Caru, having been prepared before the function, should be placed on the North side of the fire at this time.

· Bhü mi Japa (prayers to the earth):

Kneeling, and placing both his hands on the earth, palms down, the groom should say:

oà parameñ ö é viñ ë u å ñ iù

anuñ ö up chandaù

ç ré viñ ë uù devatä

bhü mé jape viniyogaù

oà idam bhü meù bhajä mahe

idam bhadraà sumaì galaà

parä sapatnä n vä dhasva

anyeç ä à vindate dhanam

(NB: At night replace the word “dhanam” with “vasum”).

“We receive this auspicious offering from the earth. Repel the enemies, who take the wealth of others”.

· Agni Saë mukhé Karaë a (respects to the fire):

Facing the fire, he should say:

oà prajä patiù viñ ë u å ñ iù

gä yatré chandaù

ç ré viñ ë uù devatä

agni-sanmukhé -karaë e viniyogaù

oà eko ha devaù pradiç o nu sarvä ù

pü rvo ha jä taù sa u garbhe antaù

sa eva jä taù sa janiñ yamä naù

pratyanjanä s tiñ ö hati sarvato mukhaù

“The Lord is one. By his order all others exist. He, who was the first existing, sometimes appears in the womb like a human being. He has appeared before and will appear again. All men are turned towards Him, who is present everywhere”.

· Tå nä di Ç odhana (cleaning the area, strewing kuç a):

He should take kuç a grass in his right hand, and starting from the North side of the maë ò apa, go around, while chanting:

@ Footnote: Placing the kuç a grass around the fire is for protection against Rakñ asas.

oà kautsa å ñ iù

jagaté chandaù

ç ré viñ ë uù devatä

på ñ ö asya ñ aò ahasya ñ añ ö ehani agni-mä rute ç astre parisamü hane viniyogaù

oà kautsaù

oà imaà stomam arhate jä tavedase

rathamiva sanmahemä mané ñ ayä

bhadrä hi naù pramatiù asya saà sadi

agne sakhye mä riñ ä mä vayaà tava

· Going around the second time, he should chant:

oà kautsaù

oà bharä m idhmaà kå ë vä mä haré à ñ i te

citayantaù parvaë ä parvaë ä vayam

jé vä tave pratarä à sä dhayä dhiyaù

agne sakhye mä riñ ä mä vayaà tava

· While going third time he should chant:

oà kautsaù

oà ç akema tvä samidhaà sä dhayä dhiyaù

tve devä haviù adantyä hutaà

tvamä dityä n ä vaha tä n hrusmasi

agne sakhye mä riñ ä mä vayaà tava

· After he should put the kuç a in é ç ä nakona (North –East). Then taking them one by one, the straws should be placed on the floor in 3 lines without chanting mantras. He should start from N.E. corner, and make one line of kuç a straws touching each other to the S.E. corner.In the same way he should put 2 more lines next to the first one. The lines are touching at the point where they start. In a similar way he should put kuç a in 3 lines, starting from S.E. corner and going to S.W. corner. After that 3 lines from N.W. corner to N.E. corner, and from S.W. corner to N.W. corner.

· Svastika Nivedana (worshipping the directions):

He should offer flowers and candana (which has been offered to the Lord) to the ten directions. saying:

oà etan mahä prasä da naivedyä di

pü rvasyä à ç ré nä radä ya svä hä (East)

agneyä à ç ré kapila devä ya svä hä (South-East)

yä mye ç ré yamabhä gavatä ya svä hä (South)

nairå tyä à ç ré bhiñ madevä ya svä hä (South-West)

praté cyä à ç ré ç ukadevä ya svä hä (West)

vä yavyä à ç ré janakä ya svä hä (North-West)

udé cyä à ç ré sadä ç ivä ya svä hä (North)

aiç anyä à ç ré pralä dä ya svä hä (North-East)

ü rdhvaà ç ré brahmane svä hä (up)

adhaù ç ré balirä jä ya svä hä (down)

· Vià ç ati Kañ ö hikä Homa (offering twenty sticks into the fire):

He should take twenty sticks of khadira, palä ç a, or udumbara wood, or kuç a grass, which are of two prä deç as (18 inches) in length. He should pour a sruva of ghee over the middle portion and offer into the fire without mantra while meditating on Viñ ë u.

· Ä jya Saà skä ra (purifying the ghee):

Taking two blades of kuç a grass with tips intact he should bind them with a third kuç a and cut them to the length of one prä deç a without using the finger nails, saying:

oà prajä patiù viñ ë u å ñ iù

gä yatré chandaù

pavitre viñ ë uù devatä

pavitrecchadane viniyogaù

oà pavitre stho vaiñ ë avyau

“Oh pavitras, you are devotees of Viñ ë u.”

· Sprinkling them with water he should say:

oà prajä patiù viñ ë u å ñ iù

gä yatré chandaù

pavitre viñ ë uù devatä

pavitre mä rjjane viniyogaù

oà viñ ë où manasä pü te sthaù

“You are pure through the desire of Viñ ë u.”

· He should place them in a copper vessel and pour ghee into the vessel. Using the thumb and ring finger of the right hand he should grasp the tips of the kuç as and with the thumb and ring finger of the left hand he should grasp the root end. The right hand should be palm up and the left hand palm down. By dipping the middle portion into the ghee he should then offer ghee into the fire one time, saying:

oà prajä patiù viñ ë u å ñ iù

gä yatré chandaù

ä jyaà viñ ë uù devatä

ä jyä t-plavane viniyogaù

oà devas tvä savitot punä tu