History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c53.s1.9.3

v3.c53.s1.9.3

When the horse is killed, the wives of the king go round it thrice from left to right with 'gaṇānām tvā', thrice from right to left with 'priyāṇām tvā' and again thrice from left with 'nidhinām tvā' (all in Vāj. S. XXIII. 19). They fan the dead horse with their garments while braiding their hair on the right side upwards loosening the hair on the left side and strike their left thighs with their right hands (Āp. XXII. 17. 13, Āśv. X. 8. 8). The crowned queen lies down by the side of the dead horse and both are covered by the adhvaryu with the mantle on which the horse lies and she unites with it (Āp. XXII. 18. 3-4, Kāt. XX. 6. 15-16). Then according to Āśv. X. 8. 10-13 outside the vedi the hotṛ abuses the crowned queen in obscene language and she returns the abuse along with her one hundred attendant princesses and the brahmā priest and the favourite wife enter into a similar obscene abuse. According to Kāt. XX. 6. 18 the four principal priests and the chamberlain enter into an obscene abusive dialogue (given in Vāj. S. XXIII. 22-31) with the queens along with their young female attendants. Vide Śat. Br. XIII. 2. 9 and Lāṭ. IX. 10. 3-6. The attendant princesses raise the crowned queen from near the horse with 'dadhikrāvṇo' (Ṛg. IV. 39. 6 = Vāj. S. XXIII. 32). The horse is cut up with golden, silver and iron (*lauhī* may mean copper) needles by the crowned queen, the favourite queen and the discarded one with Vāj. S. XXIII. 33-38.