Philosophy and Religion / Sacred Laws of the Âryas

    The Sacred Laws of the Âryas: Baudhâyana - Prasna II, Adhyâya 5

    Kandikâ 8

    1. Now, after washing his hands, he shall take his waterpot and a clod of earth, go to a (sacred) bathing-place and thrice clean his feet (with earth and water) and thrice his body.1

    2. Now some say, 'One must not enter a burial-ground, water, a temple, a cowpen, nor a place where Brâhmanas (sit) without having cleaned one's feet.'

    3. Then he enters the water, (reciting the following verse): 'I take refuge with gold-horned Varuna, give me at my request (O Varuna) a purifying bathing-place. May Indra, Varuna, Brihaspati, and Savitri again and again cleanse me from all sin which I have committed by eating the food of unholy men, by receiving gifts from the wicked, and from all evil which I have done by thoughts, speeches, or deeds.'2

    4. Then he takes up water in his joined hands, (saying), 'May the waters and the herbs be propitious to us.'3

    5. (Next) he pours (the water) out in that direction in which an enemy of his dwells, (saying), 'May they work woe to him who hates us and whom we hate.'4

    6. Then he sips water, and thrice makes the water eddy around himself turning from the left to the right (and saying), 'May that which is hurtful, which is impure, and which is inauspicious in the water be removed.'5

    7. After having submerged himself and having emerged from the water,6

    8. (Acts of) personal purification, washing the clothes by beating them on a stone and sipping7 water are not (permitted to the worshipper) as long as he is in the water.

    9. If (the water used for bathing) has been (taken from a) confined (place, such as a well), he worships it with the following (Mantra): 'Adoration to Agni, the lord of the waters; adoration to Indra; adoration to Varuna; adoration to Vârunî; adoration to the waters.'8

    10. After having ascended the bank and having sipped water, let him again sip water, though he has done so before, (and recite the following Mantras) 'May water purify the earth, may the purified earth purify me, may Brahmanaspati (and) Brahman purify, may the purified (earth) purify me. May water purify me, (taking away) all (the guilt which I incurred by eating) remnants of food, and forbidden food, (by committing) evil deeds, (by) receiving gifts from wicked men, Svâhâ!'9

    11. Making two Pavitras he rubs (his body) with water. Having rubbed himself, (reciting the) three (verses), 'Ye waters are,' &c., the four (verses), 'The golden-coloured, pure, purifying,' &c., (and) the Anuvâka, 'He who purifies,' &c., he performs, stepping back into the water, three Prânâyâmas with the Aghamarshana (hymn); then he ascends the bank, squeezes (the water) out of his dress, puts on garments which have been washed and dried in the air and which are not the worse for wear, sips water,10 sits down on Darbha grass, and, holding Darbha grass (in his hands), recites, facing the east, the Gâyatrî one thousand times, (or) one hundred times, or any number of times, or at least twelve times.

    12. Then he worships the sun (reciting the following Mantras): 'Out of darkness we,' &c., 'Up that bright,' &c., That eye which is beneficial to the gods,' &c., (and) 'He who rose,' &c.11

    13. Now they quote also (the following maxim): 'The syllable Om,, the Vyâhritis, and the Sâvitrî, these five Veda-offerings daily cleanse the Brâhmana from guilt.'

    14. Being purified by the five Veda-offerings, he next satiates the gods (with water, saying),12

    Kandikâ 9

    1. 'I satiate the deities of the eastern gate, Agni, Pragâpati, Soma, Rudra, Aditi, Brihaspati, together with the lunar mansions, with the planets, with the days and nights, and with the Muhûrtas; Om, I also satiate the Vasus;13

    2. 'Om, I satiate the deities of the southern gate, the Pitris, Yama, Bhaga, Savitri, Tvashtri, Vâyu, Indrâgnî, together with the lunar mansions, with the planets, with the days and nights, and with the Muhûrtas; Om, I also satiate the Rudras.

    3. 'Om, I satiate the deities of the western gate, Mitra, Indra, the Mahâpitris, the Waters, all the gods, Brahman, Vishnu, together with the lunar mansions, with the planets, with the days and nights, and with the Muhûrtas; Om, I also satiate the Âdityas.

    4. 'Om, I satiate the deities of the northern gate, the Vasus, Varuna, Aga-ekapâd, Ahibudhnya, Ushas, the two Asvins, Yama, together with . . . . . .

    5. 'Om, I satiate all the gods; the Sâdhyas; Brahman; Pragâpati; the four-faced god; Hiranyagarbha; Svayambhû; the male attendants of Brahman; Parameshthin; the female attendants of Brahman; Agni; Vâyu; Varuna; Sûrya; the moon; the lunar mansions; Sadyogâta; Bhûh-purusha; Bhuvah-purusha; Suvah-purusha; Bhûh; Bhuvah; Suvah; Mahah; Ganah; Tapah; Satya.

    6. 'Om, I satiate the god Bhava; Sarva; Îsâna; Pasupati; Rudra; Ugra; Bhîmadeva; Mahâdeva; the wife of the god Bhava; of the god Sarva; of the god Îsâna; of the god Pasupati; of the god Rudra; of the god Ugra; of Bhîmadeva; of Mahâdeva; the son of Bhava; of Sarva; of Îsâna; of Pasupati; of Rudra; of Ugra; of Bhîmadeva; of Mahâdeva; Om, I also satiate the Rudras, the attendants of Rudra.

    7. 'Om, I satiate Vighna; Vinâyaka; Vîra; Sthûla; Varada; Hastimukha; Vakratunda; Ekadanta; Lambodara; the male attendants of Vighna; the female attendants of Vighna.

    8. 'Om, I satiate Sanatkumâra; Skanda; Indra; Shashthî; Shanmukha; Visâkha; Mahâsena; Subrahmanya; the male attendants of Skanda; the female attendants of Skanda.

    9. 'Om, I satiate Âditya; Soma; Aṅgâraka; Budha; Brihaspati; Sukra; Sanaiskara; Râhu; Ketu.

    To. 'Om, I satiate Kesava; Nârâyana; Mâdhava; Govinda; Vishnu; Madhusûdana; Trivikrama; Vâmana; Srîdhara; Hrishîkesa; Padmanâbha; Dâmodara; the goddess Srî; the goddess Sarasvatî; Pushti; Tushti; Vishnu; Garutmat; the male attendants of Vishnu; the female attendants of Vishnu.

    11. 'Om, I satiate Yama; Yamarâga; Dharma; Dharmarâga; Kâla; Nîla; Mrityu; Mrityuñgaya; Vaivasvata; Kitragupta; Audumbara; the male attendants of Vaivasvata; the female attendants of Vaivasvata.

    12. 'Om, I satiate the gods of the earth; Kâsyapa; Antariksha; Vidyâ; Dhanvantari; the male attendants of Dhanvantari; the female attendants of Dhanvantari.'

    13. Next, passing the sacrificial thread round the neck, (he offers the following libations):

    14. 'Om, I satiate the Rishis; the great Rishis; the best Rishis; the Brahmarshis; the divine Rishis; the royal Rishis; the Srutarshis; the Seven Rishis; the Rishis of the Kândas (of the Yagur-veda); the Rishikas; the wives of the Rishis; the sons of the Rishis; Kanva Baudhâyana; Âpastamba, the author of the Sûtra; Satyâshâdha Hiranyakesin; Vâgasaneyin Yâgñavalkya; Âsvalâyana Saunaka; Vyâsa; the syllable Om; the Vyâhritis; the Sâvitrî; the Gâyatrî; the Khandas; the Rig-vela; the Yagur-veda; the Sâma-veda; the Atharvâṅgirasa; the Itihâsa and Purâna; all the Vedas; the servants of all gods; all beings.'

    15. Then, passing the sacrificial string over the right shoulder, (he offers the following libations):

    Kandikâ 10

    1. Om, I satiate the fathers, Svadhâ, adoration! the grandfathers; the great-grandfathers; the mothers; the grandmothers; the great-grandmothers; the maternal grandfathers; the maternal grandmother; the mother's grandmother; the mother's great-grandmother.

    2. 'Om, I satiate the teacher (âkârya), Svadhâ, adoration! the wife of the teacher; the friends; the wives of the friends; the relatives; the wives of the relatives; the inmates of the house (amâtya); the wives of the inmates of the house; all; the wives of all.'

    3. He pours the water out from the several Tîrthas (of the hand sacred to the several deities).14

    4. (He recites at the end of the rite the following15 Mantra): '(Ye waters), who bring food, ambrosia, clarified butter, milk, and barley-gruel, are food for the manes; satiate my ancestors! May you be satiated, may you be satiated!'

    5. Let him not perform ceremonies in honour of the gods while his clothes are wet, or while he is dressed in one garment only,.

    6. Nor those connected with the manes. That is the opinion) of some (teachers).

    Footnotes

    1. Vishnu LXIV, 18. This Adhyâya contains the rules for bathing, and the subject is introduced, as Govinda observes, because in the preceding chapter II, 4, 7, 2, it has been said that an impure person must bathe before he performs the twilight devotions. Govinda also states that the word ka, 'and,' which stands after mritpindam, 'a clod,' indicates that gomaya, 'cowdung,' must also be employed.

    2. The verse is found Taittirîya Âranyaka X, 1, 12,

    3. Taittirîya Âranyaka X, 1, 11.

    4. Taittirîya Âranyaka, loc. cit. This and the following Sutras, down to II, 6, 11, 15, are wanting in the Gugarât and Dekhan MSS. except in K.

    5. Taittirîya Âranyaka X, 1, 13.

    6. Govinda points out that the completion of this Sûtra is to be found in Sûtra to. He adds that Baudhâyana inserted Sutras 8-9 in the middle, because he was afraid to forget the rules contained in them.

    7. Vishnu LXIV, 10, 11.

    8. Taittirîya Âranyaka X, 1, 12.

    9. Taittirîya Âranyaka X, 23. Govinda says that the rule is intended to indicate also that a person who recites sacred texts while sipping water, must do so only after having taken water once before. K. inserts before this Mantra, also Anuvâka 22.

    10. Vishnu LXIV, 13-14; 18-19. The Vedic passages intended are found Taitt. Samhitâ IV, 1, 5, r; V, 6, 1, r; and Taitt. Brâhmana I, 4, 8. Pavitras, i.e. blades of Kusa grass. 'He performs three Prânâyâmas with the Aghamarshana hymn (Rig-veda X, 190),' i.e. he thrice suppresses his breath (prânâyâma) and recites during each suppression the Aghamarshana three times, just as on other occasions the Gâyatrî is recited three times.

    11. The first Mantra is found Taitt. Samhitâ IV, 1, 7, 4; the third and the fourth Taitt. Âranyaka IV, 42, 32-33.

    12. Vishnu XLIV, 24. The ceremony is the so-called Tarpana, which is usually described in the Grihya-sûtras, e.g. Sâṅkhâyana IV, 9-10, and the quotations in Professor Oldenberg's notes, Indische Studien XV, 152.

    13. This and the next Kandikâs are given in full by K. only. M. gives the first and last words of both, the commentary the beginning of 9 and the end of 10 only. The text of K. is probably interpolated, as it seems impossible that Baudhâyana could have mentioned his successors, Âpastamba and Satyâshâdha Hiranyakesin, whose names occur below, II, 5, 9, 14. On the other hand, it is not doubtful that the number of Mantras must nevertheless have been very large, as the numeration in M. shows that they filled two entire Kandikâs.

    14. I.e. the water must be poured out in accordance with the rule given above.

    15. Vâgasaneyi Samhitâ II, 34. The translation of the Mantra follows Govinda's explanation.




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