7. His wife said to him: 'Look, here are those beans of yours.' Having eaten them, he went to the sacrifice which was being performed.
8. He went and sat down on the orchestra near the Udgâtris, who were going to sing their hymns of praise. And he said to the Prastotri (the leader):
9. 'Prastotri, if you, without knowing[1] the deity which belongs to the prastâva (the hymns &c. of the Prastotri), are going to sing it, your head will fall off.'
10. In the same manner he addressed the Udgâtri; 'Udgâtri, if you, without knowing the deity which belongs to the udgtîha (the hymns of the Udgâtri), are going to sing it, your head will fall off.'
11. In the same manner he addressed the Pratihartri; 'Pratihartri, if you, without knowing the deity which belongs to the pratihâra (the hymns of the Pratihartri), are going to sing it, your head will fall off.'
They stopped, and sat down in silence.
Eleventh Khanda.
1. Then the sacrificer said to him: 'I should like to know who you are, Sir.' He replied: 'I am Ushasti Kâkrâyana.'
2. He said: 'I looked for you, Sir, for all these sacrificial offices, but not finding you[2], I chose others.'
- ↑ The commentator is at great pains to show that a priest may officiate without knowing the secret meanings here assigned to certain parts of the sacrifice, and without running any risk of punishment. Only, if another priest is present, who is initiated, then the uninitiated, taking his place, is in danger of losing his head.
- ↑ Should it be avittvâ, as in I, 2, 9?
