History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c37.2

v3.c37.2

*Devayajña* :—As stated in the Tai. Ār. quoted above ( p. 696 ) the Devayajña was performed by offering fuel sticks into fire. According to the Āp. Dh. S. I. 4. 13. 1, Baud.¹⁶⁸⁵ Dh. S. II. 6. 4 and Gaut. V. 8–9, the Devayajña consisted in offering into fire offerings ( of food or at least a fuel stick ) with ‘svāhā’ uttered after the name of the deities in the dative case. Manu also ( III. 70 ) looks upon homa as devayajña. The devatās to whom homa or devayajña was offered are different according to different gṛhya or dharma sūtras. For example, Āśv. gṛ. ( I. 2. 2 ) says that ‘ they are the deities of the Agnihotra ( i. e. Sūrya or Agni, and Prajāpati ), Soma Vanaspati, Agni and Soma, Indra and Agni, Heaven and earth, Dhanvantari, Indra, the Viśve Devas, Brahman’. According to Gaut. they are Agni, Dhanvantari, Viśve Devas, Prajāpati, Agni Sviṣṭakṛt. Vide Mānava-gṛhya II. 12. 2 where the deities are different from those in Āśv. gṛ. and Gaut. In later smṛtis a distinction is made between homa ( or devayajña ) and devapūjā. Yāj. in I. 100 speaks of the worship of gods immediately after tarpaṇa and then in I. 102 includes *homa* among the five yajñas. Manu II. 176 also makes this distinction. Medieval writers came to look upon Vaiśvadeva as the devayajña, while others held that homa to gods was different from Vaiśvadeva. *Vide* Haradatta¹⁶⁸⁶ on Āp. Dh. S. I. 4. 13. 1. According to Marīci and Hārīta quoted in the Smṛtimuktāphala ( āhnika p. 383 ) *devapūjā* is performed after the morning homa or after brahmayajña and tarpaṇa¹⁶⁸⁷ in the noon. In medieval and modern times the ancient idea of homa receded far into the back-ground and its place was taken by an elaborated procedure of *devapūjā* (worship of images kept in the house). Some space must be devoted to the origin and development of this phase of religious practice.