History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c50.4.3

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).