Hiranyakeshigrihyasutra 1.2

'To him who comes (to us), we have come. Drive ye away death! May we walk with him safely; may he walk here in bliss; (may he) walk in bliss until (he returns) to his house'—this (verse the teacher repeats) while (the boy) walks round the fire so as to keep his right side turned towards it.

(The teacher) then causes him to say, 'I have come hither to be a student. Initiate me! I will be a student, impelled by the god Sâvitrî.'

(The teacher then) asks him:

'What is thy name?'

He says, 'N.N!'—what his name is.

(The teacher says), 'Happily, god Savitri, may I attain the goal with this N.N.'—here he pronounces (the student's) two names.

With (the verse), 'For bliss may the goddesses afford us their protection; may the waters afford drink to us. With bliss and happiness may they overflow us'—both wipe themselves off.

Then (the teacher) touches with his right hand (the boy's) right shoulder, and with his left (hand) his left (shoulder), and draws (the boy's) right arm towards himself with the Vyâhritis, the Sâvitrî verse, and with (the formula), 'By the impulse of the god Savitri, with the arms of the two Asvins, with Pûshan's hands I initiate thee, N.N.!'

He then seizes with his right hand (the boy's) right hand together with the thumb, with (the words), 'Agni has seized thy hand; Soma has seized thy hand; Savitri has seized thy hand; Sarasvatî has seized thy hand; Pûshan has seized thy hand; Brihaspati has seized thy hand; Mitra has seized thy hand; Varuna has seized thy hand; Tvashtri has seized thy hand; Dhâtri has seized thy hand; Vishnu has seized thy hand; Pragâpati has seized thy hand.'

'May Savitri protect thee. Mitra art thou by rights; Agni is thy teacher.
'By the impulse of the god Savitri become Brihaspati's pupil. Eat water. Put on fuel. Do the service. Do not sleep in the day-time'—thus (the teacher) instructs him.

Then (the teacher) gradually moves his right hand down over (the boy's) right shoulder and touches the place of his heart with (the formulas), 'Thy heart shall dwell in my heart; my mind thou shalt follow with thy mind; in my word thou shalt rejoice with all thy heart; may Brihaspati join thee to me!
'To me alone thou shalt adhere. In me thy thoughts shall dwell. Upon me thy veneration shall be bent. When I speak, thou shalt be silent.'

With (the words), 'Thou art the knot of all breath; do not loosen thyself'—(he touches) the place of his navel.

After (the teacher) has recited over him (the formula),
'Bhûh! Bhuvah! Suvah! By offspring may I become rich in offspring! By valiant sons, rich in valiant sons! By splendour, rich in splendour! By wealth, rich in wealth! By wisdom, rich in wisdom! By pupils, rich in holy lustre!'
And (again the formulas),
'Bhûh! I place thee in the Rikas, in Agni, on the earth, in voice, in the Brahman, N.N.!
'Bhuvah! I place thee in the Yagus, in Vâyu, in the air, in breath, in the Brahman, N.N.!
'Suvah! I place thee in the Sâmans, in Sûrya, in heaven, in the eye, in the Brahman, N.N.!
'May I be beloved (?) and dear to thee, N.N.! May I be dear to thee, the fire (?), N.N.! Let us dwell here! Let us dwell in breath and life! Dwell in breath and life, N.N.!'—

He then seizes with his right hand (the boy's) right hand together with the thumb, with the five sections, 'Agni is long-lived.'

'May (Agni) bestow on thee long life everywhere' (Taitt. Samh. I, 3, 14, 4)—

(This verse the teacher) murmurs in (the boy's) right ear;

(The verse), 'Life-giving, Agni' (Taitt. Samh. I, 3, 14, 4) in his left ear.

Both times he adds (to the verses quoted in the last Sûtras the formula), 'Stand fast in Agni and on the earth, in Vâyu and in the air, in Sûrya and in heaven. The bliss in which Agni, Vâyu, the sun, the moon, and the waters go their way, in that bliss go thy way, N.N.! Thou hast become the pupil of breath, N.N.!'

Approaching his mouth to (the boy's) mouth he murmurs, 'Intelligence may Indra give thee, intelligence the goddess Sarasvatî. Intelligence may the two Asvins, wreathed with lotus, bestow on thee.'

He then gives (the boy) in charge (to the gods and demons, with the formulas), 'To Kashaka (?) I give thee in charge. To Antaka I give thee in charge. To Aghora ("the not frightful one") I give thee in charge. To Disease... to Yama... to Makha... to Vasinî ("the ruling goddess")... to the earth together with Vaisvânara... to the waters... to the herbs... to the trees... to Heaven and Earth... to welfare... to holy lustre... to the Visve devâs... to all beings... to all deities I give thee in charge.'

He now teaches him the Sâvitrî, if he has (already) been initiated before.

If he has not been initiated (before, he teaches him the Sâvitrî) after three days have elapsed.

(He does so) immediately, says Pushkarasâdi.

Having placed to the west of the fire a bunch of grass with its points directed towards the north, (the teacher) sits down thereon, facing the east, with (the formula), 'A giver of royal power art thou, a teacher's seat. May I not withdraw from thee.'

The boy raises his joined hands towards the sun, embraces (the feet of) his teacher, sits down to the south (of the teacher), addresses (him), 'Recite, sir!' and then says, 'Recite the Sâvitrî, sir!'

Having recited over (the boy the verse), 'We call thee, the lord of the hosts' (Taitt. Samh. II, 3, 14, 3), he then recites (the Sâvitrî) to him, firstly Pâda by Pâda, then hemistich by hemistich, and then the whole verse (in the following way), 'Bhûs! Tat Savitur varenyam (That adorable splendour)—
'Bhuvo! Bhargo devasya dhîmahi (of the divine Savitri may we obtain)—
'Suvar! Dhiyo yo nah prakodayât (who should rouse our prayers).—
'Bhûr bhuvas! Tat Savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhîmahi—
'Suvar! Dhiyo yo nah prakodayât.—
'Bhûr bhuvah suvas! Tat Savitur... prakodayât.'

He then causes (the student) to put on the fire seven pieces of fresh Palâsa wood, with unbroken tops, of one span's length, which have been anointed with ghee.

One (of these pieces of wood he puts on the fire) with (the Mantra), 'To Agni I have brought a piece of wood, to the great Gâtavedas. As thou art inflamed, Agni, through that piece of wood, thus inflame me through wisdom, insight, offspring, cattle, holy lustre, and through the enjoyment of food. Svâhâ!'—

(Then he puts on the fire) two (pieces of wood with the same Mantra, using the dual instead of the singular), 'To Agni (I have brought) two pieces of wood;'

(Then) four (pieces of wood, using the plural), 'To Agni (I have brought) pieces of wood.'

He then sprinkles (water) round (the fire) as above.

'Thou hast given thy consent;' 'Thou hast given thy impulse'—thus he changes the end of each Mantra.

He then worships the (following) deities (with the following Mantras),

Agni with (the words), 'Agni, lord of the vow, I shall keep the vow;'

Vâyu with (the words), 'Vâyu, lord of the vow, (&c.);'

Âditya (the sun) with (the words), 'Âditya, lord of the vow, (&c.);'

The lord of the vows with (the words), 'Lord of the vows, ruling over the vows (&c.).'

He then gives an optional gift to his Guru (i.e. to the teacher).

(The teacher) makes him rise with (the verse which the student recites), 'Up! with life' (Taitt. Samh. I, 2, 8, 1); he gives him in charge (to the sun) with (the words), 'Sun! This is thy son; I give him in charge to thee;' and he worships the sun with (the Mantra), 'That bright eye created by the gods which rises in the east: may we see it a hundred autumns; may we live a hundred autumns; may we rejoice a hundred autumns; may we be glad a hundred autumns; may we prosper a hundred autumns; may we hear a hundred autumns; may we speak a hundred autumns; may we live undecaying a hundred autumns; and may we long see the sun.'

'May Agni further give thee life. May Agni further grant thee bliss. May Indra with the Maruts here give (that) to thee; may the sun with the Vasus give (it) to thee'—with (this verse the teacher) gives him a staff, and then hands over to him a bowl (for collecting alms).

Then he says to him, 'Go out for alms.'

Let him beg of his mother first;

Then (let him beg) in other houses where they are kindly disposed towards him.

He brings (the food which he has received) to his Guru (i.e. to the teacher), and announces it to him by saying, '(These are) the alms.'

(The teacher accepts it) with the words, 'Good alms they are.'

'May all gods bless thee whose first garment we accept. May after thee, the prosperous one, the well-born, many brothers and friends be born'—with (this verse the teacher) takes (for himself) the former garment (of the student).

When the food (with which the Brâhmanas shall be entertained) is ready, (the student) takes some portion of boiled rice, cakes, and flour, mixes (these substances) with clarified butter, and sacrifices with (the formulas), 'To Agni svâhâ! To Soma svâhâ! To Agni, the eater of food, svâhâ! To Agni, the lord of food, svâhâ! To Pragâpati svâhâ! To the Visve devâs svâhâ! To all deities svâhâ! To Agni Svishtakrit svâhâ!'

Thus (let him sacrifice) wherever (oblations of food are prescribed) for which the deities (to whom they shall be offered) are not indicated.

He keeps through three days the (following) vow:

He eats no pungent or saline food and no vegetables; he sleeps on the ground; he does not drink out of an earthen vessel; he does not give the remnants of his food to a Sûdra; he does not eat honey or meat; he does not sleep in the daytime; in the morning and in the evening he brings (to his teacher) the food which he has received as alms and a pot of water; every day (he fetches) a bundle of firewood; in the morning and in the evening, or daily in the evening he puts fuel on (the fire, in the following way):

Before sprinkling (water) round (the fire), he wipes (with his wet hand) from left to right round (the fire) with the verse, 'As you have loosed, O Vasus, the buffalo-cow' (Taitt. Samh. IV, 7, 15, 7), and sprinkles (water) round (the fire) as above.

(Then) he puts (four) pieces of wood (on the fire) with the single (Vyâhritis) and with (the three Vyâhritis) together, and (four other pieces) with (the following four verses),
'This fuel is thine, Agni; thereby thou shalt grow and gain vigour. And may we grow and gain vigour. Svâhâ!
'May Indra give me insight; may Sarasvatî, the goddess, (give) insight; may both Asvins, wreathed with lotus, bestow insight on me. Svâhâ!
'The insight that dwells with the Apsaras, the mind that dwells with the Gandharvas, the divine insight and that which is born from men: may that insight, the fragrant one, rejoice in me! Svâhâ!
'May insight, the fragrant one, that assumes all shapes, the gold-coloured, mobile one, come to me. Rich in sap, swelling with milk, may she, insight, the lovely-faced one, rejoice in me! Svâhâ!'

Having wiped round (the fire) in the same way, he sprinkles (water) round (the fire) as above.

He worships the fire with the Mantras, 'What thy splendour is, Agni, may I thereby' (Taitt. Samh. III, 5, 3, 2), and 'On me may insight, on me offspring' (Taitt. Âranyaka X, 44).

After the lapse of those three days (Sûtra 1) he serves in the same way the three kinds of food (stated above) to the Brâhmanas, causes them to say, 'An auspicious day! Hail! Good luck!' and discharges himself of his vow by (repeating) these (Mantras) with (the necessary) alterations, 'Agni, lord of the vow, I have kept the vow' (see above, I, 2, 7, 8).

He keeps the same observances afterwards (also),

Dwelling in his teacher's house. He may eat, (however,) pungent and saline food and vegetables.

He wears a staff, has his hair tied in one knot, and wears a girdle,

Or he may tie the lock on the crown of the head in a knot.

He wears (an upper garment) dyed with red Loth, or the skin (of an antelope, &c.).

He does not have intercourse with women.

(The studentship lasts) forty-eight years, or twenty-four (years), or twelve (years), or until he has learnt (the Veda).

He should not, however, omit keeping the observances.

At the beginning and on the completion of the study of a Kânda (of the Black Yagur-veda he sacrifices) with (the verse), 'The lord of the seat, the wonderful one, the friend of Indra, the dear one, I have entreated for the gift of insight. Svâhâ!'
In the second place the Rishi of the Kânda (receives an oblation).
(Then follow oblations with the verses), 'This, O Varuna;' 'For this I entreat thee;' 'Thou, Agni;' 'Thus thou, Agni;' 'Thou, Agni, art quick;' 'Pragâpati!' and, 'What I have done too much in this sacrifice.' Here some add as subordinate oblations the Gaya, Abhyâtâna, and Râshtrabhrit (oblations) as above.
End of the Second Patala.