History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c51.101
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c51.101
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v3.c51.101.1
Then offerings of soma from the cups are made to the joint deities (*dvidevatya grahas*) viz. for Indra and Vāyu, Mitra and Varuṇa, and the two Aśvins. After this comes *camasonnayana*. The unnetṛ fills to the west of the uttaravedi nine *camasas* for the priests called camasādhvaryus, by first pouring in each some soma from the droṇakalaśa (this is upastaraṇa), then soma from the pūtabhṛt trough and then again from the droṇakalaśa (this is abhighāraṇa). The order in which the nine are filled is: first that of hotṛ, then for brahmā, udgātṛ, sacrificer, maitrāvaruṇa, brāhmaṇācchaṁsin, potṛ, neṣṭṛ, āgnīdhra (there is none for unnetṛ and acchāvāka here). The maitrāvaruṇa repeats Ṛg. I. 16, VII. 21 and IV. 35 in the three savanas respectively when the camasas are being filled (Āśv. V. 5. 14). Then follows *śukrāmanthi-pracāra*. The adhvaryu takes the soma cup called Śukra, the pratiprasthātṛ the Manthin cup and the camasādhvaryus the camasas that are placed on the uttaravedi. The camasādhvaryus are not ṛtviks chosen by the yajamāna but they are assistants chosen by the priests (the ṛtviks themselves). Vide Jai. III. 7. 27. Jai. (III. 7. 26-27) further says that they are generally ten.
v3.c51.101.2
They (adhvaryu and pratiprasthātṛ) cover the cups with two pieces of wood (chiselled off when the yūpa was made) that are sprinkled with holy water, wipe the cups from their mouths downwards with two pieces (of the yūpa, but not sprinkled) saying 'wiped off is Śaṇḍa' (adhvaryu says) and 'wiped off is Marka' (says pratiprasthātṛ). They place the cups on the south and north corners of the western side of the uttaravedi, go to the south and north of the yūpa, throw away the unsprinkled chips (referring to the repulse of Śaṇḍa and Marka)²⁵⁹⁷ outside the vedi and the sprinkled ones are placed into the āhavanīya and standing on both sides of the yūpa they two offer the cups with their faces to the west and the camasādhvaryus (who are nine here and ten in other cases, vide com. on Kāt. IX. 11. 2) do the same with faces to the east and silently. All these offerings are made to Indra (com. on Kāt. IX. 11. 2). The pratiprasthātṛ pours what remains in the manthin cup into the śukra cup and the adhvaryu pours the mixture of the soma juice remnants of the two cups into the hotṛ-camasa. The adhvaryu directs attendants to refill the cups of the maitrāvaruṇa, brāhmaṇāc-chaṁsin, potṛ, neṣṭṛ and āgnīdhra with soma from the droṇakalaśa and the contents are offered into fire respectively for Mitra and Varuṇa, Indra, Maruts, Tvaṣṭṛ, Agni.
v3.c51.101.3
Then the hotṛ, adhvaryu and pratiprasthātṛ partake of the remnants of the contents of the cups offered to the double deities (Indra and Vāyu, Mitra and Varuṇa, the two Aśvins). Vide Āp. XII. 25. 13. A keen controversy is carried on in the sūtras whether the adhvaryu or hotṛ drinks first. Vide Āp. XII. 24. 6, Kāt. IX. 11. 12-17. The contents of the cup for Indra-vāyu are drunk twice and of the rest once. The mantra in all cases of the drinking of soma by the priests is 'vāgdevī juṣāṇā somasya tṛpyatu saha prāṇena svāhā' (Vāj. S. VIII. 37, Āp. XII. 24. 11. 12, Kāt. IX. 11. 19, Āśv. V. 6. 22). The remnants in the cups are poured into hotṛcamasa. Then a very small part of the puroḍāśa is thrown into the aindra-vāyava cup by the adhvaryu, a portion of the payasyā in the maitrāvaruṇa cup and the dhānā in the āśvina cup. Vide Jai. III. 8. 33 (where it is said that this effects a saṁskāra of the puroḍāśa &c). The pratiprasthātṛ then keeps these cups on the northern wheel-track of the southern havirdhāna cart. The adhvaryu and other priests make an offering of Vājina (Kāt. IX. 12. 1). The several priests drink soma from their camasas (in a rather complicated manner, for which vide com. on Kāt. IX. 12. 3 and Āp. XII. 25. 16-23). The hotṛ drinks once from all camasas and twice from his own camasa, the maitrāvaruṇa and other priests drink from their own camasas twice (Āp. XII. 25. 19-21).²⁵⁹⁸ On drinking soma the priests touch their mouth and heart with Ṛg. VIII. 48.
v3.c51.101.4
3-4 'we drank soma and have become immortal &c.' Vide Āśv. V. 8. 26. All the camasas are then strengthened or replenished (āpyāyana) by the priests by repeating two mantras 'āpyāyasva' &c. (Ṛg. I. 91. 16 and 18 = Vāj. S. XII. 112-113, Tai. S. III. 2. 5. 3) and by filling them with soma from the pūtabhṛt trough and then they are placed under the southern havirdhāna cart to the west of the axle and are thence-forward called Nārāśaṁsa till the taking up of the Vaiśvadeva cup (Āp. XII. 25. 24-27, Kāt. IX. 15. 5-8). The adhvaryu takes a small portion of the puroḍāśa and while giving it to the acchāvāka priest who sits outside the sadas in front of the seat (dhiṣṇya) prepared for him says 'O acchāvāka, say whatever you have to say.' The acchāvāka holding the portion on a level with his mouth recites the three verses, Ṛg. V. 25. 1-3 (acchā vo agnimavase &c.). He combines the 'om' uttered at the end of the third verse with a long prose formula²⁵⁹⁹ (nigada) which ends with 'O brāhmaṇa! call us who are brāhmaṇas'. The adhvaryu on hearing this requests the hotṛ to summon the acchāvāka (to the soma drink). When the hotṛ calls him, the acchāvāka recites Ṛg. VI. 42 and a camasa is filled for him first with soma from the droṇakalaśa, then from the pūtabhṛt trough and again from the droṇakalaśa. After the acchāvāka recites Ṛg. VIII. 38.
v3.c51.101.5
7 (as the yājyā) the adhvaryu makes an offering of soma from his camasa in the āhavanīya, the acchāvāka lays down the piece of puroḍāśa and sitting on his own seat drinks the remainder of soma himself from his camasa and also eats the portion of puroḍāśa given to him (Āśv. V. 7. 7 and 9). His camasa is then placed among the other camasas.