Manava Dharmashastra 2.143

2.143

āhavanīyādīnāmagnīnāmutpādakakarmānyādheyamucyate, ‘vasante brāhmaṇo'gnīnādadhīta’ iti vihitam | pākayajñā darśapūrṇamāsādayaḥ | agniṣṭomādayo makhāḥ somayāgaḥ | makhaśabdaḥ kratuparyāyaḥ | etāni karmāṇi yasya yaḥ karoti sa tasyartvigityucyate | yasya tasyetiśabdau sambandhitāṃ darśayataḥ | yasyaivaitāni karmāṇi karoti tasyaivāsāvṛtvigucyate nānyasya | sarva eta ācāryādayaḥ sambandhiśabdāḥ | vṛtaḥ prārthitaḥ śāstrīyeṇa vidhinā kṛtavaraṇaḥ | mānyatāprasaṅgādṛtviksaṃjñopadeśo'tra na hi brahmacāridharmeṣu ṛtvijāmavasaraḥ | ācāryādivatpūjya ityasminnavadhau tallakṣaṇamucyate |

He who, being duly appointed, performs, for one the Fire-laying rite, the Cooked Sacrifices and the Agniṣṭoma and other sacrifices,—is called his “officiating priest.”—(143)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The rite that brings about the existence of the Āhavanīya and other (sacrificial fires) is called the ‘Fire-laving Rite,’ prescribed in such sentences as ‘the Brāhmaṇa should lay fire during the spring.’

‘Cooked sacrifices’—the Darśa-Pūrṇamāsa and the rest.

‘The Agniṣṭoma and other sacrifices,’—i.e., the Soma-sacrifices. The term ‘makha’ is synonymous with ‘kratu,’ ‘sacrifice.’

He who perfoms these acts for one is called his ‘priest.’ ‘For him’ and ‘his’ denote relation; the meaning being that ‘the performer is the officiating priest of only that man for whom he performs the acts, and not of any other person.’

All these terms, ‘Preceptor’ and the rest, are words denoting relation.

‘Being appointed’—being requested; i.e., whose appointment has been made in accordance with the rules laid down in the scriptures.

The ‘Priest’ has been described here, in connection with the mention of persons entitled to respect; and priests have nothing to do with the duties of the religious student. This description is supplied here only for the purpose of indicating that the Priest also is entitled, like the Preceptor and the rest, to respect.—(143)