History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c34.181

v2.c34.181

The oblations are to be made in the morning and evening of cooked food, but only such corn as is fit to be offered to fire as *havis* is to be used (Āśv. gṛ. I. 2. 1). It is either boiled rice or barley (Āp. gṛ. VII. 19).¹⁶²³ Gobhila-smṛti (I. 131 and III. 114) says¹⁶²⁴ that among *haviṣyas* the foremost are yavas (barley), then comes rice, but one should eschew māṣa, kodrava and gaura among corns even if nothing else is available, that if rice and barley are not available one may employ curds or milk or in their absence, *yavāgū* (gruel) or water. According to a verse quoted by Nārāyaṇa on Āśv. gṛ. I. 9. 6 ten materials can be offered as *havis* into fire viz. milk, curds, *yavāgū*, clarified butter, boiled rice, husked rice, *soma*, flesh, sesame oil and water.¹⁶²⁵ Manu III. 257 specifies some articles as naturally fit for being employed as *havis*. *Vide* also Āp. Dh. S. II. 6. 15. 12-14. Though flesh is allowed as offering in some sacrifices it cannot be employed in the morning and evening homa (*vide* Āśv. gṛ. I. 9. 6). The general rule is that when no particular material is specified for homa into fire, clarified butter is to be used as offering, and when no particular deity is mentioned, then the deity is to be Prajāpati¹⁶²⁶. There is another rule that fluid materials are to be offered into fire with the sruva ladle, while solid *havis* is to be offered with the right hand¹⁶²⁷.