History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c49.7

v3.c49.7

According to Āśv. on the day previous to the Full Moon of Phālguna when beginning the cāturmāsyas he performs an iṣṭi for (Agni) Vaiśvānara and Parjanya. According to Kāt. V. 1. 2 there is an option viz. he may perform this iṣṭi or the Anvārambhaṇīyā iṣṭi. Then on the Full Moon day he performs the Vaiśvadeva iṣṭi in the morning and then performs the pūrṇamāsa iṣṭi. According to the com. on Kāt. V. 1. the Vaiśvadeva iṣṭi is performed in the morning of the first day after Full Moon and then follows the pūrṇamāsa iṣṭi of Phālguna. The sacrificer has to keep certain observances on all the *parvans* of the cāturmāsyas viz. he has to shave²⁴⁴⁶ his head and face, to sleep on the ground (not on a cot), to avoid honey, meat, salt, sexual intercourse and decorations of the body. There is an option as to shaving the moustaches and beard viz. he should shave only on the first and last *parvans* or may do so on all four. There are five offerings common to all cāturmāsyas, viz., a puroḍāśa (cake) on eight potsherds for Agni, boiled rice (caru) for Soma, a puroḍāśa on 12 or 8 potsherds (12 according to Tai. S. I. 8. 2) for Savitṛ (upāṁśu, inaudibly), a *caru* for Sarasvatī, a caru of finely ground rice for Pūṣan. The reward secured by the performance of the cāturmāsyas²⁴⁴⁷ is heaven. The cāturmāsyas may be performed throughout life or for one year only.