History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c48.50

v3.c48.50

The adhvaryu, sitting to the west (or north) of the gārhapatya fire, takes a camasa (a rather flat vessel or pan) in which water is to be carried forward with 'to thee for Dakṣa' (Āp. I. 17. 1) and washes it thrice with water once with mantra and twice silently. The mantra is 'thou art made of plants, may you be washed for gods, may you shine for the gods, may you be pure for gods' (Āp. I. 16. 3). He keeps the two pavitras in the camasa and pours water in the camasa with 'who takes you, let him take you, for whom shall I take you, I take you for him, you for prosperity' (Āp. I. 16. 3) and at the same time contemplates on the Earth with 'I take you with this' (not uttered). He fills the vessel so as to leave some space at the top and purifies the water by the process called utpavana (described above in note 2291). He then invokes them with 'may the divine waters, that are the first purifiers and the leaders carry this sacrifice to the front, may they place the lord of the sacrifice in front, Indra chose you in his fight with Vṛtra, you chose him in the fight with Vṛtra, you are sprinkled' (Tai. S. I. 1. 5. 1). The adhvaryu then asks the permission of the brahmā priest in the words 'Brahman! shall I carry forward the water' and issues a direction 'sacrificer, observe silence'. The brahmā priest mutters a mantra 'Lead forward the sacrifice, sustain these deities, may the sacrificer be on the back of heaven. Place this sacrifice and the sacrificer in the world where the seven sages and other men of holy deeds dwell' and loudly says 'yes, do carry the water forward'. The adhvaryu then repeats the verse 'who carries you forward? Let him carry you forward. I carry forward the divine waters; may they sit round our sacrifice, conveying to the sacrificer thousandfold prosperity, the waters that delight in drink, having a shining (or oily) appearance'. He holds the water in a vessel which is covered by the sphya that has its tip to the east and that is held level with his nose and carries it forward without allowing even a drop to fall down. When the water is being carried the sacrificer invokes it with a mantra.²³⁰⁰ The adhvaryu places the water vessel (praṇītāpātra) on darbha grass to the north of the āhavanīya with the mantra 'you are sanctified by brahma (prayers); who employs you? Let him employ for (securing) all desires, for the worship of gods (Āp. IV. 4. 4)' and then covers the vessel with kuśas. All these acts constitute *praṇītāpraṇayana*. While the water is being placed near the āhavanīya the sacrificer invokes it with the immediately preceding mantra and passes his eye over the whole of the sacrificial ground. No one is to pass between the āhavanīya and the praṇītā water (Kāt. II. 3. 4).