History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c50.16.3

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.