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The Grihya Sutras, Part 2 (SBE30), by Hermann Oldenberg, [1892], at sacred-texts.com
1. 1 The Ashtakâ (is a festival) sacred to the night.
2. It procures prosperity.
3. It is sacred to Agni, or to the Manes, or to Pragâpati, or to the Seasons, or to the Visve devâs—thus the deity (to which the Ashtakâ is sacred), is investigated (by different teachers).
4. 4 There are four Ashtakâs in (the four months of) the winter;
5. These all he should endeavour to celebrate with (offerings of) meat;
6. Thus says Kautsa.
7. (There are only) three Ashtakâs (in the winter), says Audgâhamâni,
8. And so say (also) Gautama and Vârkakhandi.
9. The eighth day of the dark fortnight after the Âgrahâyanî is called Apûpâshtakâ (i.e. Ashtakâ of the cakes).
10. 10 Having prepared grains in the way prescribed
for Sthâlîpâkas, he cooks (those grains and prepares thus) a karu.
11. 11 And (besides he prepares) eight cakes, without turning them over in the dish (in which he bakes them);
12. (Each) in one dish;
13. Without Mantras, according to Audgâhamâni;
14. 14 Of the size of the (cakes) sacred to Tryambaka.
15. After he has baked them, he should pour (Âgya) on them, should take them from the fire towards the north, and should pour (Âgya) on them again.
16. 16 In the way prescribed for Sthâlîpâkas he cuts off (the prescribed portions) from the mess of boiled grains and from the cakes, and sacrifices with (the words), 'To the Ashtakâ Svâhâ!'
17. 17 The rest (should be performed) according to the Sthâlîpâka rite.
18. 18 (At the second Ashtakâ, on) the eighth day after the full-moon day of Taisha, a cow (is sacrificed).
19. Shortly before the time of junction (of day and night, i.e. before the morning twilight) he should place that (cow) to the east of the fire, and when (that time) has come, he should sacrifice (Âgya) with
[paragraph continues] (the verse), 'What, O beasts, you think' (MB. II, 2, 5).
20. And after having sacrificed, he should recite over (the cow the verse), 'May thy mother give leave to thee' (ibid. 6).
21. Let him sprinkle (the cow) with water in which barley is, with (the words), 'Agreeable to the Ashtakâ I sprinkle thee.'
22. Let him carry a fire-brand round it with (the verse), 'The lord of goods, the sage (goes) round' (Sâma-veda I, 30).
23. Let him give it water to drink.
24. The remainder of what it has drunk he should pour out under (the feet of) the beast with (the formula), 'Away from the gods the Havis has been taken' (MB. II, 2, 7).
25. They then walk in a northerly direction (from the fire) and kill (the cow),
26. The head of which is turned to the east, the feet to the north, if the rite is sacred to the gods,
27. The head to the south, the feet to the west, if the rite is sacred to the Manes.
28. After it has been killed, he should sacrifice (Âgya) with (the verse), 'If the beast has lowed' (ibid. 8).
29. And (the sacrificer's) wife should get water and should wash all the apertures of the cow's body.
30. They lay two purifiers (i.e. grass-blades) on (the cow's body) near its navel, cut it up in the direction of its hairs, and draw the omentum out.
31. He should spit it on two pieces of wood, on one (simple) branch and on another forked branch, should besprinkle it (with water), and should roast it.
32. 32 When it has ceased to drop, he should say, 'Hew the (cow) to pieces—
33. 'So that the blood does not stain the ground to the east of the fire.'
34. After he has roasted (the omentum), he should pour (Âgya) on it, should take it from the fire towards the north, and should pour (Âgya) on it again.
35. 35 After he has cut off (the prescribed portions from) the omentum in the way prescribed for Sthâlîpâkas, or in the way prescribed for the Svishtakrit (oblation), he sacrifices with (the words), 'To the Ashtakâ Svâhâ!'
36. 36 The rest (should be performed) according to the Sthâlîpâka rite. The rest according to the Sthâlîpâka rite.
End of the Third Prapâthaka.
97:1 10, 1 seq. The Ashtakâ festivals; Khâdira-Grihya III, 3, 28. Comp. Sâṅkhâyana-Grihya III, 12, 1 note (S.B.E. XXIX, 102).
97:4 4, 7. As to the difference of opinion regarding the number of Ashtakâs, comp. Weber, Naxatra, second article, p. 337. Gobhila himself follows the opinion of Audgâhamâni, for he mentions only three Ashtakâs in the winter season, the first following after the Âgrahâyanî full moon (chap. 50, 9), the second after the Taishî (10, 18), and the third after the Mâghî (IV, 4, 17).
97:10 See above, I, 7, 2 seq.
98:11 Grihya-samgraha II, 71: prithakkapâlân kurvîta apûpân ashtakâvidhau.
98:14 Regarding the Traiyambaka cakes, comp. Kâtyâyana Srauta-sûtra V, 10, 1 seq.; Vaitâna-sûtra IX, 18, &c.
98:16 See above, I, 8, 5 seq.
98:17 Comp. chap. 7, 20 note.
98:18 With the following paragraphs the Srauta rites of the animal sacrifice should be compared; see J. Schwab, Das altindische Thieropfer (Erlangen, 1886).
100:32 In the text we ought to read visasata, as Dr. Knauer has observed.
100:35 The regulations concerning the Avadânas are given for Sthâlîpâkas, I, 8, 5 seq., and for the Svishtakrit oblation, I, 8, 11 seq.
100:36 Comp. III, 7, 20 note.