History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c47.s1.3

v3.c47.s1.3

Agnyādheya means the placing of burning coals for the generation of the gārhapatya and other fires at a particular time and place by a particular person to the accompaniment of certain mantras.²²³⁶ Agnyādheya comprehends the several acts from the bringing of the *araṇis* (two wooden logs) to the offering of pūrṇāhuti. When this last takes place the person who engages in the rites attains the position of an āhitāgni (one who has consecrated the sacred Vedic fires). Agnyādhāna is meant for all sacrificial rites and not merely for enabling a man to perform darśapūrṇamāseṣṭi (Jai. III. 6. 14–15, XI. 3. 2). The sacrificer should bring home through the adhvaryu priest two araṇis from an aśvattha tree that grows inside a śamī tree with the mantra '*yo aśvatthaḥ śamī-garbhaḥ*' (Āśv. II. 1. 17). The branch to be cut must be one on the east or north side of the tree and its foliage must be turned towards the east or north. When the branch falls on the ground the portion of it that touches the ground should be used for making the lower *araṇi*. Two araṇis (logs of the branch) should be cut off, planed and formed into rectangular pieces and they should be allowed to become dry. In the lower araṇi there is a spot called *devayoni* (the place of origin of the god i. e. fire) which is 8 and 12 aṅgulas from the two ends of the lower araṇi (of 24 aṅgulas) where by means of a drill inserted in the upper araṇi fire is produced by attrition. According to Baud. each araṇi is 16 aṅgulas long, twelve in breadth and 4 in height, while according to Kāt. (as quoted in com. on Āp.) it is 24 aṅgulas long. According to Āp. (V. 1. 3) the aśvattha may not be growing inside a śamī tree. The two araṇis are invoked (abhimantraṇa) with the formula 'aśvatthād...dhehi āyur-yajamāne' (Tai. Br. I. 2. 1.) and the adhvaryu brings together on the altar (vedi) seven items that are earthy and seven items that are of wood or five of each or 8 earthy items (if those of wood are seven). The eight earthy items are: sand, saltish earth, the earth from a hole infested by mice, the earth from an ant-hill, the clay (sūda) from the bottom of a reservior of water that never dries up, earth that is struck by wild boars, pebbles, gold (Āp. V. 1. 4 ff.) with mantras appropriate²²³⁷ to each. The seven wooden items are: (parts of) aśvattha, udumbara, parṇa (palāśa), śamī, vikaṅkaṭa, a tree struck by lightning (or by wind or cold) and a lotus-leaf. Baud. II. 12 enumerates these somewhat differently. The sacrificer prepares a raised place for worship (devayajana)²²³⁸ sloping towards the east with the mantra 'uddhanyamānamasya' (Tai. Br. I. 2. 1), sprinkles it with water to the accompaniment of the mantra 'śam no devīr' (Ṛg. X. 9. 4=Tai. Br. I. 2. 1), and constructs a shed having the end of the principal bamboo or ridge turned northwards or eastwards. Beneath the middle of the ridge of the hut towards one end is the place (*āyatana*) meant for the gārhapatya fire; the place of the āhavanīya fire is to the east of the gārhapatya at a distance of eight prakramas²²³⁹ for a brāhmaṇa, eleven and twelve for a kṣatriya and vaiśya respectively or all may have it 24 steps (*pada*) or at a distance found by the eye to approximate to the distances stated (without actual measurement). The place for the dakṣiṇāgni is near the gārhapatya to the south-east after a third of the distance between the gārhapatya and āhavanīya. There are to be separate sheds for the āhavanīya fire and the gārhapatya in elaborate sacrifices but for the ordinary sacrifices like darśapūrṇamāsa one shed only is usually constructed which houses all the three fires. It is laid down that only Vedic rites are to be performed with the three fires, and that they were not to be used for ordinary cooking or for secular purposes (vide Jaimini XII. 2. 1–7). The sabhya fire is to be established in front of the āhavanīya in the gambling hall and the āvasathya fire is in a shed (for guests) to the east of the sabhya.²²⁴⁰