History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c47.26

v3.c47.26

²²³³ The Tai. S. I. 6. 8. 2–3 says 'यो वै दश यज्ञायुधानि वेद मुखतोस्य यज्ञः कल्पते स्फ्यश्च कपालानि चाग्निहोत्रहवणी च शूर्पं च कृष्णाजिनं च शम्या चोलूखलं च मुसलं च दृषच्चोपला चैतानि वै दशयज्ञायुधानि।'. Vide also Śat. Br. I. 1. 1. 22 for these ten and Kāt. II. 3. 8. Jaimini III. 1. 11 says that the passage about the ten yajñāyudhas is a mere anuvāda and not a vidhi and hence all are not to be employed in all actions, but only where each is suitable or is prescribed by a special text. Vide also Jai. IV. 1. 7–10. The adhvaryu or yajamāna places the *pātras* in twos at a time. The kapālas (potsherds) whatever their number form one pātra; they are pieces broken from a jar. The pairs are: sphya (the wooden sword) and kapāla, then the śūrpa (made of split bamboo or of naḍa grass or of reed) and agnihotra-havaṇī and so on. The com. on Kāt. II. 3. 8 says that whatever pātras may be required in the several rites are to be got ready and he enumerates many such pātras. The juhū, upabhṛt and dhruvā symbolically represent respectively the right arm, the left arm and the trunk of yajña. Vide Śat. Br. I. 3. 2. 2. The number of kapālas varies according to the rite that is performed and the sūtra of the performer. Besides the ten principal ones enumerated above there are others that are required viz. जुहू, उपभृत्, ध्रुवा, प्राशित्रहरण, इडापात्र, मेक्षण, पिष्टोद्वपनी, प्रणीताप्रणयन, आज्यस्थाली, वेद, दारुपात्री, योक्त्र, वेदपरिवासन, धृष्टि, इध्मप्रव्रश्चन, अन्वाहार्यस्थाली, मद्धन्ती, फलीकरणपात्र, अन्तर्धानकट. Vide com. on Kāt. I. 3. 36 for the names and sizes of all these and other utensils and for directions on the materials of which they are to be made. When the person who has maintained the sacred fires dies he is cremated with his Vedic fires and his wooden sacrificial vessels 'आहिताग्निमग्निभिर्दहन्ति यज्ञपात्रैश्च' quoted by Śabara on Jaimini XI. 3. 34. Vide Śat. Br. XII. 3. 5. 2. This is what is called प्रतिपत्तिकर्म of the utensils. This means that the utensils are placed on the several limbs of his corpse (e. g. the juhū in the right hand) and his body and they are burnt together. That is the final disposal of the yajñapātras. Jaimini (XI. 3. 43–44) declares that though the yajñapātras are set out in the 'śruti' texts when speaking about paurṇamāsī iṣṭi, still they are to be made ready at agnyādheya and are to be kept throughout since that date till the sacrificer's death and that their cremation with the sacrificer's body is their final disposal (pratipatti).