History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c47.17

v3.c47.17

We find that even in the remotest ages when the hymns of the Ṛgveda Saṁhitā were composed and compiled, the main features of the sacrificial system had been evolved. That there were three fires appears clear from Ṛg. II. 36. 4 (where Agni is asked to sit down in three places), I. 15. 4, V. 11. 2 ('men kindle Agni in three places'). The Gārhapatya fire is expressly named in Ṛg. I. 15. 12. The three *savanas* (i. e. pressings of Soma in the morning, mid-day and evening) are mentioned in Ṛg. III. 28. 1 (prātaḥ-sāva), III. 28. 4 (mādhyandina savana), III. 28. 5 (tṛtīya savana), III. 52. 5-6 and in IV. 12. 1 (where it is said that the sacrifice gives food to Agni three times on all days), IV. 33. 11. It may be affirmed that the sixteen priests²²²⁸ required in Soma sacrifices were probably well-known to the composers of the Ṛgveda hymns; Ṛg. I. 162. 5 mentions hotṛ, adhvaryu, agnimindha (agnīt or āgnīdhra), grāvagrābha (grāvastut), śaṁstā (praśāstṛ or maitrāvaruṇa), suvipra (brahmā?); Ṛg. II. 1. 2 refers to hotṛ., potṛ., neṣṭṛ, agnīt, praśāstṛ (maitrāvaruṇa), adhvaryu, brahmā; Ṛg. II. 36 speaks of hotṛ, potṛ (v. 2), āgnīdhra (v. 4), brāhmaṇa (brāhmaṇācchaṁsin) and praśāstṛ (v. 6). In Ṛg. II. 43. 2 we have *udgātā*. In Ṛg. III. 10. 4, IX. 10. 7, X. 35. 10, X. 61. 1 seven hotṛs are referred to and in Ṛg. II. 5. 2 the potṛ priest is spoken of as the 8th. The word 'purohita' occurs very frequently (Ṛg. I. 1. 1, I. 44. 10 and 12, III. 2. 8, IX. 66. 20, X. 98. 7). The Ṛgveda names Atirātra (VII. 103. 7), Trikadruka (II. 22. 1, VIII. 13. 18, VIII. 92. 21, X. 14. 16). The yūpa (the post to which the sacrificial animal was tied) and its top called caṣāla are mentioned in Ṛg. I. 162. 6. Ṛg. III. 8 is full of the praise of the yūpa. The person who killed the animal sacrificed (the śamitṛ) is mentioned in Ṛg. 162. 10 and V. 43. 4. The Gharina (the pot of boiled milk required in the Pravargya rite or perhaps the Dadhigharma in the mādhyandina savana) is mentioned in Ṛg. III. 53. 14, V. 30. 15, V. 43. 7. It was believed that the animal offered in a sacrifice went to heaven.²²²⁹ Fire for sacrifice was produced by attrition from two araṇis (vide Ṛg. III. 29. 1-3, V. 9. 3, VI. 48. 5). The darvī (Ṛg. V. 6. 9), sruc (Ṛg. IV. 12. 1, VI. 11. 5), juhū (Ṛg. X. 21. 3) are mentioned in the Ṛg. Numerous verses in praise of gifts occur in the Ṛg. which have been pointed out above (pp. 837-839). In Ṛg. III. 53. 3 there is a clear reference to the call or permission sought by the hotṛ (āhāva) and the response of the adhvaryu (*pratigara*).²²³⁰ Ṛg. X. 114. 5 speaks of the twelve *grahas* (cups) of Soma. In Ṛg. I. 28. 1-2 reference is made to the broad-bottomed stone (grāvan) used for beating Soma stalks, the mortar in which Soma is pounded and the adhiṣavaṇa (pressing) board. In Ṛg. I. 20. 6, I. 110. 3, I. 161. 1 and VIII. 82. 7 the wooden vessel called 'camasa' used for drinking Soma is spoken of. The word 'avabhṛtha' (concluding bath in a Soma sacrifice) occurs in Ṛg. VIII. 93. 23. In Ṛg. X. 51. 8-9 the words prayāja and anuyāja occur. The ten Āprī hymns of the Ṛgveda indicate that at the time of their composition the animal sacrifice had already some of the principal features that are seen in the śrauta sūtras.