History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c47.s1.2

v3.c47.s1.2

Gaut. (VIII. 20-21) enumerates seven *haviryajñas* and seven *somasaṁsthās*. Agnyādheya is the first of the seven *haviryajñas*. Agnyādheya is the same as agnyādhāna. It is an *iṣṭi*, which word means 'a sacrifice performed by a sacrificer and his wife with the help of four priests' (vide above note 2228). The details of a model iṣṭi are given later on under darśapūrṇamāsa. Agnyādheya occupies two days, the first day called *upavasatha* being taken up by preliminary matters and the 2nd with performance of the main rites. There are two times for the performance of agnyādheya. It may be done on one of the seven nakṣatras, viz., Kṛttikā, Rohiṇī, Mṛgaśīrṣa, Pūrvā Phālgunī, Uttarā Phālgunī, Viśākhā, Uttarā Bhādrapadā. Āp. adds other nakṣatras viz. Hasta, Citrā and states the several appropriate nakṣatras when the sacrificer desires certain results (V. 3. 3–14). According to Śat. Br. II. 1. 2. 17 and Āp. V. 3. 13 a kṣatriya should consecrate sacred fires on the Citrā nakṣatra. Or agnyādheya may be done on a parva day in spring by a brāhmaṇa, in summer, in the rainy season and autumn respectively by a kṣatriya, a vaiśya and an upakruṣṭa (for the latter vide p. 74 above). But even when choosing the season, one must have regard to the seven nakṣatras specified above. Āp. states that the setting up of the fires may take place on Full moon or New moon day and that *hemanta* or *śarad* is the proper season for a vaiśya, the rainy season for a rathakāra (carpenter) or all the varṇas may first consecrate the fires in *śiśira* (Āp. V. 3. 17–20). Vide Jai. II. 3–4 about the meaning of the Vedic passage 'a brāhmaṇa should set up fires in spring' (Tai. Br. I. 1. 2). The Śat. Br. (III. 1. 2. 19) appears to condemn the setting up of fires by reliance on nakṣatras and recommends (XI. 1. 1. 7) that agnyādhāna should be performed on the New moon of Vaiśākha on which there is Rohiṇī nakṣatra. In case of difficulty one may perform agnyādhéya in any season and if one has resolved upon performing a soma sacrifice one need not stop to consider the season or nakṣatra. The man who wants to perform agnyādheya must not be too young nor too old (vide p. 979 above).