History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c52.23

v3.c52.23

²⁶⁴⁴ The Viśvajit from among the ekāhas is a very striking sacrifice. In this the sacrificer either gives a thousand cows or all wealth after separating the share of the eldest son (and excepting land and śūdras who serve him as a duty ). Jai. sets out several propositions about this sacrifice in IV. 3. 10-16, VI. 7. 1-20, VII. 3.. 6-11, X. 6. 13. After this rite, the sacrificer stays three days at the root of an udumbara tree subsisting on fruits and roots, for three days in a settlement of niṣādas ( where he may subsist on nīvāras i. e. on rice, śyāmāka and the flesh of deer ), for three days among vaiśyas (*jana*, also explained as ' persons of another gotra ': ) and three days with kṣatriyas:(*samānajana*, (*Continued from last page*) also expalined as sagotras). For a year he should not refuse what is offered but should not beg. Vide Kāt. XXII. 1. 9-33, Lāṭ. VIII. 2. 1-13. The Gosava is a very strange rite. The Tai. Br. II. 7. 6 briefly describes it. One who desires svārājya may perform it and Āp. (XXII. 12. 12-20 and XXII. 13. 1-3) states that for a year thereafter he should be paśuvrata (act like cattle) i. e. should drink water like them and cut grass (with his teeth) and approach his mother &c. (probably only as a make-believe). तनेष्ट्वा संवत्सरं पशुव्रतो भवति । उपावहायोदकं पिबेत्तृणानि चाच्छि-न्द्यात् । उप मातरमियादुप स्वसारमुप सगोत्राम् । आप. XXII. 13. 1-3. Another very striking ekāha sacrifice is the सर्वस्वार. This is performed by one who desires to die on performing it and to obtain heaven. When the Ārbhava pavamāna stotra is begun to be chanted in the third pressing, the sacrificer directs the priests to finish the sacrifice and enters fire. This sacrifice is called श्येनःकर्णोरिष्टोमः. Vide ताण्ड्यब्राह्मण XVII. 12. 5, Jaimini X. 2. 57-61 where Śabara appears to quote some vedic texts very similar to Āp. XXII. 7. 21-25 'मरणकामो यजेत यः कामयेतानामयता स्वर्गं लोकमियामिति । ... ... आर्भवे स्तूयमाने औदुम्बरीं पत्तोबद्भेनाहतेन वाससा दक्षिणाशिराः प्रावृतः संविशत्याह ब्राह्मणाः समापयत मे यज्ञमिति । तदैव संतिष्ठते ।'