History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c48.53.5

v3.c48.53.5

protect the sacrificial material.’²³⁰⁶ The adhvaryu pours water in the (agnihotrahavaṇī) ladle to which the awns of the rice or barley grains stick and purifies it thrice with the two pavitras (blades of kuśa) held in the hands and with the mantra ‘may god Savitṛ &c.’ (vide p. 1024 above) and invokes it with ‘may the divine waters’ &c. Then the adhvaryu seeks the permission of the brahmā priest with ‘Brahman! shall I sprinkle’ (with holy water the sacrificial material). The brahmā priest mutters ‘sprinkle the sacrifice, sustain these deities &c.’ and loudly says ‘Yes, do sprinkle.’ The adhvaryu then sprinkles water thrice, once with the mantra ‘at the command of Savitṛ ...... I sprinkle thee that are dear to Agni' (or Agni and Soma or other deity as the case may be) and twice silently. One should so sprinkle that drops of water may not fall on the fire. He then upturns the sacrificial utensils (i. e. instead of their mouths being down, their mouths are now upturned) and sprinkles them thrice with water with 'may you become pure for divine rite, for worship of gods'.²³⁰⁷ The rest of the water taken for sprinkling is placed to the east of the gārhapatya (in a sruc). It is stated by Jaimini (IX. 1. 2–3) that the prokṣaṇa of the mortar and pestle or the mill-stones has an unseen spiritual result (apūrva).