History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c38.4

v3.c38.4

Some medieval works like the Smṛtyarthasāra and the Par. M. (I. part 1, p. 389) state that vaiśvadeva really comprises the three daily sacrifices viz. devayajña, bhūtayajña and pitṛyajña. The rite is so called because in it sacrifice is offered to all the gods or because food is cooked therein for all the gods.¹⁷⁶³ But in the ancient gṛhyasūtras the three yajñas are kept distinct. In the Āśv. gṛ. III. 1 the five daily sacrifices are enumerated, but only one, the brahmayajña, is thereafter described in detail and we have to understand that Vaiśvadeva has already been dealt with under homa in Āśv. gṛ I. 2. 1-2 and that I. 2. 3-10 is concerned with bhūtayajña or baliharaṇa, out of which the 7th sūtra contemplates an offering to Viśve-devas and sūtra 10 an offering of cooked food to pitṛs. The Śāṅ. gṛ. II. 14 speaks of Vaiśvadeva, while Gobhila gṛ. I. 4. 1-15, Khādira gṛ. I. 5. 22-35 speak of baliharaṇa only. Pāṇini VI. 2. 39 teaches the accent of 'kṣullaka-vaiśvadeva' (as a compound). Vaik.¹⁷⁶⁴ VI. 17 expressly says that devayajña is the homa to the gods offered with cooked food meant for all the gods. According to Gautama (V. 9) the deities of vaiśvadeva are Agni, Dhanvantari, Viśve-devas, Prajāpati and Sviṣṭakṛt (Agni). According¹⁷⁶⁵ to Manu (III. 84-86) the deities are Agni, Soma, Agniṣoma, the Viśve-devas, Dhanvantari, Kuhū, Anumati, Prajāpati, Dyāvāpṛthivī, (Agni) Sviṣṭakṛt. The Śāṅ. gṛ. II. 14. 4 gives the names of ten deities that are slightly different from the list of Manu. According to Pār. gṛ. II. 9 the deities are Brahmā, Prajāpati, Gṛhyā, Kaśyapa and Anumati; while the Viṣṇu Dh. S. 67. 1-3 (quoted in the Gṛ. R. p. 278) states that Vaiśvadeva is to be offered to Vāsudeva, Saṃkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Puruṣa, Satya, Acyuta, Agni, Soma, Mitra, Varuṇa, Indra, Indrāgni, Viśve-devas, Prajāpati, Anumati, Dhanvantari, Vāstoṣpati, (Agni) Sviṣṭakṛt. Vide Bhār. gṛ. III. 12, Mānava gṛ. II. 12. 1-2, Kāṭhaka gṛ. 54, Vaik. III. 7 for other lists of deities in Vaiśvadeva. It is on account of this divergence that digests like the Madanapārijāta (p. 317) say that Vaiśvadeva is of two kinds, viz. what is common to all smṛtis like that of Manu and secondly what is stated in one's own gṛhyasūtra. The Sm. C. (I. p. 212)¹⁷⁶⁶ says the same.