without pulse grain, sleeping on the ground, not drinking from an earthen vessel, not eating the leftovers of a Śūdra, honey, or meat, not sleeping by day, going out to beg alms at both twilight times, bringing a water-pot, [and] bringing every day a bundle of firewood.

At both times, or in the evening only, he places kindling sticks [on the fire].

As [the mantra] says: "That the Vasus… upon the white cow…", having wiped around the fire clockwise, he circum-pours water.

As before, he places kindling sticks [on the fire] with the mystic utterances, individually and all together:

"This is your kindling stick, O Agni; grow by it and swell, and may we grow and swell, svāhā;

May Indra grant me wisdom, may the goddess Sarasvatī [grant] wisdom;

May both the Aśvins, lotus-garlanded, bestow wisdom upon me, svāhā;

And the wisdom that is in the Apsarases, and the mind that is in the Gandharvas;

The divine wisdom, born of men, may that fragrant wisdom take pleasure in me, svāhā;

May fragrant wisdom, all-formed, golden-hued, moving over the earth, accessible, come to me;

vigorous, swelling with milk, may that fair-faced wisdom take pleasure in me, svāhā."

In that very manner, having wiped around [the fire], he circum-pours water as before.

He attends upon [the fire] with these mantras: "Whatever brilliance is yours, O Agni…", and "Wisdom in me, offspring in me…".

When the three days have passed, having in that very manner served Brahmins with threefold food and having made them pronounce the blessing for an auspicious day, safety, and prosperity, he releases the vow with these mantras: "O Agni, lord of vows, I have performed my vow…".

From then on, the resident in the teacher's house observes this very vow: he eats food without pungent condiments or salt and without pulse grain.

He should carry a staff, have matted locks, wear a girdle, or have a topknot with matted hair.

He wears an ochre garment or a hide; he does not approach a woman; [this continues] for forty-eight years, twelve years, or as long as it takes to acquire [the Veda]; but he should never be without vows.

At the beginning of a section and at the completion of a section, [he makes an offering with the verse]: 'The lord of the assembly, the wondrous, dear, desirable to Indra,'

'Gain, wisdom I have sought, svāhā,' together with a second offering to the section-seer; and with: 'This of mine, O Varuṇa,' 'That [essence] of yours I come for,' 'So you to us, O Agni,' 'So be you to us, O Agni,' 'You, O Agni, went,' 'O Prajāpati,' and 'Whatever of this rite I have made redundant.'

Now some make supplementary offerings with the Jaya, Abhyātāna, and Rāṣṭrabhṛt formulas, as previously described. || 4