Varahashrautasutra 3.2.5

The Mahāvrata is an Agniṣṭoma having the Vrata as its pṛṣṭha-stotra.

When [the sun] has risen, he initiates the morning recitation.

Having proceeded with the curd-cup, he draws the Adābhya [cup] with the curd-cup vessel, with the formulas: 'For Agni I pluck thee out…'

Having plucked out three soma-stalks, he shakes four stalks from the descendants of the nigrābhya waters, with the two respective formulas: 'Thee upon the flight of the reshis I shake…'

He draws [the soma] with: 'Agni in the morning…', and with: 'Thou art taken with a support; thee the bright one, O bright one, for the bright…'

He stands up with: 'From the ocean…'

He offers with: 'In the thought of the Vasus…'

With the formulas: 'Eager art thou, O divine Soma…', he moistens the un-dried soma-stalks.

The udgātṛ sings the Gaurīvīta [sāman]; prior to the silent pressing, [the adhvaryu] takes up the soma-stalks into the cup-vessel.

Having given a boon and pressed once, he draws once, holding his breath.

It is explained in the Brāhmaṇa: 'Holding the breath away [from oneself].'

Without taking a breath, he draws and offers.

If he should inhale, he should inhale over gold.

Having drawn mentally with: 'With what wonderful aid does he appear to us…', 'For Prajāpati…', he offers with: 'If indeed they have run…'

He breathes out upon gold with: 'May our breath come from afar, from the intermediate space, from heaven; life from the earth; thou art immortal; for breath, thee!' He touches water with: 'May Indra and Agni grant me luster, luster may Soma, Vāta, and Bṛhaspati [grant]; may all the gods grant me luster; grant me luster, O Aśvins!'

A garment, an upper garment, four milk cows or twelve, and gold: one of these is the gift.

The Aṃśu and Adābhya [cups] are [used] in all sacrifices.

The Adābhya cup should be drawn by one who has a rival, in a sattra, a Sāhasra, a Sarvavedasa, a Sarvastoma, a Sarvapṛṣṭha, a Viśvajit, a Vājapeya, a Rājasūya, [or] an Aśvamedha, by one who desires prosperity in these.

He draws the atigrāhya cups; he should subjoin: 'Thou art taken with a support; I draw thee, pleasing to Indra accompanied by the arka.'

'Indra indeed the singers…' on the eastern half; 'Unto thee, O hero, we shout…' on the southern half; 'Thee indeed we invoke…' on the northern half; 'May Indra and all the gods accomplish these worlds for us, and our sacrifice, and our bodies, and our offspring; may Indra together with the Ādityas accomplish it!' on the western half; 'That indeed was the eldest among beings, whence the fierce one of fiery prowess was born; as soon as born he drives away the foes, he whom all his helpers acclaim' on the middle [cup].

He draws the rain cup in an earthen four-nippled [vessel] with: 'O Lord of the field, yield to us a sweet wave like milk, like milk dripping honey, well purified like clarified butter; may the lords of the law be gracious unto us!'; with 'Raise up, O Maruts…', 'The well-protecting…', 'The great mother…', four times verse by verse, he should subjoin with the fourth: 'For Aditi thee; I draw thee pleasing [to her].'

[…] along the pṛṣṭhya six-day rite, he draws the atigrāhya cups sacred to Viśvakarman and the Ādityas, and sacred to Sarasvat and Viṣṇu.

At the stotra for Mahendra, the udgātṛ climbs onto an udumbara chair.

He should make it of udumbara wood […]

The adhvaryu hands the hundred-stringed vāṇa [harp] with knots of muñja grass to the udgātṛ.

[…] and kāṇḍavīṇā lutes.

They beat drums at the corners of the altar.

An earth-drum is the fifth, behind the āgnīdhra shed, covered with the hide of the savanīya animal.

They sound it with its tail.

In front of the āgnīdhra shed, a celibate student is inside the altar, a harlot outside the altar.

She says to the celibate student: 'Thou doer of un-Aryan deeds! Thou who hast broken thy vow! Thou of wicked conduct!'

'Fie upon thee, wretched harlot, washer of other Aryan folk!' the celibate student replies.

Inside the altar is a praiser; outside the altar is a reviler.

The reviler says: 'These sacrificers have not succeeded; having made hair grow on their breasts, having crushed the animals, they have sat worshiping the pavamāna stotras down to the earth!'

"These session sacrificers have succeeded!" says the praiser, "Practicing austerities, possessing the best forms, their ascents victorious, warding off [misfortune], revering the heavenly world, they have sat!"

Outside the altar, toward the south-western hip of the altar, he encloses a space for two engaged in copulation.

The two copulate.

In front of the mārjālīya, a Śūdra and an Ārya contend over two round skins, a black and a white joined together, on the inner flank of the hide-drum.

The Śūdra, outside the altar, says: "These are makers of expulsion! These have done evil!"; the Ārya, inside the altar, says: "These have succeeded! These have done well!"

Having conquered, the Ārya throws down the white one above and the hide-drum below.

At the edge of the mārjālīya, he gives [water] to the water-pitchers.

Four, six, or eight maidservants walk around four times, verse by verse: "The cows are ever fragrant, the cows smell of guggulu, the cows are mothers of ghee; let them be more numerous here!" Saying: "This is honey! This is honey!", they stamp their feet.

"Surely the cows drank the water of the Māgīra and of the Gaṅgā; they drank of the Sarasvatī river, and facing east they plunged in. — We swim across these [waters] like a swimming-stick for those who cross further, having scattered [wealth] for you in the middle, like a furrow-maker pulls a furrow. — When the lute sounds its rustic tune of no relish for the common people, in my auspicious [land] let there be a vow for the king! For king Parikṣit let the village of workers gather, while the draft-ox toils drawing [the plow]!"

Having circumambulated the mārjālīya, they go according to their need.

To the north of the passage, he prepares a bellowing skin for striking.

To the south, warriors in armor, accoutered in chariots, pierced with strikes, shoot [arrows].

They drive around the sacrificial ground three hundred times.

There are charioteers.

They shoot arrows in all directions into the middle, onto the necks, or onto the front of the rumps.

They reward those who reach [the target].

At the end of the chant, the noises cease.

The hotṛ mounts an udumbara swing.

The adhvaryu [mounts] a footless udumbara plank.

On it he responds [to the hotṛ].

He recites the single Great Recitation of more than a hundred [verses].

Having accomplished the concluding verse, he pours together the cups at the central verse.

With "Unto you all turn their will" for the front half; with "Twice when these become three, the protectors" for the southern half; with "Sweet, sweeter, mix completely with sweet" for the northern half; with "From here onward do you fight with honey, with honey" for the rear half; having poured the distinct cup around into the upaśaya cup, he proceeds with the Mahendra [cup] and the additional cup.

Having poured the cups together, all consume: "I consume your greatness! I consume your glory! I consume your chant! I consume your proper food! I consume my offspring! I consume stability!"

They conclude the day before sunset.

When the sun has set, he offers with: "The god Sūrya…"

Thus ends the fifth section, the Mahāvrata, in the second chapter on the Twelve-Day rite.