History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c48.30.3

v3.c48.30.3

The adhvaryu issues a direction that no one is to pass between the cow that is being sucked by the calf and the sacrificial ground (vihāra) and all obey it. The adhvaryu invokes the cow with a mantra and the milker sits down near the cow to milk her with a mantra.²²⁹⁴ The householder repeats a mantra when the cow is being milked and another when he hears the sound of the streams of milk falling into the vessel. The milker brings the milk to the adhvaryu, who asks him 'whom did you milk, declare to us, (this is) an offering to Indra, it is vigour'. The milker refers to the cow by her name (such as Gaṅgā) and adds 'in whom milk has been placed for gods and men'. The adhvaryu replies 'she (the cow named) is the life of all'. The adhvaryu places the pavitra in the kumbhī (or ukhā) and pours therein the milk across the pavitra with a mantra. The adhvaryu gets two more cows milked in the same manner (i. e. with the same mantras &c.) except the directions (such as no one should come &c.). The only difference is that the names of the cows will be different (such as Yamunā) and that the 2nd and 3rd cows are referred to by him respectively as 'viśvavyacāḥ' and 'viśvakarmā' instead of 'viśvāyuḥ' (in his prativacana). After three cows are milked he loudly utters thrice 'milk much for Indra, may the offering (havya) increase for the gods, for the calves, for men; be ready for milking again'.