History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c48.19

v3.c48.19

Now *śākhāharaṇa* (which applies only to him who has performed soma-yāga and only in darśeṣṭi) will be described. The adhvaryu fetches a fresh branch of the palāśa or śamī tree, which (branch) is taken from the eastern, northern or north-east side of the tree, which has many leaves and which has not a dried up end. Vide Jai. IV. 2. 7 about the text 'he brings a branch turned to the east' &c. He cuts it off with the words 'iṣe tvā' (Tai. S. I. 1. 1. 1), then touches water, makes it straight or wipes it down with 'ūrje tvā' (Tai. S. I. 1. 1. 1), brings it towards the sacrificial ground with a verse 'imām prācīm' (Tai. Br. III. 7. 4 set out in Āp. I. 2. 1, Śat. I. 2, p. 76). With that branch he drives away (or separates) from their mothers six calves with the mantra 'vāyavas sthopāyavas stha' (Tai. S. I. 1. 1. 1). The adhvaryu makes the cows (of the sacrificer) start for the pasture with the mantra 'devo vaḥ savitā prārpayatu...mā vaḥ stena īśata māgha-śaṁsaḥ' (Tai. S. I. 1. 1), invokes them, when they have started, with a mantra 'śuddhā apaḥ suprapāṇe pibantīḥ' (Ṛg. VI. 28. 7, Tai. Br. II. 8. 8 set out in Śat. I. 2, p. 79). Then he returns to the house of the sacrificer with 'dhruvā asmin......bahvīḥ' (Tai. S. I. 1. 1) and keeps the branch in a well-known place (so that it might not fall or be lost) on the sacred fire ground or on a wooden frame near the fires with 'protect the cattle of the sacrificer' (Tai. S. I. 1. 1). Jai. (III. 6. 28-29) states that śākhāharaṇa is meant for both evening and morning milking.