Agniveshyagrihyasutra 2.5.3

The imitation of offerings is the longevity oblation caru; it should be performed every year, every six months, every four months, or month by month on the birth asterism.

Then, having performed [the rites] from the marking out of the place for divine worship up to the praṇītā waters, he measures out the rice grains with 'I measure you out agreeable to long-lived Agni';

or silently.

Then he measures out the grains with 'I measure you out agreeable to breath';

or silently.

Having sprinkled them with water, pounded them, husked them three times, and washed them three times, he sets them down.

Then, having poured water or milk into the pot across the strainer and set it on the fire, he pours in the husked rice grains across the strainer.

Then, having set clarified butter on the fire and carried fire around both, he cleanses the stirring stick and the sruva ladle. Then, having cooked this caru, basted it with clarified butter, removed it from the fire toward the north, and set it firmly down, he bastes it again with clarified butter.

This very procedure is the caru rule for all cooked food offerings in a pot.

Having performed [the rites] from the laying around [of enclosing sticks] up to the face of the fire, he offers from the cooked [food]: having recited as the invitatory verse 'Bestowing life upon you from all sides,' he makes the offering with the offering verse 'Giver of life, O Agni, enjoying the oblation.'

He offers supplementary oblations of clarified butter.

Then he places the caru pot between the fire and the clarified butter pot.

He consecrates it with drops from a thousand offerings:

He who, as Brahman, raised up the Brahman, lord of breath, clad in animal skins, bearer of the Pināka,

the god Īśāna—may he grant us long life; to him I offer with the oblation, with clarified butter, svāhā!

Shining forth from the midst of the waters, gleaming, who came with the splendor of heat,

may that god, driving away from us the terrible snare of death, eat the clarified butter here for our long life, svāhā!

The light of brahman whom he deposited as an embryo in the wives of Brahman, multiform, victorious,

seizer of the golden staff, the sun of radiant beams—him we magnify for long life with clarified butter, svāhā!

Śrī, Lakṣmī, Aupalā, Ambikā, the Cow, Ṣaṣṭhī, Jayā, Indrasenā, as they call her—that knowledge whose womb is brahman, endowed with form, we satisfy here for long life with clarified butter, svāhā!

The daughters of Dakṣa, of all origins, of the same origin, by thousands, possessing all forms, of diverse forms,

with their sons, their husbands, their flocks—may they enjoy this clarified butter for our long life, svāhā!

May the divine hosts, multiform, ancient, cutting off life, not crush our heroes;

to them I offer abundantly with clarified butter; do not harm our offspring nor our heroes, svāhā!

"He who alone in the beginning was this [universe], from whom arose the protector of the world,

to whom the world returns at the dissolution—may that god consume our offering of ghee here for long life, svāhā!

The Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas, Maruts, and the Sādhyas, the Ṛbhus, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, and all the Pitṛs,

the Bhṛgus, serpents, and all the Aṅgirases—having offered ghee, with long life may we continuously magnify them, svāhā!"

Repeating [this verse-group] one hundred and twenty-six times, the sum of those oblations becomes eight thousand and eight.

From the other cooked [offering] he makes the offering to Agni Sviṣṭakṛt.

Having recited as the introductory verse: "The conveyer of oblations, the conqueror of foes...", he offers with the offering verse: "Well-sacrificed, O Agni...".

The procedure from the Jaya offerings onwards is established up to the gifting of the excellent cow.

Then, in front of the fire, he deposits the remainder of the offering upon a clump of dūrvā grass with the two [verses]: "Harm us not in our elder, harm us not in our child..." and "Harm not our young...".

Sitting behind the fire facing east, keeping silent, he eats the mess of cooked food along with his retinue, [reciting]: "You are life, you are all-life, you are total life, you are complete life; may all life be mine, may I attain complete life!"

Having eaten and sipped water, he touches his belly with the two [verses]: "From where, O Indra, we fear..." and "The giver of well-being, the lord of the clan...".

For boys seized by evil spirits, he should recite the sacred study daily for the purpose of blessing, with the long-life ghee hymn.

With these very mantras he should offer oblations.

With these very mantras he should present the food offering.

He indeed becomes free from affliction.

This is the prosperous course of ritual for those afflicted by spirits: the Rāṣṭrabhṛt offerings, the serpent offering for Pañcaśoḍa, and the Gandharva offering.

He indeed becomes free from affliction.

This is the prosperous course of ritual; other oblations are imitations of what is offered and unoffered, the refuges are imitations of the hermitages. ||3