History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c48.86.4

v3.c48.86.4

The adhvaryu issues a direction²³³⁴ (to himself or to the āgnīdhra or to the attendants if any) 'O men! make this vedi and make it occupied by the Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas &c.' (Kāṭhaka Saṁ. I. 9). The āgnīdhra digs up with the sphya the upper layer of dust with 'Araru has been struck off from the earth, bring here him who worships the gods' and carries the dust so dug towards the utkara. When this is being done the sacrificer recites two texts. The āgnīdhra digs the ground from west to east for making the vedi with 'at the prompting of God Savitṛ, the worshippers do their work'. Whatever roots remain in the ground he removes with the sphya, and all dust that remains he removes to the utkara. The adhvaryu addresses the brahmā priest 'O brahman! shall I undertake the further enfolding of the vedi'. The brahmā priest mutters a mantra 'O Bṛhaspati, enfold the vedi &c.' and loudly replies, 'Yes (om), do enfold'. He enfolds the vedi from the south, west, and north respectively²³³⁵ with 'thou art ṛta (right), thou art the abode of ṛta, thou art the glory of ṛta'. The yajamāna mutters while this is being done a verse 'O Bṛhaspati! enfold the vedi' (same as the one recited by the brahmā above). The adhvaryu says 'thou art dhā (support of the *havis*), thou art svadhā (the source of piṇḍas offered to Manes), thou art the wide earth, thou art rich' and makes the surface of the vedi level by means of the sphya from east to west.