History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c34.169.2

v2.c34.169.2

5) directs that when the bridegroom starts after marriage from the bride's house for his own house (whether in the same village or in another village) the nuptial fire is continually carried in a vessel (called *ukhā*) in front till he reaches his house.¹⁶¹⁶ Vide also Āp. gṛ. V. 14-15. The Āśv. gṛ. I. 9. 1-3 says 'beginning from the holding of the hand (i. e. marriage) he should worship the domestic fire himself or his wife, also his son or his daughter or pupil.¹⁶¹⁷ The worship of fire should be constantly kept up'. A man's nuptial fire may go out and he may not re-instate it through neglect or other cause or his wife may be dead and he may remain a widower. In such cases he has to offer his daily offerings in the ordinary fire on which he cooks his food (*laukika* or *pacana* fire); so that so far five kinds of fires (viz. the three *śrauta* ones, *aupāsana* or *gṛhya* and the *laukika*) are spoken of. There is another fire called 'sabhya' (which is the sixth). According ¹⁶¹⁸ to Medhātithi on Manu III. 185 the sabhya fire is that which is kept burning in the hall of a rich man for the removal of cold and for the diffusion of warmth. Vide Śat. Br. (S. B. E. vol. 12, p. 302 *n* 1), where the translator says that the sabhya fire was kept only by kṣatriyas. The Kātyāyana Śrauta sūtra IV. 9. 20 prescribes that the sabhya fire also is generated by friction like the Gārhapatya fire. Āp. Śr. sūtra IV. 4.