History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c49.s2.6.1

v3.c49.s2.6.1

After the mahāhavis comes the pitṛyajña which is called mahāpitṛyajña. To the south of the dakṣiṇa fire a new vedi having four corners in the four principal directions²⁴⁶⁷ is prepared and has the same length and breadth as the height of the sacrificer (Āp. VIII. 13. 2). He brings fire from the dakṣiṇa fire and lays it on the new vedi in the centre and all offerings that are to be offered in the āhavanīya are offered in this fire. In this mahāpitṛyajña the wife does nothing. In this yajña a cake on six kapālas is offered to Somavat Pitṛs or to Pitṛmat Soma, *dhānās* (fried barley) to Barhiṣad Pitṛs, *mantha*²⁴⁶⁸ to Agniṣvātta Pitṛs. Āśv. II. 19. 21 adds another deity viz. Yama and according to some (vide Āp. VIII. 13. 16) the devatās and offerings are ājya to Pitṛmat Soma, a cake on six potsherds to Barhiṣad Pitṛs, fried barley to Agniṣvātta Pitṛs and mantha to Yama or Agni Kavyavāhana or Yama Aṅgirasvat Pitṛmat. The beating of grains (with a pestle) and grinding is done by the adhvaryu or āgnīdhra to the east of the gārhapatya fire with his face to the south. The cake is cooked on burning coals taken with a shovel from the gārhapatya to its south and the *dhānā* is fried on the dakṣiṇāgni. There are only four prayājas (omitting *barhis* out of the five at the darśapūrṇamāsa) and so also anuyājas. Instead of the usual direction (called āśruta) of the adhvaryu to the āgnīdhra ‘O śrāvaya’, in this rite he utters ‘Om svadhā’;