History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c47.s2.7.2

v3.c47.s2.7.2

It is called agnihotrasthālī (Āp. VI. 3. 15). The adhvaryu takes from the gārhapatya fire some burning coals for boiling the milk and keeps them to the north of the gārhapatya in a separate spot. Then he goes near the cow, holds the vessel in which the cow has been milked, brings it towards the east of the āhavanīya, sits to the west of the gārhapatya and heats the vessel on the burning coals mentioned above. He takes a darbha blade (other than one of those that are strewn round the gārhapatya), kindles it and holding it over the milk illuminates the milk with its light. He then takes water in a sruva and sprinkles one drop or some drops into the boiling milk (Āśv. II. 3. 3 and 5). He should then again hold a burning blade (the same blade used before) over the hot milk and light it up. He does this thrice and then casts away the blade to the north.²²⁶³ There was a difference of view whether the milk to be offered should be brought to the boiling point or should only be simply hot (vide Śat. Br. II. 3. 1. 14-16 and com. on Kāt. IV. 14. 5). Then the pot of milk is slowly lifted with three mantras and drawn down to the north from the burning coals (Āśv. II. 3. 8, Tai. Br. II. 1. 3 'vartma karoti'). Then the burning coals on which the milk was boiled or heated are thrown back in the gārhapatya fire. Then a sruva and sruc both made of vikaṅkaṭa wood are cleaned with the hand (to remove dust) and are heated on the gārhapatya (or āhavanīya according to Āp. VI. 7. 1).