History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c19.85

v2.c19.85

With reference to an iṣṭi offered to Rudra a Vedic text says 'one should make a niṣādasthapati perform this iṣṭi.' The Pūrvamīmāñsā sūtra¹¹⁴ (VI. 1. 51-52) discusses the question whether this authorises a niṣāda who is himself a chieftain or a chieftain (who is a member of the three higher varṇas) of niṣādas. The established conclusion is that the iṣṭi is to be performed by a niṣāda who is a chieftain though he be beyond the pale of the three varṇas, as the Karmadhāraya compound is the proper way of dissolving the compound and not the genitive Tatpuruṣa. The Ait. Br. (37. 7) says¹¹⁵ 'just as the niṣādas, or selagas (thieves) or evil-doers seize a wealthy man in a forest and throwing him in a well run away with his wealth.' The Śāṅkhāyana Br. (25. 15) allows one who had performed the Viśvajit sacrifice (in which everything is given away) to stay in a settlement of niṣādas whose food is the lowest that he is allowed to take. The Kātyāyanaśrauta-sūtra (I. 1. 12-14) says¹¹⁶ that 'the chieftain who is a niṣāda can offer a *caru* of Gavedhukā corn to Rudra, but this offering is to be made in ordinary fire (and not in the fires consecrated with Vedic mantras) i. e. the permission to offer Raudra iṣṭi does not entitle him to perform Vedic consecration of fire (ādhāna). But according to Satyāṣāḍha¹¹⁷-kalpa III. 1 both the niṣāda and the rathakāra are entitled to perform Agnihotra and Darśa-pūrṇamāsa.