History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c47.s1.27

v3.c47.s1.27

When the āhavanīya fire is being taken (in a vessel) from the gārhapatya the Vāmadevya is chanted and they proceed towards the east preceded by the horse,²²⁵¹ repeating three mantras. To the south of the *vihāra* the brahmā priest makes a chariot or a chariot wheel move up till three revolutions of the wheel take place (six times for an enemy). A third part of the distance (between the gārhapatya and the place for āhavanīya) the fire is carried at the height of the knee, the 2nd third at the height of the navel, the last third at the height of the mouth. No one is to come between the sun and the fire. He takes the fire with both his hands stretched to the right. In the middle of the distance the yajamāna gives a gift to the priest. In the middle of the distance the adhvaryu puts down a piece of gold and then crosses over it with the mantra 'nākosi.' The adhvaryu makes the horse that faces the east go over the sambhāras to their north with its right hoof placed in such a way that the live coals of the fire when established would fall on the foot-print made by the horse and making the horse turn to its right he again makes the horse go over the sambhāras with a formula 'yadakrandaḥ' (Ṛg. I. 163. 1). The horse is held facing the west to the east of the place for the āhavanīya. The horse must be young and according to Paiṅgyāyani Brāhmaṇa a young bull may do (if a horse is not available). According to the Bahvṛca Brāhmaṇa the (āhavanīya) fire should be established on the footmark of an animal called Kamaṇḍalu or of a goat (according to Vājasaneyaka). Then the sacrificer mutters auspicious formulæ²²⁵² and sends to his enemy (a curse) with the formula 'go to him, O fire, with thy terrible forms.' Having invoked the fire with the verse 'Yad-idam divaḥ' (Tai. Br. I. 2. 1) he turning his face to the west and standing to the east establishes the āhavanīya fire. The āhavanīya is laid down upon the sambhāras when the Bṛhat Sāman, the Śyaita, Vāravantīya and Yajñāyajñīya are being chanted, and the procedure of repeating consecrating mantras according to gotra is being followed, when all the vyāhṛtis, all the Sarpa-rājñī mantras, the third Gharmaśiras formula and certain other verses are recited.²²⁵³ The sacrificer invokes the āhavanīya when it is being established with the formula 'ānaśe &c.' (which occurs in Tai. Br. I. 1. 7) and he follows the priest (whether adhvaryu or āgnīdhra) in repeating the various vyāhṛtis, the Sarparājñī verses and the Gharmaśiras formulæ. The fire when established should be propitiated with clarified butter and plants (i. e. fuel-sticks) after repeating certain formulæ (set out in Āp. V. 16. 4). The sāmans are sung by the brahmā priest in Agnyādheya (and there is no udgātṛ priest).²²⁵⁴