History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c47.s2.19

v3.c47.s2.19

The sūtras set out rules about what the householder is to do when he leaves his homa for one night or for a longer period. Vide Śat. Br. II. 4. 1. 3-14, Āśv. II. 5, Āp. VI. 24-27, Kāt. IV. 12. 13-24. According to Āśv. the important rules are: he kindles the fires into flames, sips water (ācamana) and performs the worship of the āhavanīya, gārhapatya and dakṣiṇāgni by going near them and repeating respectively the three mantras 'śaṁsya paśūn me pāhi', 'narya prajāṁ me pāhi' and 'atharva pitum me pāhi' (all three in Vāj. S. III. 37). Then while standing near the dakṣiṇāgni he should look at the other two with the mantra 'imān me mitrāvaruṇāu gṛhān gopāyatam ...... punarāyanāt' (Kāṭhaka S. VII. 3., Mai. S. I. 5. 14, with variations). He then traces the same way back and comes to the āhavanīya and offers worship to it with the mantra 'mama nāma' (Tai. S. I. 5. 10. 1, quoted in note 553 above). He should then start on his journey without looking back at his fires and should mutter the hymn 'mā praṇama.' When he reaches a place from which the roof of his fire-house is not visible he may break silence. On reaching the road leading from his house to his destination he should recite 'sadā sugah' (Rg. III. 54. 21). When he returns from his journey to his village, he should repeat 'api panthām' (Rg. VI. 51. 16). He should then observe silence, take fuel-sticks in his hand and on learning that his fires have been kindled into flames (by his son or pupil) he should look at the āhavanīya with two verses (set out in Āśv. II. 5. 9). Then placing the samidhs he does homage to the āhavanīya with the verse 'mama nāma tava ca' (Tai. S. I. 5. 10. 1) and then he places samidhs on the āhavanīya, gārhapatya and dakṣiṇāgni with one mantra each (which are Vāj. S. III. 28-30).