History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c24.s2.6

v1.c24.s2.6

The owner of the field is to take bath and put on a pair of white clothes at a time when the position of the sun and the moon is favourable, duly worship the earth, the planet, Pṛthu and Prajāpati with sandal and flowers, circumambulate fire keeping it on the right, make ample gifts, besmear with honey the tip of the ploughshare and perform halaprasāraṇa at the left side of the field. Vasava (Indra), Sukra, Pṛthu¹² and Parāśara are to be invoked and fire, a Brāhmaṇa and God are to be worshipped. The sides of the bulls yoked to the plough are to be besmeared with butter or ghee. Facing northward, one should give an offering of milk mixed with white flowers and curd to Indra and sitting on a seat with a concentrated mind and placing the knees on the ground should bow to him. One should give without fail an offering and lamp of ghee to Marutvān and utter an incantation to Vasudhā (Ibid., 139-40).