History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c51.101.1

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.