History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c49.s1.8

v3.c49.s1.8

The rite is concluded by the priests and the sacrificer and his wife going for a bath (avabhṛtha) in a river²⁴⁶² or the like taking with them the remainder of payasyā for Varuṇa and the scrapings from the pan that are treated like the refuse (ṛjīṣa of Soma). The remainder of payasyā serves as *havis* (sacrificial offering) at the avabhṛtha, a portion of which is offered to Varuṇa and the whole of what remains is offered to Agni and Varuṇa instead of to Agni Sviṣṭakṛt. The sacrificer and his wife silently come to the water, throw into the water the scrapings (niṣkāsa) that are placed in a vessel (sthālī) with a mantra (Vāj. S. III. 48, according to Kāt. V. 5. 30 and ‘samudre te’ Tai. S. I. 4. 45. 2, according to Āp. VIII. 8. 12). They do not plunge their heads into water but only splash water over their heads and rub each other’s backs with water. They then put on new clothes and make a gift of the clothes so far worn (that they had already worn at the Vaiśvadeva-parvan) to one of the (five) priests or to another (worthy) person at their pleasure. After returning to the house the sacrificer puts a fuel-stick on the āhavanīya (with Vāj. S. VIII. 27). Jai. (VII. 3. 12-15) states that this avabhṛtha has the same characteristics as the avabhṛtha in Somayāga and that the material offered therein is the scrapings from the pan and not the puroḍāśa (VII. 3. 16).