History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c51.50.2

v3.c51.50.2

Various saṃskāras are performed on the axles of the carts by the wife and pratiprasthātṛ respectively. Detailed rules about covering the carts and similar matters are passed over (Āp. XI. 7-8, Kāt. VIII. 4). The havirdhāna maṇḍapa is higher in the east than in the west and has two doors one to the east and the other to the west (Sat. VII. 4. p. 701). No one is to take his meals or even to eat iḍā inside the havirdhāna maṇḍapa. The adhvaryu digs four round holes (in two rows, two in each row) below the fore part of the shafts of the southern cart (but not far from the axle), each hole being about one span in diameter, being at a distance of one span from each and all being connected by cross-way subterranean passages. They are one arm deep. They are dug in such an order that the hole to the north-east is the last (i. e. first south-east one is dug, then north-west one is dug, then south-west and then north-east or first north-west one, then south-east, then south-west and lastly north-east). On these holes are spread kuśa blades over which two wooden boards (adhiṣavaṇa-phalaka) are placed over which is spread the red skin of a bull (adhiṣavaṇa-carma), on which soma juice is extracted by means of four stones. These holes add to the noise of the stones by the sound reverberating through them and they are therefore called uparava.²⁵⁶⁶ Jai. (XI. 4. 52-53) states that the mantra 'rakṣohaṇo' is to be repeated at each time when a hole is dug and not only once for all holes.