History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c53.s1.9.4

v3.c53.s1.9.4

They take out the fat of the dead horse in place of the omentum taken from the goat in other sacrifices (Āp. XXII. 18. 10-11, Kāt. XX. 7. 7). The blood of the horse is cooked and offered at the end of the other offerings to sviṣṭakṛt (Āp. XXII. 19. 10 and Kāt. XX. 8. 8.). Before the omentum of the animals meant for Prajāpati is offered there is *brahmodya* (a theological dialogue, where questions and riddles are propounded and answers given) between the priests in the *sadas*. According to Āśv. X. 9. 2-3 at first the hotṛ asks the adhvaryu 'who roams alone &c.' (Vāj. S. 23. 45) and the adhvaryu replies 'the sun roams alone &c.' (Vāj. S. 23. 46). Then the hotṛ again asks 'what light is like the sun's &c.' (Vāj. S. 23. 47) and the adhvaryu replies 'truth is light equal to the sun &c.' (Vāj. S. 23. 48, which however reads 'brahma sūryasamam'). Then the brahmā priest asks udgātṛ and he replies (Vāj. S. 23. 49-50), then the udgātṛ asks a question and the brahmā replies (Vāj. S. 23. 51-52). Then the four priests come out and each asks the sacrificer who sits facing the east the question 'I ask you the furthest limit of the earth &c.' (Ṛg. I. 164. 34) and the sacrificer replies 'this vedi is the furthest limit' (Ṛg. I. 164. 35). Vide Lāṭ. IX. 10. 9-14 for almost the same questions and answers.²⁶⁷² Kāt. (XX. 7. 10-15) mentions Vāj. S. XXIII. 49-62 as the dialogue that takes place at this stage in the Aśvamedha and states that Ṛg. I. 164. 34 (= Vāj. S. XXIII.