History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c24.s1.134

v2.c24.s1.134

We have seen above that the student has to offer *samidh* (fuel stick) into the fire on the day of upanayana. The fire kindled at the time of upanayana was to be kept up for three days and the fuel-sticks were offered in that fire during those days. Afterwards *samidh* was to be offered in the ordinary fire (vide Baud. gṛ. II. 5. 55-57, Āp. gṛ. 11. 22). The student is required to offer every day after upanayana a samidh into fire in the evening and in the morning. Āśv. gṛ. I. 22. 6 prescribes this and the commentator Nārāyaṇa adds that in so doing he has to observe the procedure prescribed in Āśv. gṛ. I. 20. 10–I. 21. 4 for the putting on of samidh on the first day. Śāṅ. gṛ. II. 10, Manu II. 186, Yāj. I. 25 and almost all others prescribe the offering of samidh into fire in the evening as well as in the morning; but Āp. Dh. S. I. 1. 4. 17 notes that according to some ‘agnipūjā’ was to be performed in the evening only. Āp. Dh. S. (1. 1. 4. 14–20) lays down the following rules: ‘the student⁷²⁶ should always bring fuel from the forest and heap it on a low place (otherwise if placed high it may fall on anybody’s head), one should not go out after sunset for bringing fuel-sticks. Having kindled fire, having swept round it he should offer fuel-sticks in the evening and the morning as already directed (in the gṛhyasūtra). One should sweep round the fire that is burning red-hot with the hand and not with a broom (of kuśa grass).’ The Āp. Dh. S. I. 5. 15. 12 further prescribes that no fuel is to be placed on fire (in śrauta and smārta rites) unless water has been sprinkled over it. The student had not only to offer samidhs on his own account into the fire, but he had to help his ācārya in the latter’s worship of fire by bringing fuel and by offering oblations for his ācārya when the latter was away on a journey or was ill. The Āśv. gṛ. I. 9. 1 says⁷²⁷ ‘beginning from marriage a householder should worship gṛhya fire himself or his wife or son or maiden daughter or pupil may do so.’ The Chāndogya Up. IV. 10 contains the story of Upakosala Kāmalāyana who was a student of Satyakāma Jābāla and looked after his teacher’s fires for twelve years and whom Satyakāma did not teach anything, though the wife of Satyakāma interceded on behalf of the dejected pupil.