Manava Dharmashastra 3.76

3.76

saha dyāvāpṛthivyoḥ dyāvāpṛthivībhyāṃ svāheti | tathā sviṣṭakṛte'ntataḥ | sviṣṭakṛditi guṇapadam | agniśca guṇībhūtaḥ svataḥ | smṛtyantare'gnaye sviṣṭakṛta iti vacanāt, śrutau sarvahomeṣveva cāmnānāt | 'ntata iti pāṭhātsiddhe vacanaṃ—smṛtyantare'dhikānāmāhutīnāmnānātsati samuccaye prāk sviṣṭakṛta āvāpaḥ kartavya iti—darśayitum | “nanu caikatvādvomasya devatāvikalpo yuktaḥ” | kutaḥ punarekatvaṃ homasya | iyameva homānāmutpattiḥ “agneḥ somasya ca’’ ityādi | tatra cotpattāveva devatāviśeṣeṇāvaruddhatvādbhinā eva homāḥ pratīyante |

To Kuhū, to Anumati, and to Prajāpati; then to Dyauḥ—Pṛthivī jointly, and finally to Sviṣṭakṛt,’—(86)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘To Dyauḥ-Pṛthivī jointly’—with the formula ‘dyāvā-pṛthivībhyām svāhā.’

‘Finally to Sviṣṭakṛt’—‘Sviṣṭakṛt’ (accomplisher of what is extremely desirable) is an adjective, the deity qualified by it being Agni. That this is so is indicated by the assertion in another Smṛti to the effect that ‘this offering is to be made to Agni-Sviṣṭakṛt.’ This offering to Agni-Sviṣṭakṛt has been prescribed in the Veda as to be made in the case of all Homas.

‘Finally’— though this is already implied by the order in which the names have been mentioned, yet it has been reiterated (by means of the term ‘finally’) for the purpose of indicating that when, according to another Smṛti, a large number of oblations are offered conjointly under this head, that to ‘Agni-Sviṣṭakṛt’ should come first.

“All these oblations forming a single act of Homa, the several deities mentioned should be treated as optional alternatives.”

But whence does- it follow that there is a single Homa? Verse 85, which speaks of oblations ‘to Agni and to Soma, etc.,’ is the originative Injunction of the Homas; and hence the Homa -offerings being severally qualified by the mention of several special deities, the Homas are clearly recognised as distinct.—(86)