History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c51.138.3

v3.c51.138.3

The adhvaryu starts the udgātṛ priests on their chant of Yajñāyajñīya stotra (Āp. XIII. 15. 3), which is the principal stotra of the Agniṣṭoma (Sat. IX. 4. p. 931 calls it 'Agniṣṭoma Sāman'). All those priests who are to chant the stotra and the choristers cover their heads together with the ears.²⁶²² Those who come as sight-seers into the sadas should join in the chant as choristers (Āp. XIII. 15. 6). When the udgātṛ makes the hiṅkāra of the yajñāyajñīya stotra he looks at the sacrificer's wife who is brought by the neṣṭṛ near the udgātṛ. When the nidhana (*finale*) of the first verse is being sung the wife removes the garment from her right thigh and with her face to the north pours the *pānnejanī* water on her thigh up till the prastāva of the third stotriya of the first paryāya²⁶²³ (so as to leave no water in the jar). The wife retires to her shed when the udgātṛ asks her to go or when he has looked at her thrice and she has poured water thrice (Kāt. X. 7. 5–6). While the chant proceeds the sacrificer repeats the *saptahotṛ* mantras (note 2393 above). The Yajñāyajñīya sāman is Ṛg. VI. 48. 1–2=Sāmaveda II. 1. 1. 20 (Benfey) and S. V. vol. III. p. 175-177.²⁶²⁴ After this comes the recitation of the Āgnimāruta śastra (Āśv. V. 20. 6) which is to be done in the druta (quick) mode of recitation.²⁶²⁵ While the hotṛ recites Ṛg. X. 9.