History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c48.140.3

v3.c48.140.3

Vaṣaṭkāra is uttered at the end of all yājyās and in anuyājas also. The yājyā is pronounced very loudly and with great distinctness as to the 'ye' of 'ye yajāmahe' and the last syllable of the yājyā is made *pluta*. In Āśv. I. 5. 9. 9-14 there are other rules not set out here. The pronouncing of vaṣaṭ was a very solemn and mystic matter and even in modern times the word is uttered very loudly and forcibly. The Ait. Br. XI. 6 says that 'the vaṣaṭkāra is a thunderbolt; when a man utters vaṣaṭkāra he should think of his enemy; thereby he plants the thunderbolt on him.' Āśv. I. 5. 18 states that vaṣaṭkāra was to be uttered only by day and not by night. There are three tones (mandra, madhyama and uttama). Up to the prayājas and after śaṁyuvāka the mandra tone is employed. After prayājas up to sviṣṭakṛt the tone is to be *madhyama*. Thereafter up to śaṁyuvāka it is to be high. Vide Āśv. I. 5. 25-28 and Āśv. I. 5. 4-8 for these and several other rules. Āśv. II. 15. 12 states that the āgūḥ (the words ye3 yajāmahe), the om (at the end of an anuvākyā) and the vaṣaṭkāra are pronounced in a high tone everywhere.