History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c48.129.1

v3.c48.129.1

Having thus invoked the deities (i. e. the whole of the invocation up to this is done standing), the hotṛ sits down with knees raised up, removes the kuśa (on the vedi) to its north and measures the space of a span on the vedi with 'Aditi is his mother, do not cut him off from the air,......with yajña, with vaṣaṭkāra as the thunderbolt I kill him who hates us and whom we hate' (Āśv. I. 3. 22). The yajamāna repeats a verse 'fire in whom offerings have been thrown is kindled &c.' (Kāṭhaka Saṁ. IV. 14), when the fire flames up with the fuel-sticks that are offered and another mantra 'Gods and pitṛs, whatever I may be I sacrifice &c.' (Tai. Br. III. 7. 5) is repeated. He fans after the deities are summoned as above the āhavanīya fire thrice with the veda bunch. He while sitting takes clarified butter from the dhruvā ladle with the sruva, holds it on the veda, passing the sruva over the north-west corner (of the āhavanīya) where the two paridhis meet he pours,²³⁶⁰ while revolving in his mind the mantra 'to Prajāpati Manu, svāhā', a continuous, long and straight stream of clarified butter on the fire bursting into flames in the āhavanīya place towards the south-east and makes all the fuel-sticks (already thrown over the fire) come in contact with (the butter so poured).