History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c48.140.1

v3.c48.140.1

The adhvaryu takes the juhū and upabhṛt, crosses from behind the paridhis to the south of the vedi with the right foot first and facing the north-east offers the five prayāja oblations of clarified butter beginning to the west of the place where the two streams of the āghāras meet and ending in the east (Āp. II. 17. 1) or he offers the five offerings in the four principal quarters from the east to the north respectively and the last in the middle of the āhavanīya (Sat. II. 2. p. 199). The procedure of prayājas is as follows:—²³⁶⁷ First he says 'ā3śrā3vaya', the āgnīdhra standing near the utkara facing the south and holding the sphya makes the response 'astu śrau3ṣaṭ'. Then the adhvaryu gives a direction to the hotṛ with reference to the first prayāja 'Samidho yaja' (recite the yājyā verse for the deity Samidhaḥ). The hotṛ recites "Whoever we are, we sacrifice to the deity samidhaḥ; may the samidhs, O fire, partake of the ājya. Vau3ṣaṭ". When the sound vaṣaṭ is heard the adhvaryu offers ājya from the juhū towards the eastern and the most blazing part of the āhavanīya fire. He may either occupy the same position or proceed eastwards as he offers each offering. Jai. III. 1. 19-20 deals with this question viz. that he may offer the prayājas²³⁶⁸ by proceeding eastwards. After each vaṣaṭkāra the hotṛ repeats 'speech is energy. He (vaṣaṭkāra) is indeed energy. May prāṇa and apāna be in me' (Āśv. I. 5. 17). The yajamāna says when the first prayāja is offered 'this is for the Samidhs.