Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c50: Chapter XXXII. Paśubandha or Nirūḍhapaśubandha (immolation of an animal in sacrifice)

History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c50

Language
English

Contents

Chapter XXXII. Paśubandha or Nirūḍhapaśubandha (immolation of an animal in sacrifice)

v3.c50.1

PAŚUBANDHA OR NIRŪḌHAPAŚUBANDHA²⁴⁸¹

v3.c50.2

²⁴⁸¹ Vide Śat. Br. III. 6. 4 ff, XI. 7. 1 ff, Tai. S. I. 3. 5-11, VI. 3-4; Kāt. VI, Āp. VII, Āśv. III. 1-8, Baud. IV.

v3.c50.4.1

The animal sacrifice is an independent sacrifice and it is also performed in soma sacrifices as a constituent part (aṅga). The independent animal sacrifice is called nirūḍhapaśubandha (offering of an eviscerated animal) and the subordinate ones are called saumika (Āśv. III. 8. 3-4). The nirūḍhapaśu is really a modification of an animal sacrifice in somayāga (called agnīṣomīya paśu) as Jai. VIII. 1. 13 declares, but in many sūtras the full procedure of both is set out in the nirūḍhapaśu section (vide Kāt. VI. 10. 32 and com. on Kāt. VI. 1. 31). The nirūḍhapaśubandha itself becomes the prakṛti (archetype or model) of all other animal sacrifices, except savanīya paśu and anūbandhyapaśu. The independent animal sacrifice is to be performed every six months or every year by the āhitāgni throughout his life.²⁴⁸² If done once a year it was to be performed in the rainy season (i. e. in Śrāvaṇa or Bhādrapada) on New moon or Full moon day or if done six monthly then at the beginning of the southward and northward passages of the Sun (dakṣiṇāyana and uttarāyaṇa). Then it may have to be performed on any day and not necessarily on amāvāsyā or paurṇamāsī. According to Āśv. (III. 1. 2-6) optionally an iṣṭi before and after the independent paśubandha rite may be performed and if performed it is offered either to Agni or to Agni-Viṣṇu or to Agni and Agni-Viṣṇu. In this sacrifice there is a sixth priest called Maitrāvaruṇa (or Praśāstṛ) in addition to the five required in the cāturmāsyas.

v3.c50.4.2

An udumbara staff is given to the sacrificer when he is initiated for a sacrifice like Agniṣṭoma. In the paśubandha when the Maitrāvaruṇa enters the sacrificial ground after the priests are chosen the adhvaryu (or yajamāna in some śākhās)²⁴⁸³ hands over that staff (which in length would reach the mouth of the sacrificer) to the maitrāvaruṇa with a mantra and the maitrāvaruṇa accepts it with a corresponding mantra. The maitrāvaruṇa stands slightly bent to the south of the seat of the hotṛ resting his staff on the vedi and utters directions to the hotṛ to repeat yājyās. Till he utters the first praiṣa he is not to touch himself or any one else with the staff. The maitrāvaruṇa is to utter in a standing posture while holding the staff the praiṣas and the anuvākyās wherever a praiṣa is employed and do a few other acts standing; but the rest of his duties in soma sacrifices he does sitting. Jaimini (IV. 2. 16-18) has a discussion (arising out of Tai. S. VI. 1. 4. 2 ‘krīte some maitrāvaruṇāya daṇḍaṁ prayacchati’) on the question whether the handing over of the staff to maitrāvaruṇa is a pratipattikarma or an arthakarma (the conclusion is that it is the latter). The adhvaryu makes an offering of clarified butter in the āhavanīya, which is called yūpāhuti, with the *sruva* or with a *sruc* in which four ladlings of ājya have been poured, with the mantra ‘uru viṣṇo’ (Vāj. S. V. 41, Tai. S. I. 3. 4. 1).

v3.c50.4.3

The adhvaryu, taking the rest of the ājya and the sruva, goes to a place where trees grow, accompanied by a carpenter (takṣan) holding an axe (Āp. VII. 1. 13 and Kāt. VI. 1. 5). The sacrificial post (*yūpa*)²⁴⁸⁴ is to be made of the palāśa, khadira, bilva or rauhītaka tree according as one desires various rewards (Āp. VII. 1. 16), but in Soma sacrifices the yūpa must be of khadira, if possible. Jai. (VI. 3. 28-30) states that, if by accident the sacrificial post made of one kind of tree is destroyed during the continuance of the rite, another yūpa of the same tree or of a tree very similar to it is to be substituted. The tree to be cut must be full of leaves, must not have its top dried up, must be straight and growing on a level spot, and its branches must be turned upwards and it should be bent in some direction other than the south. Adhvaryu, brahmā, the sacrificer and carpenter touch the tree after selecting it with the mantra ‘atyanyān’ (Vāj. S. V. 42, Tai. S. I. 3. 5). The adhvaryu touches the trunk of the tree all round (where it is to be cut) with the sruva anointed with ājya with the mantra ‘May god Savitṛ anoint thee with *madhu*’ (Tai. S. I. 3. 5) or with ‘Viṣṇave tvā’ (Vāj. S. V. 42). He keeps obliquely a darbha blade on the trunk with the words ‘oṣadhe trāyasvainam’ (Tai. S. I. 3. 5 or Vāj. S. V. 42) and strikes the tree with the axe with the mantra ‘O axe! do not injure it’ (svadhite mainaṁ hiṁsīḥ,’ Vāj. S. V. 42 and Tai. S. I. 3. 5).

v3.c50.4.4

The first chip of the tree that is cut off, he keeps in a well-known place and the tree is cut at such a low height from the ground that the stump left in the ground would not strike against the axle of a cart going that way. The tree should be so cut that it should not fall to the south; it should fall to the east or north or north-east (Āp. VII. 2. 7); when it is falling he repeats the mantra ‘do not scratch the heaven with your top &c.’ (Vāj. S. V. 43 or Tai. S. I. 3. 5). He offers ājya with the juhū on the stump of the tree with the mantra ‘O tree, grow again with a hundred shoots’ (Vāj. S. V. 43, Tai. S. I. 3. 5) and having touched one’s body with ‘may we grow into a thousand branches’ (*ibid.*) he cuts off from the bottom upwards the twigs and knots of the felled tree. There were several views about the length of the yūpa (Āp. VII. 2. 11-17, Kāt. VI. 1. 24-26). According to some the yūpa may be of any length from one *aratni* to 33 aratnis, but Kāt. gives the usual length at 3 or 4 aratnis and Āp. (VII. 2. 17) also quotes the Śat. Br. (XI. 7. 4. 1) that the yūpa in nirūḍhapaśubandha is three or four aratnis in length, while in Soma sacrifices the other measures may apply. Kāt. (VI. 1. 31) states that in somayāga the yūpa may be from five to fifteen aratnis in length except 7, 10 or 14 aratnis and in the Vājapeya sacrifice the yūpa is 17 aratnis in length and in the Aśvamedha it is 21 aratnis. According to Āp.

v3.c50.4.5

it must be in length at least as much as the height of the yajamāna or as much as the yajamāna with hands upraised. The girth of the yūpa is not fixed. That part of the yūpa which is to be planted in the pit is called *upara*, which is not to be chiselled and which is about a 5th of the whole log but the rest of it is to be chiselled from the bottom towards the top so as to make the yūpa have eight angles and it should be somewhat tapering towards the top. One corner or angle (out of the eight) should be more prominent than the rest and should face the fire. Out of the top portion of the²⁴⁸⁵ tree that remains after making the yūpa the carpenter prepares a wooden head-piece, eight-cornered and of the length of the hand from the wrist to the tips of the fingers and contracted in the middle like a mortar. This piece is called *caṣāla* and is made hollow so as to fit in exactly on to the top of the yūpa like a turban and the peg-like top of the yūpa on which the caṣāla is fixed should protrude two or three *aṅgulas* beyond the caṣāla (Kāt. VI. 1. 30).

v3.c50.5

²⁴⁸² Manu IV. 26 also recommends an animal sacrifice at the beginning of the *ayanas*. Āp. VII. 8. 2-3 and Baud. IV. 1 set out the yajñapātras and other materials required in *paśubandha*.

v3.c50.6

²⁴⁸³ प्रशास्तारं वीर्येण प्रपाद्य दण्डमस्मै प्रयच्छेद् दक्षिणोत्तराभ्यां पाणिभ्यां मित्रावरुणयोस्त्वा बाहुभ्यां प्रशास्त्रोः प्रशिषा प्रयच्छामीति। आश्व. III. 1. 16; compare Kāt. VI. 4. 4, Āp. VII. 14. 5.

v3.c50.7

²⁴⁸⁴ Vide Sat. Br. III. 6. 4 to III 7. 1 for an extensive treatment of everything regarding the yūpa, and also Ait. Br. 6. 1-3.

v3.c50.8

²⁴⁸⁵ अग्राच्चषालं पृथमात्रमष्टाश्रि मध्यसंगृहीतम् । कात्या. VI. 1. 28.

v3.c50.9

The nirūḍhapaśubandha occupies two days, though it may be performed in one day. On the first of the two days called upavasatha²⁴⁸⁶ preliminary matters such as preparing the vedi, bringing the yūpa are performed.

v3.c50.10

²⁴⁸⁶ Vide Āp. VII. 6. 3 and com. द्वयहकालस्यापि विधिरनुमीयते। बौधायनश्चाह। इष्टिपुशुबन्धाः सोपवसथाः सद्योज्ञा चेति।

v3.c50.11

The vedi (a single one) in the nirūḍhapaśubandha is prepared like the one in Varuṇa-praghāsas to the east of the usual āhavanīya fire-place (and not to the west as in darśa-pūrṇamāsa). The dimensions of the vedi are variously given. According to Āp. VII. 3. 7-9 the vedi is three or four aratnis on its western side, six aratnis in length from west to east and three aratnis on the eastern side and it is less in breadth towards the east or it is as wide as the axle on the west, of the length of the shafts of a cart and to the east as wide as that portion of a yoke which is between the outer holes thereof. On this vedi an uttaravedi (a high altar) is measured with the śamyā²⁴⁸⁷ (yoke-pin) on the eastern one-third of the vedi. From the northern corner of the eastern side (the shoulder) of the vedi, a pit called *cātvāla* is measured one śamyā square about one prakrama to its north; it is dug with a spade taken with the mantra 'devasya tvā ...... ādade' (Vāj. S. VI. 1) and it is silently dug as deep as the knee or three *vitastis* (36 aṅgulas). The Tai. Br. I. 5. 10 gives the latter measure. The cātvāla is in front of the utkara and a passage is left between the utkara and the cātvāla which is contiguous to the north side of the mahāvedi (vide Śat. Br. III. 5. 1. 24-30). The earth dug up is heaped on the uttaravedi thrice²⁴⁸⁸ with the mantra 'a lioness art thou' (Tai. S. I. 2. 12. 2) and a fourth time silently and then is spread over the uttaravedi with 'uru prathasva ...... prathatām' (Tai. S. I. 2. 12. 2); he breaks up the clods with the śamyā, invokes the earth dug up, sprinkles it, spreads gravel on the earth so dug up and spread, pours down the remainder of the water contained in the prokṣaṇī vessel to the north of the uttaravedi by means of a channel made with one stroke of the sphya and cements together the borders of the uttaravedi (with water and earth). On the uttaravedi he makes a square hole (called *uttaranābhi*) a span in measure or measuring as much as a bull's or horse's hoof, invokes it and sprinkles it with water and the rest of the water is drained off to the south (as water was drained off to the north above). Then he covers the uttaravedi with twigs of udumbara or plakṣa tree and waits, if the paśubandha is so performed as to extend over two days. In the morning next day he pours clarified butter in a stream on the uttaravedi from the south-east corner to the north-west corner and from the south-west to the north-east carrying a golden piece in such a way that the butter will fall on the gold. Then he places three (pine) paridhis (enclosing sticks) which are of kārśmarya wood (according to Āp. VII. 7. 7) round the *nābhi* in the west, south and north and puts down on the uttaravedi certain materials viz. bdellium, fragrant and appetising grass, bunch of white wool from between the horns of a ram (*petva*). Having kindled idhma (a bunch of samidhs) at the āhavanīya fire, he carries forward the kindled sticks (in a vessel)²⁴⁸⁹ which is supported on a vessel containing gravel (to prevent the scorching of the hands) to the uttaravedi and places them down on the nābhi over the bdellium and other things. This becomes the āhavanīya for all actions in the paśubandha and the original āhavanīya becomes the gārhapatya.²⁴⁹⁰

v3.c50.12

²⁴⁸⁷ The yoke-pin (śamyā) is of khadira wood and 32 aṅgulas long, having at the end eight knobs each of one aṅgula. Its length is variously given. According to the com. on Āp. I. 15. 13 it is one arm in length or 32 aṅgulas, while com. on Kāt. I. 3. 36 says it is one span in length. Its thicker part is called *kumba*.

v3.c50.13

²⁴⁸⁸ Āp. VII. 4. 5 and VII. 5. 1-2 give the several mantras which accompany the various operations of preparing the uttaravedi and the nābhi.

v3.c50.14

²⁴⁸⁹ The baked clay vessel which is held beneath the vessel in which fire is carried is called upayamani. The vessel in which fire is carried is called अग्न्युद्धरणपात्री.

v3.c50.15

²⁴⁹⁰ एष पशुबन्धस्याहवनीयो यतः प्रणयति स गार्हपत्यः। आप. VII. 8. 3.

v3.c50.16.1

He takes a spade with a mantra (e. g. Vāj. S. VI. 1), draws to the east of the new āhavanīya an outline of the hole to be dug for inserting the yūpa. He digs a pit so deep that when the yūpa is erected therein its *upara* (the lower unchiselled portion) will not be exposed to view and he throws out to the east of the pit the earth dug out. The pit is so dug that it is partly within the vedi (prepared for paśubandha) and partly outside²⁴⁹¹ (i. e. it is on the border). The yūpa is laid down in front of the pit, with its top to the east, is washed with water and sprinkled over with water in which barley grains have been mixed, a separate mantra (pṛthivyai tvā &c. as in Vāj. S. V. 26) being recited when sprinkling the bottom, middle and top of the yūpa. He places a handful of kuśas and the first chip (that was cut off with the axe from the tree) on the yūpa which are both subsequently thrown into the hole, the ends of the kuśas being towards the north and east; and then places to the north of the top of the yūpa the caṣāla. The rest of the water taken for sprinkling is poured into the hole for the yūpa with 'Śundhantāṁ lokāḥ pitṛṣadanāḥ' (Vāj. S. VI. 1, Tai. S. I. 3. 1. 1) in which there is a reference to the world of the pitṛs. He silently makes an offering of clarified butter in the hole with the sruva ladle.

v3.c50.16.2

Then the adhvaryu or yajamāna sits to the south of the yūpa and anoints it with ordinary ājya (over which no saṁskāra has been performed) by means of a chip from its top to its bottom including all its angles (but excluding the upara). While the adhvaryu is doing this he issues a direction to the hotṛ priest to repeat a verse for the yūpa that is being anointed²⁴⁹² and the hotṛ repeats 'añjanti tvām' (Ṛg. III. 8. 1) and stops when he has repeated half of it (Āśv. III. 1. 8). Then the caṣāla is anointed both inside and outside and placed on top of the yūpa with a mantra (Vāj. S. VI. 2, Tai. S. I. 2. 2. 3). Then that angular part of the yūpa which is to face the fire together with the corresponding part of the upara is anointed in a continuous stream and the adhvaryu touches all round and holds with his hand that part of the yūpa over which a girdle would be placed later on. At the direction of the adhvaryu the hotṛ priest repeats the verses Ṛg. III. 8. 2-3, I. 36. 13-14 and III. 8. 5 (half), while the yūpa is being raised up. It is laid in the hole with a mantra (Vāj. S. VI. 3, Tai. S. I. 3. 6. 1 'yā te dhāmāni) in such a way that its top will slant towards the āhavanīya and its corner (which is more prominent than the rest) will face the āhavanīya fire. If there are eleven yūpas in an animal sacrifice, then those prominent corners of all eleven yūpas should face the āhavanīya. He fills from left to right the hole for the yūpa with earth with ‘brahmavanim tvā’ (Vāj. VI.

v3.c50.16.3

3, Tai. S. I. 3. 6. 2). The adhvaryu then strokes the earth thrice with the staff of the maitrāvaruṇa so as to make the ground round about the yūpa level with the rest of the ground with ‘brahma dṛṁha kṣatram dṛṁha’ (ibid) and sprinkles it with (ordinary) water all round. Two girdles of darbha are prepared one with two strands and two vyāmas²⁴⁹³ in length (for the victim) and the other with three strands and three vyāmas in length (for the yūpa). The yajamāna touches the yūpa and the adhvaryu makes him recite ‘observe the exploits of Viṣṇu’ (Ṛg. I. 22. 19, Vāj. S. VI. 4, Tai. S. I. 3. 6. 2) and look at the head-piece with ‘that is the highest step of Viṣṇu’ (Ṛg. I. 22. 20, Vāj. S. VI. 5). Āp. (VII. 11. 3) says that he takes in his hand the girdle for the yūpa with ‘devasya tvā savituḥ’ and rubs up the yūpa with the hand having the girdle therein with Ṛg. I. 22. 19. Then he begins to encircle the yūpa with the middle of the girdle at a spot which is of the same height as the navel of the sacrificer or in the middle of the yūpa. He calls upon the hotṛ to repeat Ṛg. III. 8. 4 (yuvā suvāsāḥ) when the yūpa is being encircled with the girdle. The girdle is passed round the yūpa in three coils from left to right. When he has finished doing it he repeats ‘parivīr-asi’ (Vāj. S. VI. 6, Tai. S. I. 3. 6. 2). The two ends of the girdle are intertwined into one another and he inserts the tip of the girdle inside the loop at the other end. Āp. (VII. 11.

v3.c50.16.4

6-10) says that the girdle may be pushed down or higher up from the place indicated above or the ends may be dealt with differently according as the yajamāna desires rain or not or according as female or male progeny is desired for the yajamāna. To the north of the corner of the yūpa facing the āhavanīya he inserts in the middle or last coil of the girdle or in all coils of the girdle the *svaru*.²⁴⁹⁴ Jai. (XI. 3. 5-7) concludes that the saṁskāras of prokṣaṇa (sprinkling), anointing (añjana), raising up (ucchrayaṇa)

v3.c50.17

²⁴⁹¹ अर्धमन्तर्वेदि मिनोत्यर्धं बहिर्वेदि। अनवबद्धो भवति न निर्दृढतीति। This passage is discussed by Jai. in III. 7. 13-14 and his conclusion is that it indicates only the spot where the yūpa is to be erected. The com. on Kāt. VI. 2. 8 says 'आहवनीयात्पूर्वस्यां दिशि तत्रावटं खनति यत्र स्नातः सन्दर्धमन्तर्वेदि अर्धं बहिर्वेदि स्यात्।'

v3.c50.18

²⁴⁹² यूपायोञ्छीयमानायानुब्रूहीति संप्रेष्यत्याञ्जत्यमानायानुब्रूहीति वा। आप. VII. 10. 6. Āp. prescribes Tai. S. I. 3. 1. 2 'ud-divam' as the verse to be repeated. Kāt. VI. 3. 7. prescribes Vāj. S. VI. 2.

v3.c50.19

²⁴⁹³ A vyāma or vyāyāma is equal to four *aratnis*.

v3.c50.20

²⁴⁹⁴ The *svaru* is the first piece that is severed when the yūpa was being hewn out of the tree trunk that was felled. Śabara on Jai. XI. 3. 9 remarks यद्यप्येकस्यापि यूपस्य बहवः स्वरवः संभवन्ति ...... यः प्रथमः शकलः परापतेत्स स्वरुः कार्य इति वचनात् । Jai. (in XI. 3. 8-12) establishes that the svaru is only one like the yūpa, even if there are many animals to be sacrificed in the same yajña.

v3.c50.21

and surrounding with a girdle (parivyāṇa or parivyayaṇa) are performed on the yūpa only once and are not repeated at each time an animal is sacrificed. The girdle is an aṅga of the yūpa and not of the paśu, as otherwise as many girdles will be required for the yūpa as the number of victims to be sacrificed in a yāga (vide Jai. IV. 4. 22–24). The svaru is connected as an aṅga with the victim (for anointing the victim with it) and not with the yūpa (Jai. IV. 4. 25–28). Vide Jai. IV. 2. 1-6 also.

v3.c50.22

The animal to be sacrificed is bathed with scented water, is led between the *cātvāla* and *utkara* and brought in front of the yūpa to the east with the animal's face to the west. The animal is a he-goat (chāga) which must not have a broken horn and must not be devoid of an ear or eye or tooth or tail, must not be lame nor have only seven hoofs (instead of eight, as each of the feet has two hoofs). If the animal is defective in any one of these ways an expiatory offering of ājya has to be made to Viṣṇu or Agni-Viṣṇu or Sarasvatī or Bṛhaspati (Āp. VII. 12. 3). Then follows *Paśūpākaraṇa*²⁴⁹⁵ which may be done in two days. He takes a darbha blade other than from those spread on the vedi with ‘upāvīr-asi’ (Vāj. S. VI. 7) and touches the animal (that stands facing the west) therewith with the verse ‘near the gods’ (upa devān, Vāj. S. VI. 7). Another way (according to Āp. VII. 12. 5–8) is: he takes two blades of kuśa reciting ‘iṣe tvā’ (Tai. S. I. 1. 1. 1) and takes a branch of plakṣa tree that has many leaves and twigs, that is not dry at the end and is not hollow and touches the victim with the blades and the branch and repeats the two mantras ‘upo devān-daivīr-viśaḥ and ‘prajāpater-jāyamānā’ (Tai. S. I. 3. 7. 1 and III. 1. 1. 4) and the words ‘I assign thee, who are dear to Indra and Agni.’²⁴⁹⁶ Then he produces fire by churning from the *araṇis* and offers homa in accordance with the procedure of the Vaiśvadeva-parva (vide above pp. 1093–94). Āp. (VII. 12. 11) says that upākaraṇa may be done after the production of fire. He makes a loop of the girdle which has two strands and which is two vyāmas in length; he twines the loop round the right fore-leg of the animal and then fastens tightly the girdle on the right horn with the mantra ‘ṛtasya tvā’ (Vāj. S. VI. 8, Tai. S. I. 3. 8); and ties the raśanā (girdle) round the yūpa towards its north with ‘devasya tvā’ (Vāj. S. VI. 9 or Tai. S. I. 3. 8. 1). He sprinkles water over it with ‘adbhyas-tvauṣadhībhyo’ (Vāj. S. VI. 9). Then he makes the victim drink water (by holding below its mouth the agnihotra-havaṇī filled with water) for the last time with ‘apām perurasi’ (Vāj S. VI. 10, Tai. S. I. 3. 8. 1). Then he sprinkles water over the upper limbs and lower limbs (such as its heart and belly) and over the whole of its body. Then he performs all the procedure of the darśa-pūrṇamāsa beginning from the direction to the hotṛ to repeat a verse when the fire is being kindled up to the *prayājas* (i. e. the sāmidhenīs, pravara-varaṇa by the hotṛ, devatāhvāna, āghāras and pravaravaraṇa by the adhvaryu).

v3.c50.23

²⁴⁹⁵ तृणेन पशोरुपस्पर्शनं चरणाद्युक्तं तदुपकरणम्। com. on Kāt. VI. 3. 26; देवतार्थत्वेन संकल्पन्ममुपाकरणम्। com. on Āp. VII. 12. 8.

v3.c50.24

²⁴⁹⁶ According to Āp. VII. 12. 9 the words ‘इन्द्राग्निभ्यां त्वा जुष्टं’ occur in five acts with the appropriate verb viz. उपाकरण, नियोजन (tying to the post), प्रोक्षण, वपोद्धरण (taking away the omentum) and हृदयाभिधारण (pouring clarified butter over the heart of the animal when about to be thrown as an offering). For example, he would say ‘इन्द्राग्निभ्यां त्वा जुष्टं नियुनज्मि or इन्द्राग्नि...जुष्टं प्रोक्षामि’

v3.c50.25.1

The paśu is meant either for Indra-Agni or Sūrya or Prajāpati and one has to dedicate the victim throughout one’s life in every paśubandha to that deity which one chooses at the first animal sacrifice (Kāt. VI. 3. 29–30). He anoints the victim with ājya from the juhū ladle on its forehead, its shoulders and its hind parts after the last āghāra is offered (as in darśa-pūrṇamāsa) and before dhruvā-samañjana (ladling ājya in the dhruvā ladle with the juhū thrice, once with a mantra and twice silently). While the animal stands²⁴⁹⁷ he offers the prayājas, that are eleven in the paśubandha (while in darśapūrṇamāsa they are only five and in cāturmāsyas they are nine). The method of offering these in paśubandha is as follows: the adhvaryu directs the maitrāvaruṇa to request the hotṛ to repeat the yājyā verses from the Āprī hymns of the prayāja offerings in succession. The praiṣas (directions to the hotṛ) that the maitrāvaruṇa utters are rather lengthy and hence the text of only one is given below.²⁴⁹⁸ There are ten Āprī hymns in the Ṛgveda ascribed to ten different sages. They are: I. 13 (of Medhātithi Kāṇva), I. 142 (of Dīrghatamas Auchathya, an Āṅgirasa), I. 188 (of Agastya), II. 3 (of Gṛtsamada, a Śaunaka), III. 4 (of Viśvāmitra), V. 4 (of Atri), VII. 2 (of Vasiṣṭha), IX. 5 (of Kāśyapa), X. 70 (of Vadhryaśva), X. 110 (of Jamadagni). Out of these in Ṛg. I. 13 and I. 142 there are verses for both Tanūnapāt (2nd prayāja deity) and Narāśaṁsa; while Ṛg. I. 188, III. 4, IX. 5 and X.

v3.c50.25.2

110 have only Tanūnapāt (and no Narāśaṁsa) and the rest have only Narāśaṁsa (and no Tanūnapāt). According to Āśv. III. 2. 5–7, persons of Śunaka and Vasiṣṭha gotras should repeat their own Āprī hymn (viz. II. 3 and VII. 2 respectively), persons of gotras other than these two should employ the Āprī hymn beginning with 'samiddho adya' (according to the com. Ṛg. X. 110 and not I. 188) or persons of any one of the ten gotras may employ an Āprī hymn²⁴⁹⁹ ascribed to the founder of his gotra if he is from among these ten sages. The words of Āśv. I. 5. 21–22 create some difficulty. Āśv. there prescribes that when uttering the yājyā at the time of offering the 2nd prayāja, the formula should contain an address to Tanūnapāt for all except for persons of Vasiṣṭha, Śunaka, Atri, Vadhryaśva and Rājanya gotras. These latter should utter a formula addressed to Narāśaṁsa. Here if 'rājanya' refers to Viśvāmitra, then the difficulty is that in the Āprī hymn (III. 4) ascribed to him, the 2nd deity is Tanūnapāt and not Narāśaṁsa; but it is possible that the word 'rājanya' stands for a kṣatriya sacrificer in general and does not refer to Viśvāmitra gotra at all. After ten prayājas are offered, the adhvaryu says to the slaughterer of the victim 'bring your two-edged knife.' The adhvaryu takes the *svaru* (chip of wood) and anoints the svaru and one edge of the knife with the clarified butter from the bill-like (or spout-like) part of the *juhū* ladle (according to Āp. VII. 14.

v3.c50.25.3

10 the svaru is anointed thrice) and holding the svaru below the knife touches with both the head of the victim (forehead, according to Kāt. VI. 5. 12) with a mantra (Vāj. S. VI. 11, Tai. S. I. 3. 8. 1). After placing back the svaru whence it was taken the adhvaryu gives the knife back to the slaughterer (śamitṛ) with the words 'let this edge be marked by you' (Śat. Br. III. 8. 1. 5). The animal when killed is cut up by the slaughterer with the un-anointed edge and the flesh when roasted is cut up with the edge that is anointed. The adhvaryu directs the maitrāvaruṇa to recite a mantra for indicating that fire (a fire-brand) is being carried round the victim and the maitrāvaruṇa recites 'agnirhotā no' (Ṛg. IV. 15. 1) or the verses Ṛg. IV. 15. 1–3 (according to Āśv. III. 2. 9). To the north of the cātvāla pit, he digs up a spot for establishing the Śāmitra fire.²⁵⁰⁰ The āgnīdhra, lighting a fire-brand at the āhavanīya, carries it thrice round the victim, the yūpa, the āhavanīya fire, the place where the śāmitra fire is to be kindled, the cātvāla pit and the clarified²⁵⁰¹ butter, from left to right with the mantra 'pari vājapatiḥ kaviḥ' (Ṛg. IV. 15. 3, Tai. S. IV. 1. 2. 5). In modern times the priest perambulates all these together and not separately. The āgnīdhra throws the firebrand on to the āhavanīya fire and again goes round the above objects thrice from right to left. According to Āp. VII. 15.

v3.c50.25.4

4–6, the adhvaryu makes one, two, three or four offerings of ājya, with mantras called *apāvya*, when fire is carried round the victim, when it is set free from the yūpa and led on (Tai. S. III. 1. 4. 1–2). The āgnīdhra, again taking up the same fire-brand, starts to go with his face to the north and the victim is led after the āgnīdhra by the śamitṛ (who takes away the cord of girdle from the victim's head and ties it round its neck). The pratiprasthātṛ (an assistant of adhvaryu) touches the animal (that is being led northward) from behind with two utensils (spits) made of kārśmarya wood (used for roasting vapā, omentum), the adhvaryu touches the pratiprasthātṛ and the sacrificer touches the adhvaryu.²⁵⁰² A pit is got dug (by a servant) for covering in it the undigested food and the fœces of the victim when killed. They (the priests and yajamāna) should not pass beyond the place for the śāmitra fire.

v3.c50.25.5

The adhvaryu takes two kuśa blades from those with which the vedi is strewn and says to āgnīdhra 'O3śrā3vaya' and the latter replies 'astu śrau3ṣaṭ' and then the adhvaryu issues an upapraiṣa (a supplementary direction) to the maitrāvaruṇa to prompt (the hotṛ) to recite for the offerings to Gods.²⁵⁰³ The hotṛ then recites the famous (but long) adhrigupraiṣa,²⁵⁰⁴ which is an invocation to divine and human slaughterers calling upon them to bring the animal to the holy doors of the sacrificial place, wishing that the parents, relatives and friends of the victim will consent to its death and expressing the hope that its several organs and limbs, such as the eyes and ears, will be merged in divinities like the sun and giving directions as to how its parts are to be cut and disposed of. On reciting this solemn formula the hotṛ, while still occupying his seat, turns to the right (i. e. he comes to face the west) and has the sacrificial place behind his back and the maitrāvaruṇa does the same. The adhvaryu throws one of the two blades taken up by him to the west of the śāmitra fire, the victim is held over that blade with its head to the west (or to the east, according to Kāt. VI. 5. 17) and feet to the north. Then its mouth is firmly held so as to stop its breathing and choke it to death or it is strangled to death without allowing it to give out a cry, by using a halter round its throat.

v3.c50.25.6

The adhvaryu says ‘kill it without²⁵⁰⁵ allowing it to utter a cry’ and then he along with the pratiprasthātṛ, āgnīdhra and the sacrificer come back to the āhavanīya which they face, turn from left to right and remain with their backs to the animal that is being killed (i. e. they do not see the actual slaying of the animal). According to Āp. VII. 16. 7 the sacrificer repeats at this time several verses such as Tai. S. III. 3. 1. 2, Tai. Br. III. 7. 7, the purport of which is that the victim may go to heaven, the sacrificer himself also may go to heaven after securing welfare in this world. When the śamitṛ declares that the victim is killed the adhvaryu says ‘let it lie down for a moment.’ If the paśu bleats while being strangled the adhvaryu then offers ājya in fire (as an expiation). The sacrificer and adhvaryu with vapāśrapaṇīs (spits) approach the dead victim with the words 'O slaughterers, may you approach' (Tai. S. III. 1. 4. 3). He then removes the cord (by which the victim was tied) with 'may Aditi remove this cord' (Tai. S. III. 1. 4. 2). He winds round the raśanā (girdle of the victim) into a loop, keeps it on the arteries of the victim leading to the ears, attaches it to a peg and throws it into the cātvāla pit (Āp. VII. 17. 4–6). According to Kāt. VI. 5. 26 he throws the tying cord into the cātvāla by means of the two vapāśrapaṇīs. Then the adhvaryu directs the pratiprasthātṛ to lead forward the sacrificer's wife from her seat to the vedi.

v3.c50.25.7

When leading her who has a jar of water in her hands for washing the feet and other limbs of the paśu, the priest²⁵⁰⁶ makes her recite a verse in honour of the sun 'namaste ātāna' (Vāj. S. VI. 12, Tai. S. I. 3. 8. 2). Āp. adds that the wife, priests and the sacrificer touch water on the cātvāla pit (VII. 18. 4) with a mantra (Tai. S. I. 3. 8. 2 'āpo devīḥ). The wife sitting down near the dead paśu washes with water the several parts of the victim's body viz. its mouth, nose, eyes, navel, penis, anus, feet (all together) with appropriate formulae in each case (viz. 'vācaṃ te śundhāmi' &c. Vāj. S. VI. 14). With the water remaining in the jar the adhvaryu and sacrificer sprinkle the other parts, such as the head, with Vāj. VI. 15 (Tai. S. I. 3. 9. 1). The adhvaryu turns the animal on its back and places on the victim's body a blade of kuśa with its end to the east about four fingers²⁵⁰⁷ below the navel of the animal with 'oṣadhe trāyasva' (Vāj. S. VI. 15), places the marked edge of the knife on that blade, makes a slit on the kuśa blade and the belly obliquely, takes in his left hand the portion of the blade cut off and anoints the ends of the other portion of the blade with blood (that spirts out from the slit) with 'thou art the portion of evil spirits' (Vāj. VI. 16), touches water and throws that blood-stained blade on the utkara.²⁵⁰⁸ The sacrificer treads²⁵⁰⁹ upon the blood-stained blade with the left foot (and then touches water with his hand).

v3.c50.25.8

The adhvaryu then pulls out from the belly of the victim the omentum, envelopes the two spits ²⁵¹⁰ (vapāśrapaṇīs) with it, pierces the thin end of the vapā with one spit, severs it from the belly on all sides and sprinkles it with water holding the spits over the cātvāla pit. Then the pratiprasthātṛ heats the omentum on the śāmitra fire. The adhvaryu, pratiprasthātṛ and āgnīdhra come from the cātvāla to the āhavanīya. The āgnīdhra throws the śāmitra fire (viz. the firebrand and not the fire produced by attrition) into the āhavanīya and the adhvaryu also throws into it the portion of the blade held in his left hand (as stated at p. 1123 above). Āp. (VII. 19. 3) adds that the śamitṛ holds tightly by the closed fingers of his hands the two portions of the skin of the victim's belly till the omentum is offered into fire. The pratiprasthātṛ, standing to the north of the āhavanīya fire, heats the omentum on that fire, then carries it by the space between the yūpa and āhavanīya, goes round to the south side, and roasts the omentum on the āhavanīya. The adhvaryu takes clarified butter in the sruva ladle and pours ājya on the omentum that is being held for roasting on the āhavanīya by the pratiprasthātṛ with a mantra. When drops (stokas) of fat begin to drip from the omentum, the adhvaryu directs the maitrāvaruṇa to recite for the drops. The maitrāvaruṇa recites Ṛg. I. 75. 1 and Ṛg. III. 21.

v3.c50.25.9

1-5.²⁵¹¹ When the omentum is well roasted, the pratiprasthātṛ says to the adhvaryu 'it is roasted, proceed.' The omentum is placed on the south corner of the western side (śroṇi) of the vedi on a branch of plakṣa tree stretched on the barhis (kuśa grass on the vedi). Then the hotṛ recites the mantra for srugādāpana (making the adhvaryu take up the juhū and upabhṛt ladles) and the adhvaryu issues a direction²⁵¹² to the maitrāvaruṇa priest to ask the hotṛ to recite the last Āprī verse as the yājyā for the 11th prayāja (which had remained to be recited). Having offered ājya (the 11th prayāja) into fire and having offered the two ājyabhāgas (according to Jai. X. 8. 5 and some others the ājyabhāgas are not offered in independent animal sacrifices nor in the animal sacrifice in soma-yāga, Āp. VII. 20. 8) he puts ājya in the juhū ladle, places a piece of gold thereon, then the whole omentum on that piece (taking it from the spits), places another golden piece on the omentum, on which he pours ājya.²⁵¹³ The adhvaryu then offers into the āhavanīya the omentum so treated to Indra and Agni (or Sūrya or Prajāpati as stated above on p. 1117). The anuvākyā and yājyā of the vapā are respectively Ṛg. I. 93. 1 and 5. According to Āśv. III. 4. 4. the *pradānas* (*yāgas*) in all paśubandhas are three, viz. vapā, puroḍāśa and havis.

v3.c50.25.10

After offering vapā, the adhvaryu throws, while standing to the north, into the āhavanīya the vapāśrapaṇī spits, the one with two forks having the forks in the east and the other having its point turned to the west (according to Āp. VII. 21. 3 it is the pratiprasthātṛ who does this). The adhvaryu offers on the spits the *saṁsrāva* (the drippings). Āp. (VII. 21. 5) and some other sūtras prescribe that the fee of one bull and three milch cows or three other cows is given to the priests at this stage. The priests (six), the sacrificer and his wife go out to the cātvāla and there purify themselves by *mārjana* (purifying with drops of water) with 'idamāpaḥ pravahata,'²⁵¹⁴ Vāj. S. VI. 17 and Ṛg. X. 9. 8 (while Āp. VII. 21. 6 prescribes five, viz. the three 'āpo hi ṣṭhā' Ṛg. X. 9. 1-3, 'idamāpaḥ' Ṛg. I. 23. 22, 'nirmā muñcāmi' Ṛg. X. 97. 16 = Vāj. S. XII. 90). When doing this the maitrāvaruṇa lays down his staff (Āśv. III. 5. 1).

v3.c50.26

²⁴⁹⁷ If the animal has sat down it is made to stand up.

v3.c50.27

²⁴⁹⁸ अध्वर्युणा समिद्भ्यः प्रेष्येति प्रेषितः सम्मैत्रावरुण आह। होता यक्षदग्निं समिधा सुषमिधा समिद्धं नाभा पृथिव्याः सङ्गथे वामस्य वर्मन्दिव इच्छस्पदे वेत्वाज्यस्य होतर्यज ।. This is the praiṣa for *samidhaḥ*. In the other praiṣas the names of deities are also put in the objective case (e. g. होता यक्षत्तनून-पातम् or नराशंसम्). Vide Vāj. S. 21. 29–40 for the praiṣas of all the prayāja deities uttered by Maitrāvaruṇa with reference to the Āprīs.

v3.c50.28

²⁴⁹⁹ The word 'āprī' appears to be used in two senses. One sense is 'a deity or deities' invoked by the verses of the hymn. Yāska (in the Nirukta VIII. 4–22) holds a lengthy discussion on the Āprīs, where he appears to regard the Āprīs as deities; अथात आप्रियः। आप्रियः कस्मात्। आप्नोतेः प्रीणातेर्वा। आप्रीभिराप्रीणातीति च ब्राह्मणम्। तासामिध्मः प्रथमागामी भवति। (Nir. VIII. 4). The 2nd meaning of Āprī is 'a verse (yajyā) that gratifies a deity'. In this sense the word is used in the Ait. Br. VI. 4 'आप्रीभिराप्रीणाति। समिधो यजति। ... तनूनपातं यजति। नराशंसं यजति। इळो यजति बर्हिर्यजति। दुरो यजति। उषासानक्ता यजति। देव्या होतारा यजति। तिस्रो देवीर्यजति। त्वष्टारं यजति। वनस्पतिं यजति। स्वाहाकृतीर्यजति। ताभिर्यद्यदृषि आप्रीणीयाद्यं यद्यमृषि आप्रीणाति यजमानमेव तद्वन्धुताया नोत्सृजति।' In this passage the explanations of समिधो यजति and others have been omitted. The word Āprī is here derived from the root 'prī' to please, while Yāska also suggests an alternative derivation from 'āp' to obtain but cites no Brāhmaṇa text in support of that derivation. The Śat. Br. III. 8. 1. 2 derives 'Āprī' from 'pṝ' to fill. According to Yāska the first Āprī deity is 'Idhma', while according to the Ait. Br. it is 'Samidhaḥ'. It is to be noted that he explains all the verses of Ṛg. X. 110, as the Āprī hymn but as that hymn does not contain a verse about Narāśaṁsa he quotes one from another Āprī hymn a verse for him viz. Ṛg. VII. 2. 2 (in Nir. VIII. 7). Hence it is probable that he held the view that the Āprī verses for all persons should be taken from Ṛg. X. 110, while the Ait. Br. prefers the view that one should repeat that Āprī hymn that is ascribed to the founder of one's gotra. Yāska (Nir. VIII. 22) divides the Āprī hymns into three classes, those containing verses addressed to both Tanūnapāt and Narāśaṁsa, those addressed to Narāśaṁsa only and (*Continued from last page*) those addressed to Tanūnapāt only. He mentions an 11th Āprī hymn occurring in the praiṣa (i. e. probably the praiṣādhyāya Āprī hymn). There are Āprī hymns in the other vedas also. For example, vide Vāj. S. 21. 12–22 (only Tanūnapāt), 29. 25–36 (containing addresses to both Tanūnapāt and Narāśaṁsa and being the same as Ṛg. X. 110 except the verse to Narāśaṁsa which is taken from Ṛg. VII. 2. 2), Atharvaveda V. 12 (same as Ṛg. X. 110), V. 27. The Tai. Br. III. 6. 3 contains all the Āprī verses of Ṛg. X. 110 and the verse Ṛg. VII. 2. 2. There is considerable literature on the Āprīs, both ancient and modern. Vide Tai. S. IV. 1. 8, Tai. Br. II. 6. 12 and 18 and Ait. Br. (Haug's tr. pp. 81–82), Max Muller's H. A. S. L. pp. 463–467.

v3.c50.29

²⁵⁰⁰ The fire on which the flesh of the victim is roasted is called Śāmitra. The burning fire-brand, after it is carried round the victim, is placed by the adhvaryu (who takes it from the āgnīdhra's hand) on a spot to the north of the cātvāla and that becomes the śāmitra fire. अभिपर्यग्निकृते देश उल्मुकं निदधाति । स शामित्रः। आप. VII. 16. 2–3. According to some the śāmitra fire is specially produced by attrition (vide Kāt. VI. 5. 14).

v3.c50.30

²⁵⁰¹ There are several views here. Some hold that the fire-brand is to be carried round the victim alone, others hold that it is to be carried round the first five objects and others add ājya; others that the fire-brand is carried round the victim, the place of śāmitra and ājya. Vide Kāt. VI. 5. 2–3, Āp. VII. 15. 2 and com. thereon. This operation of carrying fire round the victim is called paryagnikaraṇa. According to the Tai. Br. III. 8. 17 the mantras 'meṣas-tvā pacatair-avatu' are apāvya and that the Prāṇas are apāvya (the mantras are Tai. S. VII. 4. 12. 1).

v3.c50.31

²⁵⁰² The idea of this touching seems to be that some spiritual influence passes from the consecrated victim to the sacrificer.

v3.c50.32

²⁵⁰³ The maitrāvaruṇa is an assistant of the hotṛ and the praiṣa he utters is अजैदग्निरासमद्धाजं नि दे॒वो दे॒वेभ्यो हव्यवाट् प्राञ्चोभिर्हिन्वानो धेनाभिः कल्पमानो यज्ञस्यायुः प्रतिरन्नुपप्रेष्य होत्रर्हव्या देवेभ्यः ।. Vide आश्व. III. 2. 10, ऐ. ब्रा. VI. 5, तै. ब्रा. III. 6. 5.

v3.c50.33

²⁵⁰⁴ The adhrigu-praiṣa is: दैव्‍याः शमितार आरभध्वमुत मनुष्या उपनयत मेध्या दुर आशासाना मेधपतिभ्यां मेधम् । प्रास्मा अग्निं भरत स्तृणीत बर्हिरन्वेनं माता मन्यतामनु पितानु भ्राता सगर्भ्योऽनु सखा सयूथ्यः । उदीचीना अस्य पदो निधत्तात् सूर्यं चक्षुर्गमयताद्वातं प्राणमन्ववसृजतादन्तरिक्षमसुं दिशः श्रोत्रं पृथिवीं शरीरम् । एकधास्य त्वचमाच्छ्यतात्पुरा नाभ्या आपि शसो वपामुत्खिदतादन्तरेवोष्माणं वारयध्वात् । श्येनमस्य वक्षः कृणुतात् प्रशसा बाहू शला दोषणी कश्यपेवांसावच्छिद्रे श्रोणी कवषोरू सेकपर्णाष्ठीवन्ता । षड्-विंशतिरस्य वङ्क्रयस्ता अनुष्ठ्यो च्यावयताद्गात्रं गात्रमस्थानूनं कृणुतात् ऊवध्यगोहं पार्थिवं खनतात् । अस्ना रक्षः संसृजतात् । वनिष्ठुमस्य मा राविष्टोरूकं मन्यमाना नेद्वस्तोके तनये रवितारवच्छाशमितारः । अध्रिगो शमीध्वं सुशमि शमीध्वं शमीध्वमध्रिगा३उ अपाप । आश्व. III. 3. 1, शां. श्रौ. V. 17. This occurs in Tai. Br. III. 6. 6 and Ait. Br. VI. 6-7, where some expressions are also explained. Āśv. (III. 2. 11-30) explains how changes (ūha) are to be effected in this formula in different rites according to the limbs concerned, the deities and the number of victims. Āśv. (III. 3. 2 and 4) provides that the words शमितारः, अपाप and अस्ना रक्षः संसृजतात् are recited inaudibly and the passage 'अध्रिगो ...... अपाप' is repeated thrice. This whole formula is called adhrigu and adhrigu was also supposed to be a deity presiding over the slaughtering of a victim in sacrifice. Vide com. on Aśv. III. 2. 11. There were as remarked by Śāṅ. Śr. nine pauses to take breath at the end of each of the first nine sentences. The Nirukta (V. 11) explains 'adhrigu' as meaning a mantra and also states that the word is applied to Agni in Ṛg. III. 21. 4 and to Indra in Ṛg. I. 61. 1. The Nirukta quotes the words 'अध्रिगो शमीध्वं ...... अध्रिगो.' Jaimini considers questions arising from some of the words used in this formula; in IX. 3. 27-28 (when there are many victims in a sacrifice, the singular, 'cakṣur' is still to be used), IX. 3. 29-31 (the word 'ekadhā' is explained), IX. 3. 32-40 (some śākhās read 'medhapataye' and some 'medhapatibhyām' and the word means 'devatā'), IX. 4. 1-16 (about '26 ribs' when there are two or more victims), IX. 4. 22 ('urūka' means 'vapā'), IX. 4. 23-24 ('praśasā' means 'praśastau'), IX. 4. 25-27 (the words 'śyena, śalā, kaśyapa, kavaṣa and srekaparṇa only mean that the limbs are to be taken out entire and when so taken out they resemble the hawk and other objects mentioned. Jai. (IX. 1. 45-49) says that in the Atirātra sacrifice of the ewe to Sarasvatī the adhrigupraiṣa does not occur. Different views were entertained as to who the śamitṛ was, the usual opinion being that he was a *(Continued from last page)* person other than the ṛtviks (though a few opined that one of the ṛtviks who choked or strangled the animal was called śamitṛ). Vide Kāt. VI. 7. 1-4 and the com. thereon. According to Jai. III. 7. 28-29, śamitṛ is the adhvaryu himself. Āśv. XII. 9. 12-13 shows that the śamitṛ may be a brāhmaṇa or a non-brāhmaṇa. The Ait. Br. VI. 7 and Āśv. III. 3. 4 state that the hotṛ is to utter inaudibly ‘O (divine) slaughterers! whatever merit exists in this make that belong to us, whatever is sinful, make it go elsewhere’. The words शमितारः, अश्रिगाउ3, अपापं are called अवसानs (stops or pauses). The last is pronounced as अपापा.

v3.c50.34

²⁵⁰⁵ According to Kāt. VI. 5. 21 the adhvaryu only says ‘kill it (the paśu), it has gone following (the gods)’; संज्ञपयानवगन्नित्येव ब्रूयात्. The com. on Āp. VII. 16. 5. explains ‘अक्षतस्य मारणं संज्ञपनम्’ (it is killing without wounding or drawing blood). Śat. Br. III. 8. 1. 15 has the words संज्ञपथा ...... गन्निति.

v3.c50.35

²⁵⁰⁶ Kāt. (VI. 5. 28) says that where an animal is sacrificed in a Soma sacrifice (as the agnīṣomīya paśu or savanīya paśu in Agniṣṭoma) it is the neṣṭṛ who leads forward the wife. If the sacrificer has several wives they all are led and all repeat the formula (Vāj. VI. 12), but only one carries the water jar.

v3.c50.36

²⁵⁰⁷ The vapā (omentum) of the paśu is about four fingers below the navel.

v3.c50.37

²⁵⁰⁸ In Kāt. the mantras about paśu-bandha are taken from Vāj. S. VI. 1-22 and they are not mentioned here in many cases.

v3.c50.38

²⁵⁰⁹ Āp. VIII. 18. 14 has the characteristic words which the sacrificer utters when treading अथैनत्सव्येन पदाभितिष्ठतीदमहं रक्षोवबाध इदमहं रक्षोऽधमं तमो नयामीति। This formula occurs in Vāj. S. VI. 16.

v3.c50.39

²⁵¹⁰ The vapāśrapaṇīs are made of sticks of kārśmarya wood, one being straight and pointed while the other has two forks at the top.

v3.c50.40

²⁵¹¹ वपायां श्रप्यमाणायां तापवशाद्वपाया ये बिन्दवः पतन्ति ते स्तोकाः। com. on Kāt. VI. 6. 18. In each of the five verses of Ṛg. III. 21 the word 'stoka' occurs. Vide Āśv. III. 4. 1 for the verses that are to be repeated.

v3.c50.41

²⁵¹² The adhvaryu directs the maitrāvaruṇa in the words स्वाहाऽग्निभ्यः प्रेष्य and the latter says होता यक्षदग्निं स्वाहाऽग्नयस्य स्वाहा मेदसः &c. (Āśv. III. 4. 3) and the hotṛ then repeats the last Āprī verse (whatever hymn is used) as the yājyā for the 11th प्रयाज.

v3.c50.42

²⁵¹³ In this way the offering (omentum) becomes fivefold (पञ्चावत्त) and this is done even for those who ordinarily make an offering caturavatta. Vide Āp. VII. 20. 10-11 and Jai. X. 7. 72-73.

v3.c50.43

²⁵¹⁴ The com. on Kāt. VI. 6. 28 expressly states that the wife also repeats the mantra (Vāj. S. VI. 17). Āśv. III. 5. 2 states that mārjana is performed with Ṛg. X. 9. 8 and 'sumitriyā na āpa' Tai. S. I. 4. 45. 2-3.

v3.c50.44

Now preparations are to be made for the paśu-puroḍāśa²⁵¹⁵ and the necessary utensils are placed to the east of the āhavanīya (the former āhavanīya i. e. the gārhapatya in this sacrifice) on kuśa grass by the āgnīdhra. The devatā of the puroḍāśa is the same as the devatā of the victim i. e. Indra and Agni (vide p. 1117 above). Jai. (XII. 1. 1-6) prescribes that the procedure (viz. prayājas) performed at the time of offering vapā is not to be repeated when the paśupuroḍāśa is offered. The adhvaryu separates the various organs (such as the heart, the tongue) from the corpse without cutting into parts each organ (according to the com. on Āp. VII. 22. 5 and 7 it is the śamitṛ who cuts up the several limbs). There is some divergence as to the limbs of the victim that are cut off and are used as avadānas and since animal sacrifices became rare or were altogether stopped in medieval times, the commentators do not explain all the words used in the ancient texts in the same way (vide Āp. VII. 22. 6, Kāt. VI. 7. 6-12 and Baud. IV. 8). According to Āp. VII. 22. 6,²⁵¹⁶ the limbs cut off are: the heart, the tongue, chest, the liver, the kidneys (vṛkyau, vṛkkau in Kāt.), left forefoot, the two flanks (pārśve), the right haunch, a third part (i. e. the middle one) of the entrails—these are meant for the devatās and are to be offered with the juhū ladle; the right fore-foot, the left haunch, the thinnest third of the entrails—these are for sviṣṭakṛt; the kloman (the right lung?)²⁵¹⁷, plīhan (the spleen), purītat (pericardium?), adhyūdhnī (a tubular vessel above the udder), vaniṣṭhu (large entrails?), medas (fat), jāghanī²⁵¹⁸ (the tail). Kāt. VI.

v3.c50.45

²⁵¹⁵ पशवर्थः पुरोडाशः पशुपुरोडाशः । com. on Āp. VII. 22. 1.

v3.c50.46

²⁵¹⁶ According to Kāt. VI. 7. 6 it is the foremost (or upper) joint (pūrvanaḍaka) of the left forefoot (that is taken) among the first nine. Kāt. VI. 7. 6. describes the first nine as jauhavam (to be offered with the juhū) and the next three as connected with upabhṛt ladle. The three cut into upabhṛt are called tryaṅga and are meant for Sviṣṭakṛt. Vide Śat. Br. III. 8. 3. 18 (S. B. E. Vol. 26 p. 205). The whole of the entrails are taken off at once and divided only at the time of cutting and putting into the juhū ladle.

v3.c50.47

²⁵¹⁷ According to com. on Kāt. kloman is गलनाडिका, while com. on Āp. says it is a fleshy gland called 'tilaka' resembling the liver. Purītat is pericardium according to com. on Kāt. and entrails (āntra) according to com. on Āp. Medas according to com. on Āp. is the membrane covering the heart and the vṛkya.

v3.c50.48

²⁵¹⁸ Vide Jaimini III. 8. 20-23 about jāghanī and patnīsaṃyāja and com. on Kāt. VI. 7. 10 for the various meanings attributed to jāghanī. Jaimini has several sūtras on paśu. In X. 7. 1-2 he establishes that the whole animal is not one offering, but that its several limbs are separate offerings. In X. 7. 3-9 he establishes that only eleven organs (heart &c.) are fit to be offered, that the shoulders, head, anūka and sakthin are altogether prohibited; in X. 7. 10-11 he declares that the three aṅgas, viz. the front portion of the forefoot, the middle of the entrails, and the śroṇi are offered to Sviṣṭakṛt; in X. 7. 12-17 he deals with the adhyūdhnī given to hotṛ and vaniṣṭhu to āgnīdhra.

v3.c50.49.1

7. 11 adds that kloman and the next three may be cut off or not. The medas (fat on the abdomen) is, according to Kāt., thrown on the guda (entrails) if the victim be thin. The tail is to be employed as an offering in the Patnīsaṁyāja, according to Kāt. and the largest part of the intestines (3rd of the whole) was to be employed as offering in upayaj homa. The undigested grass (inside the belly of the victim) is put in a pit dug up to the west of the śāmitra fire and to the north of the utkara and on it the blood of the victim is poured with the words 'thou art the portion of evil spirits' (Vāj. S. VI. 16). The victim's heart is held pierced on a pike (śūla) made of varaṇa wood one *aratni* long and is roasted on the śāmitra fire and all other parts of the victim except the heart are cooked in an ukhā (pot for boiling or cooking). According to com. on Āp. VII. 22. 9 this cooking is done by the śamitṛ. Jai. XII. 1. 12 prescribes that the cooking is done on the śālāmukhīya fire and not on śāmitra fire. The adhvaryu performs the operation of sprinkling butter on the juhū and upabhṛt, cuts two portions from the middle and front parts of the cooked material into the juhū, pours butter over it and offers it into fire for Indra and Agni, then cuts one portion (for Sviṣṭakṛt) into the upabhṛt, makes two pourings of butter over it and makes an offering to Agni Sviṣṭakṛt.²⁵¹⁹ Jai. (XII. 1.

v3.c50.49.2

10-11) concludes that the offering of the paśupuroḍāśa is made with the ladles used in darśapūrṇamāsa and not with the soma vessels (viz. the cups and camasas). Then a portion is cut off out of the remainder of the material from which puroḍāśa was offered and placed in a vessel called prāśitraharaṇa (which portion of the sacrificial food is eaten by the brahmā priest) and some portion is cut off as the iḍā, which is invoked with mantras and eaten by all the priests. He then thrice asks the śamitṛ whether the *havis* (the heart roasted on a pike) is ready cooked and the latter simply replies 'it is cooked'. Kāt. VI. 8. 1 prescribes that the śamitṛ should in his reply utter only the word '*śṛtam*' and should not add any word like 'revered sir' (bhagavaḥ) or '*hi*'. The śamitṛ then takes off the heart from the pike (śūla) on which it was roasted, and keeps it in a pot (kumbhī) and pours over it pṛṣadājya (clarified butter in which sour milk is mixed) with 'saṃ te' (Vāj. S. VI. 18, Tai. S. I. 3. 10. 1) and ājya over the other portions of the paśu. The śamitṛ gives the hṛdaya-śūla (the pike on which the heart was roasted) to the adhvaryu who does not keep it on the bare ground nor throw it in water, nor does he touch with it himself or others (but holds it tied by a cord). He takes these (viz. the roasted heart and the cooked organs) between the yūpa and the āhavanīya fire and places them on the southern part of the altar (viz.

First 65 of 89 passages. Read on

Linked texts (15)