History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c47.18

v3.c47.18

²²²⁸ The sixteen priests (ṛtvij) are: होता मैत्रावरुणोऽच्छावाको ग्रावस्तुदध्वर्युः प्रतिप्रस्थाता नेष्टोन्नेता ब्रह्मा ब्राह्मणाच्छंस्याग्नीध्रः पोतोद्गाता प्रस्तोता प्रतिहर्ता सुब्रह्मण्य इति। आश्व. श्रौ. IV. 1. 6, आप. श्रौ. X. 1. 9. Of these hotṛ, adhvaryu, brahmā and udgātṛ are the four principal ones and the three that follow each of them in the above enumeration are their assistants. The functions of the four principal priests are referred to in Ṛg. X.71.11. In Ṛg. II.43.1 we have the singer of Sāmans. In Agnihotra only adhvaryu is required, in the Agnyādheya, Darśapūrṇamāsa and other iṣṭis four priests are required viz. adhvaryu, āgnīdhra, hotṛ and brahman; in the Cāturmāsyas five are required viz., the four (of darśapūrṇamāsa) and the pratipasthātṛ; in the animal sacrifices a sixth is added viz., the maitrāvaruṇa. In Soma sacrifices all sixteen are required. In the cāturmāsya called sākamedha the āgnīdhra is addressed as *brahmaputra* (vide Āśv. Śr. II. 18. 12) and this may explain Ṛg. II. 43. 2 (cited on p. 27 above) where the word 'brahmaputra' occurs). Vide Tai. Br. II. 3. 6 and Baud. II. 3 for these provisions about the number of priests required. Some added a 17th priest called *sadasya* and Baud. II. 3 gave him three assistants also, though the Śat. Br. X. 4. 2. 19 forbids the employment of a 17th priest. There are other persons required in a sacrifice, such as the Śamitṛ, the camasādhvaryus, but they are not called ṛtvij. Vide Āp. XXII. 1. 3-6 for the Trikadruka called Jyotir, Gauḥ and Āyuḥ.