208 The Vdstu Yaga. [No. 3, 



dikpati (gods of the ten cardinal points), earth, sky, inhabitants 

 of the firmament (kashara), and gods, as Brahma witnesses, I 

 promise." 



The Brahma or chief priest should be appointed first. 



Let the Yajamana, seated as before with joined palms, address 

 the Brahma, " Om, you are Saclhu (gentle,) be seated. 



Let the Brahma, reply u Om! verily I am sadhu." 



Yajamana :— Om, I will propitiate you. 



Brahma : — Om, do propitiate. 



Let the Yajamana then offer sandal wood paste, flowers, cloth, and 

 ornaments to the Brahma, and let him next touch his right thigh 

 and say, " Om, this day (as mentioned before) in my promised 

 Vdstu Yaga ceremony, I do hereby appoint you (state the name of 

 the Brahma) of — family, of — pravara, worshipped with sandal 

 wood &c, to perform the duties of a Brahma. 



Brahma : — " Om ! I am appointed." 



Yajamana : — Om ! perform the duties of a Brahma as directed (in 

 the Sastras). 



Brahma : — " Om, according to my knowledge I shall." 



Should the Yajamana be not qualified to perform himself the 

 homa, let him appoint a Brahman as a hotd, in the same way as the 

 Brahma is appointed. Then let the Achdrya, Tantradhdraha, and 

 Sadasya be appointed in order. 



The sacrificial altar, Vedi, should be eight cubits long, and eight 

 cubits broad, and one cubit high. It should be purified by sprink- 

 ling successively the urine of the cow with the Gayatri mantra, 

 cow-dung with the mantra which commences, " Om Gandhadvaram 

 duradharsJiyam, &c," cow's milk with that which commences " om 

 Apyayasva, &c," curds with that which begins with " om dadhi 

 Icravno, &c," and lastly, ghi (clarified butter) with om tejosi, &c, 

 kusa grass and water should be sprinkled with " om deva satva &c." 

 Then, let autumnal paddy, winter paddy, muga, wheat, mustard, 

 sesamum, and barley be mixed with water and scattered on the 

 Vedi. 



The Vdstu mandala is a square diagram of mystic import. It is thus 

 described in Vdstu Proyogu : — " Commencing from the north-eastern 

 corner of it, at the four corners four sticks of khadira, Mimosa catechu, 



