History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c48.119.2

v3.c48.119.2

heaven and earth, day and night, waters and plants save me from sin. Speech has stood firm (and so has) yajña. I shall deal with (i. e. recite) the metres well. I resort to myself so and so (here the hotṛ utters his name in the objective case). In the past and in future, as to things born and to be born I have recourse to (Agni) who is apāvya (?). Bring me the non-cessation of speech’. So saying he contracts his fingers towards himself and then extends them as before by saying ‘O fire! make the cattle take delight in me’. (Then he should proceed) ‘Heaven and earth are my armour. Fire is my armour, the Sun is my armour and may the intermediate quarters be my armour! O gods! I shall to-day reflect over that highest part of speech, whereby we may vanquish the asuras; O five people, who deserve sacrifices and food accept my offering.’²³⁵² Having finished this *japa*, the hotṛ sets about repeating the Sāmidhenī verses.²³⁵³ The yajamāna repeats the *daśa-hotṛ* mantras before the sāmidhenīs (vide note 2247 for daśahotṛs). First he utters the syllable ‘*hiṃ*’ thrice (or once) and the mystic words ‘bhūr bhuvaḥ svarom’ are muttered inaudibly by him.²³⁵⁴ Then come the sāmidhenī verses. The sāmidhenī verses are (vide Āśv. I. 2. 7) eleven viz. Ṛg. III. 27. 1, VI. 16. 10–12, III. 27. 13–15, I. 12. 1, III. 27. 4, V. 28. 5–6. But fifteen sāmidhenī verses are to be repeated in Darśa-pūrṇamāsa and the number fifteen of the verses is obtained by repeating each of the first (pra vo vājā, Ṛg.