History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c52.10.4

v3.c52.10.4

All the seventeen drums are beaten on the northern śroṇi of the vedi to urge on the horses. All the horses are made to smell the *caru* of wild rice (*nīvāra*) cooked in 17 pots for Bṛhaspati. The chariot of the sacrificer is in front and the others follow his, but do not overtake it. The adhvaryu makes the yajamāna recite the formulae of victory such as ‘agnirekākṣareṇa’ (Vāj. S. VIII. 31-34, Tai. S. I. 1. 11). When the chariot reaches the goal, the chariot is taken to its north and then turned round to the south. All the chariots return to the sacrificial ground and the horses are again made to smell the caru of nīvāras and a homa is offered for discharging the drums (dundubhi-vimocanīya-homa). A berry (kṛṣṇala, gold of that weight) is given to each of those that rode the chariots, but that gold is taken back from them and is donated to the brahmā who also receives the golden jar of honey (Kāt. XIV. 4. 17, Āp. XVIII. 5. 5) after it is presented to and taken back from the kṣatriya or vaiśya. The cups of soma are taken up by the priests (the adhvaryu taking the hotṛ-camasa), and the camasādhvaryus take up their cups; while the pratiprasthātṛ takes up the principal wine cup and the other sixteen are taken up by those who joined in the race. The adhvaryu starts towards the east with the soma cups with ‘sam pṛcaḥ’ (Tai. Br. I. 3. 3), the pratiprasthātṛ to the west with the wine cups and stands near the mārjālīya shed.