History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.227
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.227
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Therefore (the priest) prepares propitiatory ¹²⁶⁷ water with two *kuśas* dipped therein One should commence a śānti on the nakṣatra of (a person's birth) or on an auspicious nakṣatra or when auspicious rites are to be performed, viz marriage, a (child's) tonsure, *upanayana*, Vedic student's return home, hairparting (of a pregnant woman), establishment of the Vedic fires and other rites, or when a planet is eclipsed, or when a planet indicates a portent, or when danger comes (to a person) from bipeds or quadruped animals.¹²⁶⁸ He should make an even number of brāhmaṇas wash well their hands and feet and make them sip water, seat them on seats in each of the directions, should smear with cowdung a four-cornered altar of the extent of a bull's hide, should himself sit on darbhas with face towards the east, should hold darbhas and dūrvā grass, have two kuśas in his hand, should sprinkle with water the altar made by him, should draw lines thereon and sprinkle water over them and should spread over it dūrvā grass and darbhas and sprinkle it with water scented with sandalwood paste and cover it with flowers, should wrap with (cotton) threads the sacred vessel1268a of palāśa leaves and place it on them (darbhas and dūrvā) with the mantra 'brahma jajñānam' (Tai. S. IV. 2. 8. 2). Then he pours water across the two blades of darbha grass and mutters 'tat-savitur-vareṇyam' (Rg. III. 62.
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10) and throws in (the water) whole grains of rice and yavas with the formula 'bhūr-bhuvaḥ-suvarom' (Tai. Ā. X. 2.1). Then he spreads around flowers, dūrvā grass and fruits, covers it (jar) with dūrvās and darbhas and touches with the verse 'śan-no devīr' (Ṛg. X. 9. 4). When the brāhmaṇas have placed themselves besides the officiating priest, he mutters the verse 'tat-savitur-vareṇyam' (Ṛg. X. 62. 10) separately by each foot and by half verse in one breath and mutters the first words of (all) the Vedas. Then he recites the following¹²⁶⁹ viz. the *anuvāka* beginning with 'kṛṇuṣva pājaḥ' (Tai. S. I. 2. 14) but omitting the half verse 'made cid-asya' (Tai. S. I. 2. 14. 7), the anuvāka beginning with 'indram vo' (Tai. S. I. 6. 12), with the two verses 'yata indra' (Ṛg. VIII. 61. 13, Tai. Ā. X. 1. 9), and 'svastidā' (Ṛg. X. 152. 2, Tai. Ā. X. 1. 9), with the two verses 'Mahān Indro' (Tai. S. I. 4. 41) and 'sajoṣā Indra' (Tai. S. I. 4. 42), with 'Ye devāḥ purassado' (Tai S. I. 8. 7. 1) repeated five times, with the five formulas 'Agnaye rakṣoghne' (Tai. S I. 8. 7. 2), with the five formulas 'Agnir-āyuṣmān' (Tai. S. II. 3. 10. 3), with four clauses 'yā vām-indrāvaruṇā' (Tai. S. II. 3. 13. 1), with the eight clauses 'Yo vām-Indrāvaruṇau' (Tai. S. II. 3. 13. 3), with the four verses 'Agne yaśasvin' (Tai. S. V. 7. 4. 3), the Rāṣṭrabhṛt anuvāka beginning with 'ṛtāsād-ṛtadhāmā' (Tai. S III 4 7 1), with the three mantras 'namo astu sarpebhyah'¹²⁷⁰ (Tai S IV. 2. 8.
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3), with 'ayam puro harikeśaḥ' (Tai. S IV. 4. 3. 1) repeated five times, with the Apratiratha¹²⁷¹ anuvāka beginning with 'āśuḥ śiśānaḥ' (Tai. S. IV 6 4 1), the anuvāka beginning with 'śaṁ ca me mayaśca me' (Tai. S IV. 7. 3 1), the anuvāka called 'vihavya' beginning with 'mamāgne varco vihavesvastu' (Tai. S. IV. 7.14. 1), the Mṛgāra anuvāka¹²⁷² beginning with 'Agner-manve' (Tai. S IV. 4. 15. 1–11), the offering mantras to serpents beginning with 'samīcī nāmāsi prācī dik' six times repeated, the offering prayers to Gandharvas in the six clauses beginning with 'hetayo *nāma stha*' (Tai. S. V. 5. 10. 3-4); the five 'ajyāni (bricks) offerings with 'śatāyudhāya' (Tai S V. 7 2. 3), the anuvāka beginning with 'bhūtam bhavyam bhaviṣyat' (Tai. S. VII. 3. 12. 1), the Atharva-śiras,¹²⁷³ the anuvāka beginning with 'Indro Dadhīco asthabhiḥ' (Tai. Br. I. 5. 8. 1, Ṛg. I. 84. 13), the Pratyaṅgirasa beginning with 'cakṣuṣo hete' up to 'bhrātṛvyam pādayāmasi' (Tai. Br. II. 4. 2 1–4), the anuvāka beginning with 'prāṇo rakṣati viśvam-ejat' (Tai. Br. II 5. 1. 1), the anuvāka beginning with 'siṁhe vyāghra uta yā pṛdākau' (Tai. Br. II 7 7. 1); the anuvāka beginning with 'aham-asmi' (Tai.