History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c51.127.2

v3.c51.127.2

1) in the gārhapatya fire, the piece of gold is taken out and the yajamāna holding that gold piece and ājya in his hand approaches the dakṣiṇās (the various articles that constitute the fee) placed to the south of the mahāvedi. Vide Śat. Br. IV. 3. 4 about dakṣiṇā (derived from 'dakṣay' to invigorate) where it is stated that no priest should officiate at a soma sacrifice for a fee less than one hundred cows. Āp. (XIII. 5. 1—XIII. 7. 15) gives numerous rules about the dakṣiṇā to be distributed among the sixteen priests. The dakṣiṇā may consist of 7, 21, 60, 100, 112, or 1000 cattle or an unlimited number or a man may give all his wealth except the share of the eldest son²⁶¹³ and when he gives a thousand cattle or all his wealth he has to give one mule in addition (Āp. XIII. 5. 1-3). He may also give goats, sheep, horses, slaves, an elephant, clothes, chariots, corn of various kinds, asses. A man may give his own daughter in marriage (in the daiva form) as fee (Āśv. V. 13. 7). With regard to the cows meant as fee Āp. states that the yajamāna drives them with the black antelope skin so as to form them into four groups. One group (i. e. ½ of the whole number) is given to the adhvaryu and his assistants in such a way that the pratiprasthātṛ, neṣṭṛ and unnetṛ receive respectively half, one-third and one-fourth of what the adhvaryu gets; that is, as stated by Kāt. X. 2. 25 and the com. on Āp. XIII. 2.