History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c51.23.2

v3.c51.23.2

The doors of the hall are opened and the adhvaryu and yajamāna come out. To the south of the eastern door of the sacrificial hall stands a heifer (called *somakrayaṇī*), that is one, two or three years²⁵⁴⁷ old, is tawny, has yellowish brown eyes or is red (but has no red eyes), has not given birth to a calf, has no deficiency and is not tied (vide Āp. VI. 20. 2-5 and Sat. VII. 2, p. 623 for further details). The cow is not held by her ear or her foot is not tied by a rope (she may be held by the neck, if necessary). She is invoked by the adhvaryu (who is sitting) with a mantra 'cidasi' (Vāj. S. IV. 19, Tai. S. I. 2. 4. 1). The cow is led towards the north, the adhvaryu and yajamāna follow her. After she goes six steps, at her 7th step, the brahmā and yajamāna sit down to the cow's right, behind her sits the adhvaryu and the neṣṭṛ priest to her north. They keep the golden piece on the spot where the 7th step is put by her (which is first covered with his folded hands by the adhvaryu) and make an offering of it to Aditi (adityai idam na mama). Taking the sphya the adhvaryu draws lines round the 7th foot-print (once with a mantra, twice silently) from right to left (Āp. X. 23. 3 adds that lines are drawn also with the antelope horn of the sacrificer); the dust on the lines is gathered with the hand and put into a pot (sthālī) and handed over to the yajamāna who passes it on to his wife who invokes the cow with a mantra.