History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c51.81

v3.c51.81

The Bahiṣpavamāna of sacrifices lasting for more than one day is chanted in the *sadas* except on the first day (vide Drāhyāyaṇa Śr. IV. 1. 13). The sacrificer and at least four of the other priests (but not adhvaryu) act as choristers (upagātṛ, Āp. XII. 17. 11-12). According to Lāṭ. I. 11. 26 and Drāhyāyaṇa III. 4. 6 the priests sing the chorus 'ho' and the sacrificer says 'om' continuously in the *mandra* (low) tone in the intervals between the prastāva and the other elements of the chant and also during the chanting of these elements except the nidhana, according to com. on Drāhyāyaṇa III. 4. 6 and stop from doing so at the finale (*nidhana*) which is to be sung by the three sāma priests together. Jai. (III. 7. 30) states that the choristers are some of the priests (ṛtviks) themselves (except adhvaryu) and not others. At the time of the first prastāva of the bahiṣpavamāna chant, the²⁵⁸⁸ sacrificer mutters the famous prayer (set out on p. 5 above) 'asato mā sad gamaya ...... māmṛtaṁ gamaya' (Bṛ. Up. I. 3. 28 and com. on Kāt. IX. 7. 4), while according to Āp. XII. 17. 14 the sacrificer mutters the daśahotṛ texts (vide p. 993 above for them). The first stotra at each pressing is called Pavamāna (Āp. XII. 17. 8-9), that at the morning savana being called Bahiṣpavamāna, those at the 2nd and 3rd pressings being respectively called Mādhyandina pavamāna and Ārbhava or Tṛtīya Pavamāna. The other stotras are called Dhurya (com. on Kāt. IX. 14. 5).