India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c11.s2.6

c11.s2.6

NAMES OF YAJÑAS—(*Yajñākhyā*, V.1.95). *Yajña* is derived from *yaj*, 'to worship' (III.3.90). *Ijyā* is another term used by Pāṇini (III.3.98). Amongst the four Vedas the *Yajurveda* deals with sacrifices which are of three kinds, Ishṭi, Paśubandha and Soma.¹ Pāṇini makes a general reference to all the *Kratus* or *Soma* sacrifices mentioned in the *Adhvaryuveda* which was but another name of *Yajurveda* (*Adhvaryukratur-anapuṁsakam*, II.4.4). A distinction is made between *Kratus* and *Yajñas*, as both are mentioned separately in *sūtra* IV.3.68. *Yajña* was a general term which included the *Ishṭis* like Darśa and Paurṇamāsā, *Yajñas* as Pākayajña, Navayajña, and such variations as Pañchaudana, Saptaudana, etc., as well as such well known *Kratus* as Agnishṭoma, Rājasūya, and Vājapeya. But *Kratu* was used specially for the Soma sacrifices (II.4.4, Kāśikā, *kratuśabdaḥ soma-yajñeshu rūḍhaḥ*). The Soma juice forms the oblation in the *Kratus*. The *Kratus* are further subdivided into those called *Ahīna*² which are Soma *yāgas* lasting from one to eleven days, and *Sattra* which continued from twelve days to a hundred or a thousand years, the Dvādaśāha being regarded as both an *ahīna* and a *sattra*. There are *Kratus* governed by fixed time durations as *ekāha*, *daśāha*, etc. (subject to *kālādhi-kāra*, V.1.95). Agnishṭoma, Vājapeya, Rājasūya were *kratus*, but not *sattras*.³ Names of the sessions of Soma sacrifices continuing for prescribed periods, were compounded with the names of Yajamānas, e.g. *Garga-trirātra*, i.e. a Soma session of the Garga family lasting for three days; similarly *Charaka-* *trirātra*, *Kusurabindu-saptarātra*, etc. (*Dvigau kratau*, VI.2.97).