Chapter XXIX. Shrauta (Vedic) Sacrifices

Volume II: Part II pp. 976–1008

Chapter XXIX. Shrauta (Vedic) Sacrifices

Introductory A deep study of Vedic sacrifices is quite essential for the proper understanding of the Vedic Literature, for arriving at approximately correct statements about the chronology, the development and the stratification of the different portions of that Literature and for the influence that that Literature exerted on the four varṇas and the caste-system, on the splitting up of the brāhmaṇas themselves among several sub-castes²²²² and on the institution of gotras and pravaraṣ Early European scholars generally paid scant attention to the deep study of the Vedic sacrifices and endeavoured to understand the meaning of the Vedas principally by reference to grammar, comparative philology and the comparison of several passages containing the same word or wordṣ Max Müller put forward a tentative scheme of chronology based mostly on subjective considera- tions and prompted by the great prejudice felt by European scholars generally against admitting any great antiquity for the Vedaṣ Therefore the endeavour of most European scholars has been to show that the mantras could not have been composed before 1400 B. C. It is beyond the scope of this work to enter into any discussion about the dates of the various sections of the Vedic Literature. It must be here said, however, that I do not subscribe to the view that 1400 B. C. is the uppermost limit of the original composition of the Vedic hymnṣ The hymns may have been composed for aught we know several thousand years before that date. Most of the Vedic Samhitās that we now have are arranged (except the Ṛgveda to some extent) definitely for the various aspects of the cult of the sacrifice and indicate a state of things when different priests were required for the sacrifices, who used mantras from the collections they had studieḍ

For a thorough understanding of Vedic sacrifices, the several Veda Saṁhitās, the Brāhmaṇas and the Śrauta sūtras must be carefully studieḍ Among works in English that are very helpful must be mentioned, Haug's translation (with notes) of the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, Prof. Eggeling's translation of the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa with notes (S.B.E. vol. XII, XXVI, XLI, XLIII, XLIV), Prof. Keith's 'Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upaniṣads', translation of the Black Yajurveda (2 vol. in Harvard Oriental Series) and of the Ṛgveda Brāhmaṇas (one volume in the same series), Kunte's 'Vicissitudes of Aryan civilization in India.' (1880) particularly pp. 167-232. Besides these Weber and Hillebrandt have written in German scholarly works on Vedic sacrifices; Caland and Henry published a very learned, exhaustive and methodical work in French on the Agniṣṭoma (1906). In this connection the late Dr. S. V. Ketkar's labours and researches embodied in his Marathi Encyclopædia (vol. 2 and 5) are worthy of special consideration, since they furnish a much-needed corrective to the somewhat one-sided views of most European scholars that have written on Vedic Literature, though one is bound to differ from him in several matterṣ³ The following pages are based principally on the original texts, though here and there the works of modern scholars have been availed of.

In his Pūrvamīmāṁsāsūtra, Jaimini submits thousands of texts to the principles of mīmāṁsā elaborated by him and arrives at definite conclusions on matters affecting the details of various sacrificeṣ An attempt has been made in these chapters on śrauta to include many of his conclusions, a task which so far as I know, has not been essayed by any modern writer on dharma or śrauta up till now. The fundamental conceptions of Yajña (sacrifice) go back to Indo-European ¹⁴ antiquities though the traces are rather faint. But it is quite clear that the cult of the sacrifice had been much developed in the Indo-Iranian perioḍ There is a very striking resemblance between the Vedic Agniṣṭoma and the Homa ceremony of the Parsis (vide Haug's Ait. Br. vol. I, Introduction p. 59 ff ). There are numerous words indicative of the cult of the sacrifice both in the Vedic language and in the ancient Parsi religious bookṣ For example, words like atharvan, āhuti, uktha, barhis, mantra, yajña, soma, savana, stoma, hotṛ do also occur in the ancient scriptureṣ ¹⁵ Though Vedic sacrifices are now very rarely performed (except a few simple ones like the Darśa-pūrṇamāsa and the Cāturmāsyas), they were in great vogue several centuries before the Christian era. Centuries after the advent and spread of Buddhism we learn from inscriptions and literary traditions that kings often performed the ancient solemn Vedic sacrifices and gloried in having done so. In the Harivaṁśa (III. 2. 39-40), in the Mālavikāgnimitra (Act V, which speaks of Rājaśūya), in the Śuṅga Inscription from Ayodhyā (E. I. vol. XX. p. 54 ) Senāpati Puṣyamitra is said to have performed the Aśvamedha (or Rājaśūya). In the Hathigumpha Inscription ( E. I. vol. XX. at p. 79 ) king Khāravela is extolled as having performed the Rājaśūya. In the Bilsad stone Inscription of Kumāragupta dated in the Gupta year 96 (i. e. 415-6 A. D. ) it is stated that his great ancestor Samudragupta performed the Aśvamedha that had gone out of vogue for a long time (cirotsannāśvamedhāhartuḥ, in Gupta Inscriptions at p. 43 ). In the Pardi plates (of Cedi saṃ 207 i. e. 456-7 A. D.) the Traikūṭaka king Dahrasena is described as the performer of Aśvamedha ( E. I. vol. X. p. 53 ). The Pīkira grant of Simha-varman ( E. I. vol. VIII. p. 162 ) describes the Pallavas as the performers of many Aśvamedhas and another Pallava grant (in E. I. vol. I p. 2 at p. 5 ) refers to the performance of Agniṣṭoma, Vājapeya and Aśvamedha. The Chammak plate of the Vākāṭaka king Pravarasena II ( Gupta Inscriptions No. 55 p. 236) speaks of Pravarasena I as the performer of many Śrauta sacrificeṣ⁶

The original worship of fire may have been individualistic as well as communal or tribal. The daily agnihotra was an individual affair; but as even simple iṣṭis like darśapūrṇamāsa required four priests, and Soma sacrifices required 16 priests and costly preparations, these sacrifices partook more or less of a public or at least congregational character. It appears that as most brāhmaṇas were poor and could not carry on even the daily agnihotra, which pinned them down practically to one place and did not allow them to move out of the village for securing their livelihood, even agnihotra must have been comparatively rare in early timeṣ Such Vedic sentences as ‘one who has begot a son or sons and whose hair is still black should consecrate the Vedic fires’ (quoted by Śabara on Jaimini I. 3. 3 and cited on p. 350 above) establish that agnyādhāna was advised for brāhmaṇas when they had reached middle age (and not before). The daily agnihotra required the maintenance of at least two cows, besides thousands of cow-dung cakes and fuel-stickṣ For the maintenance of agnihotra and the performance of darśapūrṇamāsa (in which four priests were employed) and the Cāturmāsyas (where five priests were required) the house-holder was required to be well-to-do. And the Soma sacrifices could be performed only by kings, nobles and the rich and by those who could collect large subscriptionṣ We find that kings while making grants often expressed that the object of the grants was to enable the brāhmaṇa donees to offer bali, and caru and to perform agnihotra. For example, in the Sarsavni plates of Buddharāja dated in Kaṭaccuri saṃ 361 i. e. 609-10 A. D. the grant is made for bali, caru and agnihotra and in the Damodarpur plates (dated 443-44 and 447-48 A.D.) the grants are made for agnihotra and for the performance of the five daily yajñaṣ⁷ During the centuries of Moslem domination no help from royalty could be expected and so the institution of Vedic sacrifices languisheḍ In the last hundred years or so, solemn Vedic sacrifices have been performed only rarely. But, since many of the gṛhya ceremonies as set forth in the gṛhya sūtras closely imitate the procedure of the Vedic fire cult and Vedic sacrifices formed the first and foremost manifestation of the sentiments of faith and worship in India, a work dealing with Dharmaśāstra cannot be said to have dealt with its subject completely and adequately if the treatment of Vedic sacrifices were left out altogether, the following bare outline is presented here, the more so as sacrifices were the first dharmas according to Rg. X. 90. 16.

The Śrauta-sūtras contain a very detailed, meticulously accurate and vivid description of the several sacrifices that were performed in ancient timeṣ These works were manuals compiled for the practical purpose of giving directions to those who engaged in such sacrificeṣ They are based on ancient Brāhmaṇa texts, which they quote at every step, many individual sūtras being couched in the very language of the Brāhmaṇas, and on actual practice and only bring together what was in vogue. The object of the following pages is not to present a thorough and detailed treatment of Vedic sacrifices, but only to indicate what the cult of the Vedic sacrifice was like and to furnish a brief description of some prominent sacrificeṣ The treatment is mainly based on the Śrautasūtras of Āśv., Āp., Kāt., Bauḍ, Satyāṣāḍha with occasional references to the Saṁhitās and Brāhmaṇaṣ The several divergences among the sūtras, the paddhatis and modern practice are not generally dwelt upon for the sake of saving space. One very useful work is a compilation called ‘Śrautapadārthanirvacana,’ by Nageshwar Shastri published in the Benares Sanskrit series, though one of its drawbacks is that it gives no references to any textṣ The Mīmāṁsā-vidyālaya at Poona has prepared sets of all the utensils required in sacrifices and has published an album containing pictures of utensils and maps of various altars required in Vedic sacrificeṣ The Cāturmāsyas, the Paśubandha, the Jyotiṣṭoma have been described in some detail, the darśapūrṇamāsa has been dealt with in extenso, and other sacrifices have been only briefly touched upon in this work.

We find that even in the remotest ages when the hymns of the Ṛgveda saṃhitā were composed and compiled, the main features of the sacrificial system had been evolveḍ That there were three fires appears clear from Ṛg. II. 36. 4 (where Agni is asked to sit down in three places), I. 15. 4, V. 11. 2 (‘men kindle Agni in three places¹. The Gārhapatya fire is express- ly named in Ṛg. I. 15. 12. The three savanas (i. e. pressings of Soma in the morning, mid-day and evening) are mentioned in Ṛg. III. 28. 1 (prātaḥ-sava), III. 28. 4 (mādhyandina savana ), III. 28. 5 (tṛtiya savana ), III. 52. 5–6 and in IV. 12. 1 (where it is said that the sacrifice gives food to Agni three times on all days), IV. 33. 11. It may be affirmed that the sixteen priests⁸ required in Soma sacrifices were probably well-known to the composers of the Ṛgveda hymns; Ṛg. I. 162. 5 mentions hotṛ, adhvaryu, agnimīndha (agnīt or āgnīdhra), grāva grābha (grāvastut), śāstā (praśāstṛ or maitrāvaruṇa), suvipra (brahmā?); Ṛg. II. 1. 2 refers to hotṛ, potṛ, neṣṭṛ, agnīt, praśāstṛ (maitrāvaruṇa), adhvaryu, brahmā; Ṛg. II. 36 speaks of hotṛ, potṛ (v. 2), āgnīdhra (v. 4), brāhmaṇa (brāhmaṇāchāmsin ) and praśāstṛ (v. 6). In Ṛg. II. 43. 2 we have udgātā. In Ṛg. III. 10. 4, IX. 10. 7, X. 35. 10, X. 61. 1 seven hotṛs are referred to and in Ṛg. II. 5. 2 the potṛ priest is spoken of as the 8th. The word 'purohita' occurs very frequently (Ṛg. I. 1, I. 44. 10 and 12, III. 2. 8, IX. 66. 20, X. 98. 7). The Ṛgveda names Atirātra (VII. 103. 7), Trikadruka (II. 22. 1, VIII. 13. 18, VIII. 92. 21, X. 14. 16 ). The yūpa (the post to which the sacrificial animal was tied ) and its top caṣāla are mentioned in Rg. I. 162. 6. Rg. III. 8 is full of the praise of the yūpa. The person who killed the animal sacrificed ( the śamitr ) is mentioned in Rg. 162. 10 and V. 43. 4. The Dharma ( the pot of boiled milk required in the Pravargya rite or perhaps the Dadhigharma in the mādhyandina savana ) is mentioned in Rg. III. 53. 14, V. 30. 15, V. 43. 7. It was believed that the animal offered in a sacrifice went to heaveṇ⁹ Fire for sacrifice was produced by attrition from two araṇis ( vide Rg. III. 29. 1-3, V. 9. 3, VI. 48. 5 ). The darvi ( Rg. V. 6. 9), sruc ( Rg. IV. 12. 1, VI. 11. 5 ), juhū ( Rg. X. 21. 3 ) are mentioned in the Rg. Numerous verses in praise of gifts occur in the Rg, which have been pointed out above ( pp. 837-839 ). In Rg. III. 53. 3 there is a clear reference to the call or permission sought by the hotṛ ( āhāva ) and the response of the adhvaryu ( pratigara ).¹⁰ Rg. X. 114. 5 speaks of the twelve grahas ( cups ) of Soma. In Rg. I. 28. 1-2 reference is made to the broad-bottomed stone ( grāvan ) used for beating Soma stalks, the mortar in which Soma is pounded and the adhiṣavaṇa ( pressing ) boarḍ In Rg. I. 20. 6, I. 110. 3, I. 161. 1 and VIII. 82. 7 the wooden vessel called ' camasa ' used for drinking Soma is spoken of. The word ' avabhṛtha ' ( concluding bath in a Soma sacrifice ) occurs in Rg. VIII. 93. 23. In Rg. X. 51. 8-9 the words prayāja and anuyāja occur. The ten Āprī hymns of the Ṛgveda indicate that at the time of their composi- tion the animal sacrifice had already some of the principal features that are seen in the śrauta sūtraṣ

Some of the general rules applicable in all śrauta rites may be stated once for all. Vide Āśv. śr. I. 1. 8-22. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the sacrificer should always face the north, should sit down cross-legged, and the sacrificial mate- rials (like kuśa grass &c.) should have their ends pointed to- wards the east. The sacred thread should be worn in all rites in the upavīta form, except where the nivīta or prācīnāvīta form is expressly ordained; wherever a limb (aṅga) is mentioned or no particular limb is mentioned, it is the right limb (hand, foot, finger) that is meant; wherever the word 'dadāti' ( he gives ) is used the yajamāna (the sacrificer) is the agent of the actioṇ Kāt. śr. I. 10. 12 states that the yajamāna is the actual performer in the case of gifts or repeating texts where the word 'vācayati' occurs in the sūtras or in anvā-rambhana, or in choosing a boon, in the case of observances (such as truthfulness), and in the case of measures (i. e. when it is said that a thing should be of the height of a man, it is the sacrificer's height that is meant). When any rite is prescribed without expressly stating the performer, it is the hotṛ who does it and in the case of prāyaścittas wherever the words 'juhoti' and 'japati' occur the brahmā priest is the agent to do those latter actṣ When the first pāda of a ṛk is mentioned for being employed in any rite the whole verse is intended to be recited; when the first words of a hymn are mentioned for being employed in a rite, but the words quoted in the sūtra do not amount to a pāda, the whole hymn is to be repeated in that rite; wherever more than the first pāda of a verse is mentioned, it is intended that three verses are to be recited (that verse and the two following). Japa, āmantraṇa, abhimantraṇa, āpyāyana, upasthāna and mantras that indicate the rite that is being performed are to be recited in a low voice (upāmśu). A special rule (apavāda or viśeṣavidhi) is stronger than a general rule (prasanga).

Other general propositions are : Yāga (sacrifice) is constituted by dravya (material), devatā (deity) and tyāga and yāga means abandonment of dravya intending it for a deity; homa means the offering of dravya in fire intending it for a deity. Yajatis (sacrificial rites) for which no express reward is declared ¹¹ by the texts are the aṅga (subordinate part) of the principal yāga. Mantras are of four categories viz. ṛk, yajus, sāman and nigada; ¹² ṛks are metrical; a yajus has no restriction as to metre, but it is a complete sentence (Kāt. śr. I. 3. 2); a sāman is sung; nigadas are praiṣas i. e. words addressed to another calling upon the latter to do a certain thing e. g. ‘prokṣaṇīr-āsādaya, srucah sammṛddhi’ (Kāt. Śr. II. 6. 34). They are yajus, but they are distinguished from ordinary yajus formulæ by the fact that nigadas are uttered loudly, while ordinarily a yajus is recited in a low voice. Jaimini in II. 1. 38-45 brings out this distinction between ordinary yajus and nigada. Vide Jaimini II. 1. 35-37 for the definitions of ṛk, sāman and yajuṣ Verses from Ṛg. and Sāmaveda are recited loudly, all yajus are muttered in a low voice except āśruta ( i. e. passages like ‘ āśrāvaya’ ), pratyā- śruta ( the response ‘ astu śrauṣaṭ’ ), pravara-mantra ( agnir devo hotā &c., set out in note 1139 above ), saṁvāda ( requests and permissions as in ‘ brahman, shall I sprinkle with water’ and ‘ yes, do sprinkle’ ), sam-praiṣa ( summons to do something as ‘ prokṣaṇīr-āsādaya’ ). Loudness is of three kinds, high- pitched, middle-pitched and low-pitcheḍ The Sāmidhenī verses are to be recited in a middle pitch, all mantras in the rites from anvādāna upto ājyabhāga in Jyotiṣṭoma and prātaḥ-savana are to be recited in a low pitch, while in all rites in darśapūr- ṇamāsa the mantras are to be recited in a low pitch from ā jya- bhāga to sviṣṭakṛt. The rest of the mantras in darśapūrṇa- māsa after sviṣṭakṛt and in Tṛtīya Savana are to be recited in high pitch. Mantras that are being recited at the time of doing anything ( and produce the idea ‘ I shall do it’ ) are to be recited first and then the act is to be begun ( e. g. cutting is to be done immediately on reciting ‘ iṣe tvā’ ). Vide Jaimini XII. 3. 25. An act is to be begun to be performed the moment the reciting of a mantra accompanying it is finished ( Kāt. I. 3. 5-7 ). Utkara is the spot where the dust of the Vedi is swept up and praṇītā is water kept in a vessel to the north of the āhavanīya after repeating a mantra over it. The sacrifi- cial ground where the fires are maintained is called vihāra ( Śabara on Jaimini XII. 2, 1 says ‘ vihāra iti gārhapatyādira- gnistretocyate viharaṇāt’ ). The way for going to or coming from the vihāra is between the praṇītā ( water ) and utkara in the case of iṣṭis ( i. e. to the east of utkara and to the west of praṇītā ) and between the utkara and the cātvāla pit in other cases ( Āp. śr. I. 1. 4-6, Kāt. śr. I. 3. 42-43 ). This path for going to the vihāra is called tīrtha. The cātvāla is a pit which is required only in soma and animal sacrificeṣ Many sacrificial utensils are required out of which the sruva ( which may be called the dipping spoon ) is made of khadira wood and is one aratni in length and has a mouth (or bowl) that is rounded and is as wide as the front joint of the thumb. The sruc (offering ladle) is one cubit in length, has a bowl at one end of the shape and size of the palm, that has a spout resembling a swan's bill in shape. Sruc is of three kinds: juhū (ladle) made of palāśa, upabhṛt of aśvattha and the dhruvā is made of vikańkaṭa wood and all other sacrificial utensils are made of vikańkaṭa, but those that are not directly connected with homa are made of varaṇa tree; the sword called sphya is made of khadira (Kāṭ. I. 3. 31-39). The principal yajñapātras (or yajñāyudhas as they are often called) are given in the note below.¹³

All saṁskāras (like adhiśrayaṇa, paryagnikaraṇa, heating a sacrificial utensil) are to be done (except when expressly stated

H. D, 134 to the contrary) by the gārhapatya fire, but the cooking of a havis may be done on either gārhapatya or āhavaniya according to one's sūtra. When the material is not specified, homa is performed with clarified butter and all homas are done in the āhavaniya when there is no express text and the juhū ladle is to be employed in offering homa (Kāt I. 8. 44-45). Those parts that are to be done with Rg. mantras are to be done by the hotṛ priest (unless there be a special direction or reason to the contrary), the adhvaryu does what is to be done with Yajurveda, the udgātṛ with Sāma- veda and the brahmā priests with all the three Vedas ¹⁴ (vide Ait. Br. 25. 8). Brāhmaṇas alone are to be priests (Jai. XII. 4. 42-47). The sacrificer's wife is seated south-west of the gārhapatya fire and her face is turned towards the north-east (Kāt. II. 7. 1). At the beginning of an iṣṭi or other rite five operations (called bhūsaṁskāra) are to be performed on the dakṣiṇā fire viz. parisamūhana (sweeping round with wet hand) thrice from the east to the north, smearing thrice with cowdung (gomaya-upalepana), drawing with the wooden sword (sphya) three lines from south to north but toward's the east (i. e. the last is to be in the east) or from east to west but towards the north, to remove the dust from those lines with the thumb and the ring finger, and sprinkling thrice with water (abhyukṣaṇa).

Agnyādheya¹⁵

Gaut. (VIII. 20-21) enumerates seven havīryajñas and seven somasaṁsthāṣ Agnyādheya is the first of the seven havīryajñaṣ Agnyādheya is the same as agnyādhāna. It is an iṣṭi which word means 'a sacrifice performed by a sacrificer and his wife with the help of four priests' (vide above note 2228). The details of a model iṣṭi are given later on under darśapūrṇamāsa. Agnyādheya occupies two days, the first day called upavasatha being taken up by preliminary matters and the 2nd with performance of the main riteṣ There are two times for the performance of agnyādheya. It may be done on one of the seven nakṣatras, viz., Kṛttikā, Rohiṇī, Mṛgaśīrṣa, Pūrva Phalgunī, Uttarā Phalgunī, Viśākhā, Uttarā Bhādrapadā. Āp. adds other nakṣatras viz. Hasta, Citrā and states the several appropriate nakṣatras when the sacrificer desires certain results ( V. 3. 3-14 ). According to Śat. Br. II. 1. 2. 17 and Āp. V. 3. 13 a kṣatriya should consecrate sacred fires on the Citrā nakṣatra. Or agnyādheya may be done on a parva day in spring by a brāhmaṇa, in summer, in the rainy season and autumn respec-tively by a kṣatriya, a vaiśya and an upakruṣṭa ( for the latter vide p. 74 above ). But even when choosing the season, one must have regard to the seven nakṣatras specified above. Āp. states that the setting up of the fires may take place on Full moon or New moon day and that hemanta or śarad is the proper season for a vaiśya, the rainy season for a rathakāra ( carpenter ) or all the varṇas may first consecrate the fires in śiśira ( Āp. V. 3. 17-20 ). Vide Jai. II. 3-4 about the meaning of the Vedic passage ' a brāhmaṇa should set up fires in spring ' ( Tai. Br. I. 1. 2 ). The Śat. Br. ( III. 1. 2. 19 ) appears to condemn the setting up of fires by reliance on nakṣatras and recommends ( XI. I. 1. 7 ) that agnyādhāna should be performed on the New moon of Vaiśākha on which there is Rohiṇī nakṣatra. In case of difficulty one may perform agnyādheya in any season and if one has resolved upon performing a soma sacrifice one need not stop to consider the season or nakṣatra. The man who wants to perform agnyādheya must not be too young nor too old ( vide p. 979 above ).

Agnyādheya means the placing of burning coals for the generation of the gārhapatya and other fires at a particular time and place by a particular person to the accompaniment of certain mantraṣ¹⁶ Agnyādheya comprehends the several acts from the bringing of the araṇis ( two wooden logs ) to the offering of pūrṇāhuti. When this last takes place the person who engages in the rites attains the position of an āhitāgni ( one who has consecrated the sacred Vedic fires ). Agnyādheya is meant for all sacrificial rites and not merely for enabling a man to perform darśapūrṇamāseṣṭi ( Jai. III. 6. 14-15, XI. 3. 2). The sacrificer should bring home through the adhvaryu priest two araṇis from an aśvattha tree that grows inside a śamī tree with the mantra ' yo aśvatthaḥ śamī-garbhaḥ ' ( Āśv. II. 1. 17 ). The branch to be cut must be one on the east or north side of the tree and its foliage must be turned towards the east or north. When the branch falls on the ground the portion of it that touches the ground should be used for making the lower arani. Two aranis (logs of the branch) should be cut off, planed and formed into rectangular pieces and they should be allowed to become dry. In the lower arani there is a spot called devayoni (the place of origin of the god i. e. fire) which is 8 and 12 angu- las from the two ends of the lower arani (of 24 angulas) where by means of a drill inserted in the upper arani fire is produced by attritioṇ According to Bauḍ each arani is 16 angulas long, twelve in breadth and 4 in height, while according to Kāt. (as quoted in coṃ on Āp.) it is 24 angulas long. According to Āp. (V. 1. 3) the aśvattha may not be growing inside a śamī tree. The two aranis are invoked (abhimantraṇa) with the formula ‘aśvatthāḍ..dhehi āyur-yajamāne’ (Tai. Br. I. 2. 1.) and the adhvaryu brings together on the altar (vedi) seven items that are earthy and seven items that are of wood or five of each or 8 earthy items ( if those of wood are seven ). The eight earthy items are : sand, saltish earth, the earth from a hole infested by mice, the earth from an ant-hill, the clay (sūda) from the bottom of a reservior of water that never dries up, earth that is struck by wild boars, pebbles, gold (Āp. V. 1. 4 ff.) with mantras appropriate²⁸³⁷ to each. The seven wooden items are: (parts of) aśvattha, udumbara, parṇa (palāśa), śamī, vikāṅ- kaṭa, a tree struck by lightning (or by wind or cold) and a lotus-leaf. Bauḍ II. 12 enumerates these somewhat differently. The sacrificer prepares a raised place for worship (devayajana)²⁸³⁸ sloping towards the east with the mantra 'uddhaṃyāmānam-asyā' (Tai. Br. I. 2. 1), sprinkles it with water to the accompaniment of the mantra 'sam no devīr' (Rg. X. 9. 4=Tai. Br. I. 2. 1), and constructs a shed having the end of the principal bamboo or ridge turned northwards or eastwardṣ Beneath the middle of the ridge of the hut towards one end is the place (āyatana) meant for the gārhapatya fire; the place of the āhavanīya fire is to the east of the gārhapatya at a distance of eight prakramas¹⁹ for a brāhmaṇa, eleven and twelve for a kṣatriya and vaiśya respectively or all may have it 24 steps (pada) or at a distance found by the eye to approximate to the distances stated (without actual measurement). The place for the dakṣināgni is near the gārhapatya to the south-east after a third of the distance between the gārhapatya and āhavanīya. There are to be separate sheds for the āhavanīya fire and the gārhapatya in elaborate sacrifices but for the ordinary sacrifices like darśapūrṇamāsa one shed only is usually constructed which houses all the three fireṣ It is laid down that only Vedic rites are to be performed with the three fires, and that they were not to be used for ordinary cooking or for secular purposes (vide Jaimini XII. 2. 1–7). The sabhya fire is to be established in front of the āhavanīya in the gambling hall and the āvasathya fire is in a shed (for guests) to the east of the sabhya.²⁰

The sacrificer gets the hair on the head and face shaved, pares his nails and then bathes; the wife also does the same except shaving the hair on the heaḍ The husband and wife are to establish fires after wearing two silken garments each, which are to be given up to the adhvaryu at the time of distri-buting dakṣiṇā (after the rite of agnyādheya is finished). The sacrificer should perform the saṁkalpa (words indicating resolve) of performing agnyādheya and choose his priests (ṛtvig-varaṇa) by touching their hands with appropriate mantras and offer them madhuparka ( vide Ap. X. 1. 13-14 for the mantras 'agnir-me hotā &c. ). In the afternoon or when the sun is over the trees the adhvaryu should fetch a portion of fire from the aupāsana ( gṛhya fire ) and kindle a fire called brāhmaudanika ( one prepared for brāhmaudana ) ²¹ to the west of the place for the gārhapatya or he may take up the whole of the aupāsana fire ( of the yajamāna ) or he may generate fire by attritioṇ He should prepare a sthaṇḍila ( an altar of sand &c. ) and should draw thereon three lines from west to east and three lines from south to north and should sprinkle water on the sthaṇḍila and then he should bring burning coals from the aupāsana fire and place them on the lines so drawṇ If he takes up the whole of the aupāsana fire, then he should take on two leaves of udumbara a cake of barley flour and another of rice and should throw on the place of the brāhmaudanika fire the barley cake to the west and the rice cake to the east and then establish the fire thereoṇ The adhvaryu puts apart at night to the west of the brāhmaudanika fire on the red hide of a bull having the neck part to the east and the hair outside or on a bamboo utensil four dishfuls of rice²² grains after repeating the mantra ' devasya ' and with the words 'I set apart what is pleasing to prāṇa that is brahman,' which are repeated four times ( with prāṇa, apāna, vyāna and lastly with brahman only ) or he may do so silently. He cooks the grains ( of rice or barley ) in four vessels filled with water, he does not cleanse the rice grains with his hand after pouring them into the water, nor does he drain off the water while cooking; some cook the grains in milk. From the cooked food ( the brāhmaudana ) he takes some in a spoon ( darvī ) and offers it into ( the brāhmaudanika ) fire with the mantra ' pra vedhase kavaye ' ( Rg. V. 15. 1 = Tai. Br. I. 2. 1 ). He should say ' this is for Brahman; not mine.' Having put the cooked food separately into four dishes and pouring plenty of ghee over it, the sacrificer draws the plates over the ground towards the priests without letting them go and brings them near the four priests who are descendants of illustrious sageṣ The remaining portion of the brāhmaudana Is drawn out of the pots, the rest of the clarified butter is poured over it and three samidhs of a citriya²³ aśvattha that are wet ( not dry ), that are a span in length and have on them their leaves and fruits are dipped therein and turned about therein with a mantra and then they are put on the fire to the accompaniment of three gāyatrīs ( addressed to Agni ) for brāhmaṇas, three Triṣṭubhs for kṣatriyas and three Jagatīs for vaiśyas ( the verses are set out in Āp. V. 6. 3 ).

When the samidhs are offered into fire he ( sacrificer ) gives three heifers to the adhvaryu and a similar number to each of the brāhmaṇas who eat the brahmaudana. This brahmaudana along with the gifts of heifers and offering of samidhs may be performed daily for one year before the date of agnyādhāna. These samidhs must be offered by everyone intending to set up the three sacred fires 12 days, three days, two days or a day before the day of agnyādheya. He ( sacrificer ) has to keep certain observances viz. he does not partake of flesh, does not cohabit, others do not take away fire from his house; he subsists ( for three days ) only on milk or on boiled rice, he has to speak the truth and to avoid sleeping on a cot. If for some reason the sacrificer is unable to perform agnyādheya in a year (or 12 days &c.) from the time he offered brahmaudana he should again cook brahmaudana, offer the samidhs and then should perform agnyādhāna when he can do so.²⁴ On the night previous to the day of agnyādhāna the adhvaryu ( according to Bharadvāja, all the priests ) keeps certain observances viz. he does not eat flesh nor does he approach his wife.

On that night a goat having dark spots on its skin is tied towards the north of the place for the gārhapatya fire with a mantra ‘prajā' agne &c.'. The yajamāna observes a vow of silence on that night and people keep him awake that night by playing upon a lute and a flute ( but there is an option viz. he may not keep awake nor observe silence ). The sacrificer remains awake the whole of that night placing pieces of wood on the brāhmaudanika fire with the verse ‘śalkair-agnim &c. ( but if he does not keep awake he heaps on the fire logs of wood at one time and then goes to sleep).²⁵ At day-break the adhvaryu heats the two aranis against that fire with two verses ‘jātavedo bhuvanasya &c.’ and ‘ayam te yonir-ṛtviyah’ (both in Tai. Br. I. 2. 1). Then the brāhmaudanika fire is extinguished, the two aranis are invoked with the verse ‘agni rakṣāṁsi’ and the yajamāna keeps waiting for the aranis that are brought with the verse ‘mahi viṣpatnī.’ The adhvaryu hands over the aranis to the sacrificer with the verse ‘dohyā ca te’, who receives them with a verse and immediately invokes them with two verseṣ Both (adhvaryu and yajamāna) repeat in a low voice the formula ‘mayi gṛhṇāmyagre &c.’ The adhvaryu arranges the place for the gārhapatya with the verse ‘apeta vita’ and sprinkles it with water with ‘śam no devīr.’ He does the same for the places (āyatanas) of the dakṣiṇa fire (to the south-east) and of āhavanīya, sabhya and āvasathya fireṣ Even since ancient times there have been agnihotris who did not set up the sabhya and āvasathya fireṣ Half of the sand (that has already been brought among the sambhāras) is divided into two parts, one (i. e. ⅓ of the whole heap) being scattered over the place of the gārhapatya and the other (⅔) over the place of the dakṣiṇāgni. The other half of the sand heap is divided into three parts each of which is scattered in the places of the other three, āhavanīya, sabhya and āvasathya (but if no sabhya nor āvasathya is to be kept then the half is entirely scattered over the āhavanīya place). In the same way the other earthy materials are placed over the places of the fires with appropriate mantraṣ After he places the lime stones or pebbles on the various places he brings to his mind his enemy. Then he spreads the various materials on the fire places and after mixing together the materials of wood to the accompaniment of two mantras he scatters them just as he scattered the sand (after dividing them as stated above). He casts to the north over the materials a piece of gold on the place of the gārhapatya²⁶ ánd invokes it with a mantra and assigns at a distance a piece of silver for his enemy or throws it into water if he has no enemy. The same process ( of casting a golden piece ) is followed as to the places of the other fireṣ He removes the ashes of the brāhmaudanika fire (that has been extinguished as stated already) and in its place deposits the two araṇis from which he produces fire by drilling. When the first rays of the sun spread in the sky (i. e. before the sun's disc is seen, but the eastern horizon is lit up by rays) he places the upper araṇi on the lower one to the accompaniment of the `daśa-hotr`²⁷ formulae. While generation of fire by attrition is proceeding a white or red horse from whose eyes no water drops (i. e. who is not blear-eyed) and whose knee is dark (or any horse with full testicles) is kept present and a sāman of Śakti Saṅkṛti is sung; when smoke rises a sāman of Gāthina Kauśika is sung and also the verse 'araṇyor-nihito' (Rg. III. 29. 2).

He (the adhvaryu) invokes the fire with the mantra 'upā-varoha jātavedaḥ' (Tai. Br. II. 5. 8) the moment it is produceḍ Then the adhvaryu makes the sacrificer recite the catur-hotṛ (mantras)²⁸ and invokes the fire when kindled with the mantra 'ajannagniḥ'. When the fire is produced the yajamāna bestows on the adhvaryu the most desirable fee (i. e. a cow), which he accepts with a mantra. After the fire is produced, the yajamāna breathes over it with the formula 'prajāpatistvā' (Tai. S. IV. 2. 9. 1). The adhvaryu holds over the fire his folded hands turned downwards with a verse, makes it blaze forth by means of fuel-sticks with the words 'samrādasi' (Tai. S. IV. 3. 6. 2), holds it in his folded hands turned upwards, sits down on a seat and while the Rathantara and Yājñāyajñīya sāmans are being chanted, he establishes the gārhapatya fire on the sambhāras (the earthy and wooden materials scattered as above) by repeating certain mantras according as the sacrificer has a certain gotra²⁹ (or pravara) and the first vyāhṛti (i. e. bhūḥ) or the first two vyāhṛtis (bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ), the first two Sarparājñī formulæ and the first of the Gharmaśiras textṣ The formula for establishing the gārhapatya according to the gotra is stated in note 2249. When establishing the gārhapatya on the sambhāras the adhvaryu further repeats certain mantras (given in Āp. Śr. V. 12. 2) and then the yajamāna invokes the fires with the mantra 'sugārhapatyo' (Tai. Br. I. 2. 1) and the adhvaryu makes the yajamāna repeat the Gharmaśiras formulæ. The adhvaryu strews darbhas round the gā-hapatya (i. e. he does paristaraṇa).

The procedure for establishing the āhavanīya is to be so arranged that the fire is actually established when half of the sun's disc rises above the eastern horizoṇ The adhvaryu lights fuel-sticks on the gārhapatya for being carried forward and he takes in a vessel the sand on which fire would be supported to the accompaniment of four verseṣ Then while carrying the fire, he raises a little the kindled bundle of fuel-sticks and holds the fire on the sanḍ Then the adhvaryu makes the yaja-māna repeat in the right ear of the horse the Agnitnū formulæ (set out in Āp. Śr. V. 13. 7), holds the fire for some time and then lays it down in the place for the āhavanīya. The Agnīdhra priest then brings domestic fire by attrition, sits down with his knees raised up, and establishes the dakṣiṇāgni, while the Yajñāyajñīya sāman is being chanted and follows the procedure of repeating formulæ according to the gotra (as above) and repeats the 2nd vyāhṛti (bhūvaḥ), the three Sarparājñī formulæ and the 2nd Gharmaśiras (viz. the verse ‘vātaḥ ...... pacā’). After repeating several other formulæ (as in Āp. Śr. V. 13. 8) he sets down dakṣiṇa fire on the sambhāraṣ

The fire brought for establishing ³⁰ dakṣiṇa fire may be fetched from the house of a brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya, a vaiśya or a śūdra who is extremely prosperous like an asura (if the sacrificer desires prosperity), but he should thereafter never eat at that man's house; or (according to Bauḍ Śr. II. 17) it may be brought from the gārhapatya fire or according to Āśv. from the house of a vaiśya or of any rich man or it may be produced by attritioṇ

When the āhavanīya fire is being taken (in a vessel) from the gārhapatya the Vāmadevya is chanted and they proceed towards the east preceded by the horse, ³¹ repeating three mantraṣ To the south of the vihāra the brahmā priest makes a chariot or a chariot wheel move up till three revolutions of the wheel take place (six times for an enemy). A third part of the distance (between the gārhapatya and the place for āhavanīya) the fire is carried at the height of the knee, the 2nd third at the height of the navel, the last third at the height of the mouth. No one is to come between the sun and the fire. He takes the fire with both his hands stretched to the right. In the middle of the distance the yajamāna gives a gift to the priest. In the middle of the distance the adhvaryu puts down a piece of gold and then crosses over it with the mantra ‘nākosi.’ The adhvaryu makes the horse that faces the east go over the sambhāras to their north with its right hoof placed in such a way that the live coals of the fire when established would fall on the foot-print made by the horse and making the horse turn to its right he again makes the horse go over the sambhāras with a formula ‘yadakrandah’ (Rg. I. 163. 1). The horse is held facing the west to the east of the place for the āhavanīya. The horse must be young and according to Paingyāyani Brāhmaṇa a young bull may do (if a horse is not available). According to the Bahvṛca Brāhmaṇa the (āhavanīya) fire should be established on the footmark of an animal called Kamaṇḍalu or of a goat (accord- ing to Vājasaneyaka). Then the sacrificer mutters auspicious formulæ³² and sends to his enemy (a curse) with the formula ‘go to him, O fire, with thy terrible formṣ’ Having invoked the fire with the verse ‘Yad-idaṁ divaḥ’ (Tai. Br. I. 2. 1) he turning his face to the west and standing to the east establishes the āhavanīya fire. The āhavanīya is laid down upon the sambhāras when the Bṛhat Sāman, the Syaita, Vāravantīya and Yajñayajñīya are being chanted, and the pro- cedure of repeating consecrating mantras according to gotra is being followed, when all the vyāhṛtis, all the Sarpa-rājñī mantras, the third Gharma- śiras formula and certain other verses are reciteḍ³³ The sacrificer invokes the āhavanīya when it is being established with the formula 'anāśe &c.' (which occurs in Tai. Br. I. 1. 7) and he follows the priest (whether adhvaryu or āgnīdhra) in repeating the various vyāhṛtis, the Sarparājñī versės and the Gharmaśiras formulæ. The fire when established should be propitiated with clarified butter and plants (i. e. fuel-sticks) after repeating certain formulæ (set out in Āp. V. 16. 4). The sāmans are sung by the brahmā priest in Agnyādheya (and there is no udgātṛ priest ).³⁴

The sabhya and āvasathya fires are established with domestic fire or fire produced by attrition or with fire taken from the āhavanīya, according to the mode of establishment dependent on the gotra as stated above. He puts on each fire three samidhs of the aśvattha tree with three verses (Rg. IX. 66. 19, 21, 20) and three samidhs of śamī smeared with ghee after repeating certain mantras (Rg. IV. 58. 1-3). Or these samidhs may be offered in the āhavanīya (if sabhya and āvasathya are not kept up).

Then he offers a pūrṇāhuti,³⁵ the sacrificer gives gifts, mutters certain auspicious formulæ, waits in worship upon the five (or three) fireṣ Then if the yajamāna is a kṣatriya dice play takes place. The gifts given to all the four priests are cloth, a cow and bull, and a new chariot, while a goat, pūrṇa-pātra and a pillow of several coloured threads are given to the āgnīdhra, a horse to brahmā, a bull to adhvaryu, and a dhenu to the hotṛ. There are larger gifts specified according to the sacrificer's ability.

Kāt. (IV. 10. 16) ordains that after establishing the Vedic fires the yajamāna should observe complete celibacy for 12 nights, 6 nights or at least three nights, should sleep near the fires on the ground (and not on a cot), should offer homa of milk to the fireṣ Bauḍ II. 20 prescribes further observances for twelve dayṣ

Punarādheya: When within a year after a man sets up the Vedic fires he suffers from severe illness (such as dropsy) or suffers loss of wealth or his son dies or his near relatives are harassed or made captive by his enemies or he becomes cripple in a limb, or if he is desirous of prosperity or fame he again sets up the fireṣ The procedure is essentially the same as for agnyādheya with a few differences e. g. fires are fed with kuśa grass and not with wood nor with fuel-sticks, the two āyabhā- gas are for agni alone (while in the model sacrifice they are for Agni and Soma ), the punarādheya is performed in the rainy season and at mid-day. Other differences and details are passed over.³⁶ Jai. (VI. 4. 26-27) states that punarādheya is a prāyaścitta only if both the fires (gārhapatya and āhavanīya ) have been extinguished or discontinued and (in X. 3. 30-33 ) that when punarādheya is resorted to for some desired object, the fees that are prescribed in agnyādhāna are not the fees to be given, but other dakṣiṇā is giveṇ

Agnihotra

According to Gau. VIII. 20 there are seven forms of haviryajñas of which agnihotra is the seconḍ From the evening of the day of agnyādheya the house-holder has to perform agnihotra ³⁷ (burnt offering of cow's milk &c.) twice daily in the evening and morning to the end of his life or till he becomes a saṁnyāsin, or as the Śat. Br. (XII. 4. 1. 1) says 'Those who offer agnihotra indeed enter upon a long sacrificial session; agnihotra indeed is a sattra that ends with old age or death, since he becomes free from it only by old age or death.' Satyāṣāḍha prescribes (III. 1) that from the time of setting up the three śrauta fires, agnihotra and darśapūrṇa- māsa are obligatory on all members of the twice-born classes and he holds that the niṣāda and rathakāra also are bound to perform them, though other śūtrakāras are opposed to thiṣ Vide pp. 45-47 above. Jai. (VI. 3. 1-7 and 8-10 ) holds that agni- hotra being obligatory, it may be undertaken even by him who is not able to perform every detail of it in its entirety, but that a kāmya rite should be undertaken only by him who is able to carry out every detail. Vide also Jai. II. 4. 1-7 where ‘yāvaj- jīvam-agnihotram juhoti’ is explained as laying down a characteristic required of the performer. The several sūtras present differing details and mantraṣ³⁸ According to one view all the three fires are permanently maintained by the house-holder³⁹ (Kāt. IV. 13. 5); according to others only the gārhapatya is permanently kept (Āp. VI. 2. 13) and the dakṣiṇāgni is permanently kept only if it was set up by attrition at the time when the house-holder performed agnyādheya. The house-holder calls upon the adhvaryu to bring the āhavaniya from the gārhapatya in the evening and also in the morning; this is so only if the yajamāna engages an adhvaryu in the daily agnihotra, but if the yajamāna does the daily agnihotra himself this call is unnecessary. As to the dakṣiṇāgni in the daily agnihotra, Aśv. (II. 2. 1) mentions several alternatives viz., it may be brought from the house of a vaiśya or from the house of any rich man or it may be produced by attrition or it may be kindled into flames if it is kept permanently. He should take burning coals from the kindled gārhapatya in a vessel and carry them to the place of the āhavaniya with the mantra ‘devam tvā devebhyaḥ śriyā uddharāmi’ and should repeat when carrying the burning coals towards the east the mantra ‘raise me up from sin that I knowingly or unknowingly may have committed; save me from all the sin that I may have committed in the day’ (this in the evening agni-hotra, in the morning agnihotra it being said ‘sin that I committed at night’). Vide Aśv. II. 2. 3 and Āp. VI. 1. 7, Bauḍ III. 4. He should face the sun and place the burning coals in the āhavaniya mound with the mantra (amṛtāhutim &c., in Aśv. II. 2. 4, Āp. VI. 1. 8, Bauḍ III. 4). In the morning agnihotra also he should face the sun and do other things stated above. According to Kāt. (IV. 13. 2) the evening agni-hotra is to be commenced before the sun sets and the morning one before the sun riseṣ Aśv. says that the homa is performed after the sun setṣ There have been two views on this point from very ancient times viz. whether agnihotra is to be performed before sunrise or after sunrise. Vide Ait. Br. 24. 4-6 and Kauṣītaki Br. II. 9. Āp. (VI. 4. 7–9) mentions four views as to both evening or morning time for agnihotra viz. it should be the saṁdhi of day and night for both or it may be when the first star is seen or in the first watch of the night or in the 2nd ( for evening agnihotra ) and at dawn, or when a part of the disc of the sun just appears on the horizon or after the sun comes up. The householder performs agnihotra after finishing his saṁdhyā adoratioṇ There is a difference of opinion, some holding that the homa in the gṛhya fire should precede the agnihotra in the Vedic fires, while others hold that it should come after the Vedic agnihotra.⁴⁰ The house-holder after performing saṁdhyā follows either of two modes ( Kāt. IV. 13. 12 and IV 15. 2, Āp. VI. 5. 3, according to his śākhā ), goes towards the āhavanīya through the space between the places of the gārhapatya and dakṣiṇāgni or by a route to the south of these two fire places and having gone round the āhavanīya sits down to the south in his usual place ( or crosses from the western side of the āhavanīya and sits down to its south ) and the wife also sits in her place ( Kāt. IV. 13. 13, Āp. VI. 5. 1-2 ). The householder then sips water (‘performs ācamana’) with the words ‘vidyudasi vidya me pāpmānam-ṛtāt satyam-upaimi mayi śrāddha’ ( Āp. VI. 5. 3 ). The wife also sips water.⁴¹ Then both husband and wife should observe silence till the agnihotra (morning or evening) is gone through. A man who has no wife can perform the daily agnihotra (vide Ait. Br. 32. 8). The adhvaryu performs parisamūhana ( wiping with the wet hand from the north-east to the north ) thrice for the three fireṣ He strews round the āhavaniya fire darbha grass (performs paristarana) in such a way that the darbhas to the east and west have their ends turned to the north and of those to the north and south turned to the east and the strewing proceeds from the east, then to the south, then to the west and then to the north. In the same way he strews darbha grass round the gārhapatya and then round the dakṣināgni. Taking water in his right hand, he sprinkles it round the āhavaniya first, beginning from the northeast and ending in the north. Then he walks towards the west pouring a conti nuous stream of water from the āhavaniya up to the gārhapatya. He then sprinkles (performs paryukṣana) the gārhapatya from left to right and then the dakṣināgni. Or one may sprinkle water (and this is the usual order now in the Deccan) round the gārhapatya first and then round dakṣināgni and then pour a stream of water from the gārhapatya to the east up to the āhavaniya (Āśv. II. 2. 14). Āśv. (II. 2. 11-13) says that the mantra in paryukṣapą is 'ṛtasatyābhyām tvā paryukṣāmi' and each fire is sprinkled thrice, water being taken freshly at each time and the mantra being repeated each time and that sprinkling may first be done round the dakṣināgni, then round gārhapatya and then āhavaniya. Vide Kāṭ. IV. 13. 16-18, Āp. VI. 5. 4.

The homa is performed with cow's milk for him who performs agnihotra as a sacred duty and not for any particular reward in view, but one who desires to secure a village or plenty of food, or strength or brilliance may employ respective ly yavāgū (gruel), cooked rice, curds or clarified butter (Āśv. II. 3. 1-2). Then an order is issued to the person engaged to milk the agnihotra cow⁴² that stands to the sa cri ficial ground with her face to the east or north and that has a male calf. At the time of milking the calf is to the south of the cow, and first sucks milk and then the calf is removed and the milking is done. The person to milk the cow should not be a śūdra (Kāṭ. IV. 14. 1), but Āp. (VI. 3. 11-14) allows even a śūdra to milk the cow, while Bauḍ (III. 4) says that he must be a brāhmaṇa. Rules are laid down about the udders from which milk is to be drawn and about persons for whom it is to be drawn (Śāt. III. 7 based on Tai. Br. II. 1. 8). The milking is not to be begun by pressing the udders, but by making the calf suck them first (na stanān sammṛśati’ Āp. VI. 4. 2 based on Tai. Br. II. 1. 8). Milking is to be begun the moment the sun sets (Āp. VI. 4. 5). The vessel in which the milk is to be held is of earthenware manufactured by an ārya (i. e. one who belongs to the three regenerate classes), but without using a wheel and the vessel must have a wide mouth and straight sides and not slanting ones (Kāt. IV. 14. 1, Āp. VI. 3. 7). It is called agnihotrashthālī (Āp. VI. 3. 15). The adhvaryu takes from the gārhapatya fire some burning coals for boiling the milk and keeps them to the north of the gārhapatya in a separate spot. Then he goes near the cow, holds the vessel in which the cow has been milked, brings it towards the east of the āhavanīya, sits to the west of the gārhapatya and heats the vessel on the burning coals mentioned above. He takes a darbha blade (other than one of those that are strewn round the gārhapatya), kindles it and holding it over the milk illuminates the milk with its light. He then takes water in a sruva and sprinkles one drop or some drops into the boiling milk (Āśv. II. 3. 3 and 5). He should then again hold a burning blade (the same blade used before) over the hot milk and light it up. He does this thrice and then casts away the blade to the north.⁴³ There was a difference of view whether the milk to be offered should be brought to the boiling point or should only be simply hot (vide Śat. Br. II. 3. 1. 14-16 and coṃ on Kāt. IV. 14. 5). Then the pot of milk is slowly lifted with three mantras and drawn down to the north from the burning coals (Āśv. II. 3. 8, Tai. Br. II. 1. 3 ‘vartma karoti’). Then the burning coals on which the milk was boiled or heated are thrown back in the gārhapatya fire. Then a sruva and sruc both made of vikankaṭa wood are cleaned with the hand (to remove dust) and are heated on the gārhapatya (or āhavanīya according to Āp. VI. 7. 1). He then again heats the sruc and sruva on the gārhapatya, asks the yajamāna ‘shall I take out milk from the pot⁴⁴ with the sruva)’ and the yājamāna replies standing 'Yes, do take out'. Then the adhvaryu holds in his right hand the sruva ladle and in his left hand the agnihotra-havani with its mouth turned upwards, pours out into the agnihotra-havani milk from the milk pot (already heated) with the sruva four times ⁴⁵ and keeps the sruva in the milk pot. In Ap. VI. 7. 7-8 and Āśv. II. 3. 13-14 it is said that the adhvaryu knowing the mind of the householder should draw the fullest ladle for the most favourite son of the sacrificer or if the latter desires that the eldest son should be most prosperous and the later ones less and less, then the first ladle is filled to the fullest; on the other hand if he wishes the youngest to be prosperous then the last ladle drawing is the fullest. Then the adhvaryu carrying a samidh of palāśa wood a span in length over the rod of the sruc (inserting his finger between the two), holds the two together over the gārha- patya very near its flames, carries the sruc towards the āhavaniya holding it as high as his nose; when in the midst of the distance between the gārhapatya and the āhavaniya, he brings the sruc down (to the level of his navel) and then again raising it up as high as his mouth, he reaches the āhava- nīya and places the sruc and samidh on darbha blades (on the kūrca, says Bauḍ III. 5) to the west of the āhavaniya. He himself sits to the northwest of the āhavanīya facing the east, bends his knees, holds the sruc in his left hand and with the right hand offers the samidh ⁴⁶ in the midst of the āhavaniya fire with the mantra 'rajatām tvāgnijyotiṣam' (according to Āśv. II. 3. 15). Then he sips water with the mantra 'vidyud-asi vidya me pāpmānam-ṛtāt-satyam-upaimi' (Āp. VI. 9. 3, Āśv. II. 7. 16). When the samidh has caught fire and is burning brightly, he offers the first oblation (of milk) on the samidh about two finger-breadths from its root with the mantra 'om bhūr-bhuvaḥ-svarom, agnirjyotir jyotiragniḥ svāhā' (Vāj. S. III. 9). According to Kāṭ. he may optionally repeat the mantra 'sajūr devena' (Vāj. S. III. 10). According to Āp. (VI. 10. 8)⁴⁷ in the evening agnihotra the mantra is 'agnirjyotir' &c; while in the morning agnihotra it is 'sūryo jyotir-jyotiḥ sūryaḥ svāhā' (Vāj. S. III. 9). Then he places the sruc on the kuśa blades and looks at the gārhapatya with the thought 'bestow on me cattle'. Then he again takes up the sruc, makes a second offering (of milk) which is larger in measure than the first one, but this is offered silently, while he contemplates upon Prajāpati in his mind⁴⁸. This second offering is made to the east or north of the first in such a way that the two will not come in contact. He keeps more milk in the sruc than what is taken up in making the second offering. He then raises the sruc twice (thrice according to Āp. VI. 11. 3) in such a way that the flames of the fire turn north-wards and places the sruc on the kūrca. He scours with his hand turned down-wards the spout of the ladle and then rubs his hand to which some drops of the milk stick on the north side of the kūrca (the points of the kuśas that are towards the north) with the words 'salutation to the gods' (Kāt. IV. 14. 20) or 'to you for scouring cattle'. Āp. (VI. 10. 10) says that he scours in the evening the sruc (in order to remove what sticks to it) from the end of the handle down to the bowl with the man- tra 'ise tvā' (Tai. S. I. 1. 1. 1.) and in the morning from the bowl to the end of the ladle with the mantra 'ūrje tvā' (Tai. S. I. 1. 1. 1). Then while the palm is turned upwards, and while he wears his sacred thread in the prācīnāvīta mode he places his fingers to the south of the roots of the kuśa blades on the ground silently or with the mantra 'svadhā pitṛbhyaḥ' (Kāt. IV. 14. 21 and Āśv. II. 3. 21) or 'svadhā pitṛbhyaḥ pitṛn jinvā (Āp. VI. 11. 4). Then he sips water (but with the sacred thread in the upavīta form) with his face turned to the east. Then he walks to the place of the gārhapatya, takes a fuel-stick (samidh) in his hand while standing. He then sits down to the northwest of the gārhapatya with his face turned towards the east, bends his knee, offers the samidh in the gārhapatya fire, then drawing out in the sruva milk from the pot offers it into the fire with a mantra (tā asya sūdadohasaḥ ' Ṛg. VIII. 69. 3, according to Āśv. II. 3. 26, or 'iha puṣṭim puṣṭipatir......puṣṭipataye svāhā', according to Kāt. IV. 14. 23). He offers a second oblation of milk by the sruva silently according to Kāt. (IV. 14. 24 ) or with the words 'bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ suprajāḥ prajābhiḥ syām suvīro vīraih supoṣaḥ poṣaih' and with at least any three verses addressed to Agni and with the verses 'agna āyūṁṣi pavase ' Ṛg. IX. 66. 19-21 (according to Āśv. II. 3. 27-29). Then he offers one oblation of milk with the sruva ladle into the dakṣiṇāgni with the words 'annādāyānna-pataye svāhā' and a second one silently. He then touches water, turns northwards and with one of his fingers (with the ring finger 'anāmikā' according to Kāt. IV. 14. 26) he takes out what remains in the sruc and licks it noiselessly without allowing it to come in contact with his teeth. He then sips water and licks it a second time and then sips water. He then takes into another vessel or on his own palm all remnants (of milk &c.) in the sruc and licks the contents of the vessel or his palm once with his tongue. According to Āp. (VI. 11. 5 and VI. 12. 2) and Bauḍ III. 6 he holds the sruc in such a way that its rod is turned east or north, and licks ⁴⁹ the sruc itself twice, fills it with water, pours down to the west the water (from the ladle) with the mantra 'propitiate those who partake of leavings', sips water, and wipes the agnihotrahavaṇī with darbha bladeṣ Then he washes his hand, performs ācamana twice, goes near the āhavanīya, sits down, fills the sruc with water and spills the water from the ladle to the north of the āhavanīya with the words 'devān jinva'; he repeats the same process again and wearing the sacred thread in the prācīnāvīta form and turning to the south he pours water to the south of the āhavanīya for the pitṛs with the words 'pitṛn jinva'. He then repeats the same process as for gods and sprinkles water upwards in the north-east a third time with the words 'sapta-ṛṣin jinva'. He fills the sruc a fourth time, removes the darbhas from the place (kūrca-sthāna) where they were placed to the west of the āhavanīya, pours down water on that place thrice, so as to end the stream in the east or north. He then heats the śruc and sruva on the āhavanīya fire together and keeps them on the antarvedi or hands them over to an attendant. He then offers three samidhs to each of the three fires in the order in which he performed paryukṣaṇa ( i. e. in the order āhavaniya, gārhapatya, dakṣiṇāgni, or gārhapatya, dakṣiṇāgni, āhavaniya ). After this the house-holder engages in waiting upon agni with vātsapra prayers or in a brief worship by repeating only ‘bhūrbhuvah svah &c.' ( Vāj. III. 37 ); then he pays silent homage to the āhavaniya and sits near it for a moment; then he sleeps or sits near the gārhapatya; then he performs paryukṣaṇa for all the fires, then the householder breaks silence and performs ācamanā and then when he goes out he contemplates in mind the dakṣiṇāgni. The wife also performs ācamanā ( at the end ) silently.

According to Kāt. (IV. 12. 1-2) the upasthāna ( worship or homage ) of the fires in the evening after oblations are offered in agnihotra with the Vātsapra mantras ( Vāj. S. III. 11. 36 and Śat. Br. II. 3. 4. 9-41 ) is optional and the householder may simply repeat one verse ( Vāj. S. III. 37 and Śāt. Br. II. 4. 1. 1-2 ). Āp. (VI. 16. 4 and 6) prescribes as upasthāna the six verses ‘upaprayanto ' ( Tai. S, I. 5. 5 ) and several others, which are passed over for want of space. There were several views about upasthāna, some holding that upasthāna was to be performed only in the evening and not in the morning, others holding that it was to be performed at both times but only with the Vātsapra mantras ( Rg. X. 45 ) or with the Gosūkta ( Rg. VI. 28 ) or Āśvasūkta ( Rg. I. 163 ). Vide Āp. VI. 19. 4-9 to VI. 23.

Āp. (VI. 15. 10-13) has certain interesting rules about agnihotra in the case of kṣatriyaṣ At first he says a kṣatriya should permanently maintain the āhavaniya fire, but he does not perform the daily agnihotra. He should however send food from his house to a brāhmaṇa at the time when the agnihotra homa is ordinarily performed, whereby he secures the performance of agnihotra, but the adhvaryu should make the rājanya recite the mantras of the worship of fire ( agnyupasthāna noted above ). A rājanya however who has performed somayāga and always speaks the truth may perform agnihotra daily. Āśv. (II. 1. 3-5) says that a kṣatriya ( and a vaiśya ) may perform agnihotra on the New Moon and Full Moon days, that on other days he should send cooked food to a brāhmaṇa who is devoted to his duties and that a kṣatriya or vaiśya who always abides by truth (in thought and word ) and has offered a soma sacri- fice may engage in daily agnihotra. It is probable that these rules were made to allow more time to kṣatriyas and vaiśyas for their chief occupationṣ According to Āp. VI. 15. 14-16, Āśv. II. 4. 2-4 and others the householder should every day personally perform the agnihotra, but if he cannot do that, he must do it personally at least on parva days and on other days a priest, a pupil or a son may perform his agnihotra for hiṃ

The procedure in the morning agnihotra is the same as the evening agnihotra except in a few details e. g. the paryukṣaṇa mantra in the morning is different in Āśv. II. 4. 25 'satyartā- bhyām tvā paryukṣāmi', while in the evening it is 'ṛtasatyā- bhyām tvā &c.' (Āśv. II. 2. 11), the samidh is offered into fire in the morning with the mantra 'hariṇīm tvā sūryajyotiṣam- aharişțakām-upadadhe svāhā' (while in the evening the mantra is 'rajatām tvāgnijyotiṣam rātrim-iṣțakām-upadadhe svāhā' Āśv. II. 4. 25 and II. 3. 15); the mantra in offering an oblation of milk in the fire in the morning is 'bhūrbhuvaḥ- svarom, sūryo jyotir jyotih sūryaḥ svāhā', while in the evening the word 'agnih' is substituted for 'sūryaḥ' (Āśv. II. 4. 25 and II. 3. 16). Vide Kāt. IV. 15 for further detailṣ

The sūtras set out rules about what the householder is to do when he leaves his homa for one night or for a longer perioḍ Vide Śāt. Br. II. 4. 1. 3-14, Āśv. II. 5, Āp. VI. 24-27, Kāt. IV. 12. 13-24. According to Āśv. the important rules are: he kindles the fires into flames, sips water (ācamana) and performs the worship of the āhavanīya, gārhapatya and dakṣiṇāgni by going near them and repeating respectively the three mantras 'śamsya paśūn me pāhi', 'narya prajām me pāhi' and 'atharva pitum me pāhi' (all three in Vāj. S. III. 37). Then while stand- ing near the dakṣiṇāgni he should look at the other two with the mantra 'imām me mitrāvaruṇau gṛhān gopāyatam ...... punar- ayanāt' (Kāṭhaka S. VII. 3, Mai. S. I. 5. 14, with variations ). He then traces the same way back and comes to the āhavanīya and offers worship to it with the mantra 'mama nāma' (Tai. S. I. 5. 10. 1, quoted in note 553 above). He should then start on his journey without looking back at his fires and should mutter the hymn 'mā praṇama.' When he reaches a place from which the roof of his fire-house is not visible he may break silence. On reaching the road leading from his house to his destination he should recite 'sadā sugah' (Rg. III. 54. 21). When he returns from his journey to his village, he should repeat 'api panthām' (Rg. VI. 51, 16). He should then observe silence, take fuel-sticks in his hand and on learning that his fires have been kindled into flames (by his son or pupil) he should look at the āhavaniya with two verses (set out in Āśv. II. 5, 9). Then placing the samidhs he does homage to the āhavaniya with the verse 'mama nāma tava ca' (Tai. S. I. 5. 10. 1) and then he places samidhs on the āhavaniya, gārhapatya and dakṣiṇāgni with one mantra each (which are Vāj. S. III. 28-30).

These rules apply when the house-holder alone goes on a journey leaving the wife at home. When the house-holder is away alone it is his duty to perform all actions at the time of agnihotra and darśapūrṇamāsa (such as sipping water) which he can perform without his fires and to go mentally ⁵⁰ through the whole procedure and to observe all vratas (such as subsisting on roots and fruits when required). Vide Āp. IV. 16. 18, Kāṭ. IV. 12. 16 and coṃ thereoṇ When he goes on a journey alone he should entrust his fires to his wife and should appoint a priest to perform the necessary rites (vide note 1634 above). When the house-holder starts on a journey accompanied by his wife he should take his fires with hiṃ If both husband and wife go on a journey without taking their fires with them, then a priest cannot offer the agnihotra homa in their absence and on return the house-holder has to again set up the fires (has to perform punarādhāna ).⁵¹