History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c51.70.4

v3.c51.70.4

The four stones are again placed facing the *upara* (the central big stone), the sediment or dregs (*ṛjīṣa*)²⁵⁸⁴ of the soma stalks are put over the face of the stones. The droṇakalaśa (a big trough) is carried from its place and kept over all the stones by the udgātṛ priests, who spread over it a woollen strainer or sieve held on a wooden frame or stool with its hem to the north and its centre (*nābhi*) made of the bunch of wool that was handed over to the sacrificer when soma was purchased (Āp. X. 26. 11 and XII. 13. 1). The unnetṛ priest takes in a vessel (camasa) the soma liquid from the ādhavanīya trough, pours it into the hotṛcamasa containing nigrābhya water held by the sacrificer, who pours a continuous stream on to the woollen strainer (from the hotṛcamasa). From the stream of soma juice flowing down from the strainer all cups (that are wooden) up to the dhruva cup are filled, the first being the cup called antaryāma. The soma that falls in the droṇakalaśa is called *śukra* (Kāt. IX. 5. 15). The Upāṃśu cup is offered before sunrise, while the adhvaryu offers the antaryāma cup when the sun rises (Āp. XII. 13. 12). The cups filled are Aindravāyava, Maitrāvaruṇa, Śukra, Manthin, Āgrayaṇa, Ukthya, Dhruva and they are placed on various spots of the mound (khara) described at p. 1155 above. As the cups are filled from the stream (dhārā) they are called *dhārāgrahas* (com. on Kāt. IX. 6. 26).