________________
III KÂNDA, I KANDIKA, 4.
337
KANDA III, KANDIKA 1.
I. (Now shall be explained) the partaking of the first-fruits (of the harvest), of a person who has not set up the (sacred Srauta) fires.
2. He cooks a mess of fresh sacrificial food, sacrifices the two Agya portions, and two Âgya oblations, (with the formulas),
'To the hundredfold armed, hundredfold valiant, hundredfold blissful one, the vanquisher of enemies -he who may create a hundred autumns for us, Indra,—may he lead us across (the gulf of) misfortune. Svâhâ!
'The four paths that go between heaven and earth, trodden by the gods-of these (paths) lead us to that which may bring us freedom from decay and decline, O all ye gods. Svâhâ!'
3. Having made oblations of the mess of cooked food to the Agrayana deities, he makes another oblation to (Agni) Svishtakrit with (the verse), 'Agni, make this (sacrifice) full, that it may be well offered. And may the god destroy all hostile powers. Come hither, showing us a good path. Bestow on us long life, full of splendour and free from decay. Svâhâ!'
4. He then eats (of the fresh fruits with the
1, 1. The corresponding ceremony of the Srauta ritual is treated of in Kâty. IV, 6.
2. A fresh Sthâlîpâka means probably a Sthâlîpâka prepared from the fresh grain of the new harvest.
3. The deities of the Âgrayana ceremony, which occupies in the Srauta ritual the place corresponding to the rite described here, are Indra and Agni, the Visve devâs, Heaven and Earth.
[29]
z
Digitized by Google
