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History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c53.s2: Sattra

History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c53.s2

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Sattra

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It was shown above (pp. 1213-1214) that the Dvādaśāha sacrifice partook of the characteristics of both ahīna and a sattra and a few points of difference between the two were also set out there. Sattras are sacrificial sessions, the duration of which varies from 12 days to a year or more. Their archetype (prakṛti) is the Dvādaśāha (Āśv. XI. 1. 7). Sattras again may for convenience be divided into those called Rātrisattras and those called Sāṁvatsarika (carried on for a year or more). Āśv. (XI. 1. 8-XI. 6. 16) and Kāt. (XXIV. 1-3) speak of numerous Rātrisattras called Trayodaśarātra and so on up to Śatarātra, state the principles on which these sattras are evolved from the Dvādaśāha, the model, and set out the schemes of all of them. If only one day has to be added then it is the Mahāvrata that is added before the last day called Udayanīya. If two or more days are required to be added then they are added before the Daśarātra (that forms the central part of the Dvādaśāha and comes after the Prāyaṇīya day). In the case of Rātrisattras of many days' duration ṣaḍahas are added (Kāt. XXIV. 1. 5-7, Āśv. XI. 1. 8-14); the Daśarātra is never repeated but is only one in the same sattra (Kāt. XXIV. 3. 34). For want of space all the Rātrisattras will be passed over. The Gavām-ayana²⁶⁷⁸ (lit. the course or way of the cows i. e. the sun's rays or days) is the model of all Sāṁvatsarika sattras (Āśv. XI. 7. 1 and com., Jai. VIII, 1. 8, Kāt. XXIV. 4. 2). Several sattras of the duration of one year or more are mentioned in the sūtra texts such as Ādityānām-ayana (Āśv. XII. 1. 1), Aṅgirasām-ayana Kuṇḍapāyinām-ayana (Āśv. XII. 4. 1), Sarpāṇām-ayana, Traivārṣika (one for three years), Dvādaśavārṣika, Ṣaṭ-triṁśadvārṣika, Śatasaṁvatsara for sādhyas (Āśv. XII. 5. 18) and Sahasrasaṁvatsara, Sārasvata (performed on the holy Sarasvatī river). A few words will be said only about the Gavām-ayana.

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²⁶⁷⁸ Vide Tilak's 'Arctic Home in the Vedas' (1903) pp. 200-202 where he quotes a passage from the Ait. Br. (IV. 3) to the effect that "cows" means 'Ādityas' (months, or days and nights). Vide pp. 193-212 for the significance of Gavām-ayana and its purpose.

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Gavām-ayana which is a Sāṁvatsarika sattra (extending over 12 months of 30 days each) consists of the following parts (Tāṇḍya XXIV. 20. 1, Āśv. XI. 1. 2-6 and 7. 2-12, Śat. XVI. 5. 18-40, Āp. XXI. 15 ff.):

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A. Prāyaṇīya Atirātra (opening day) Caturviṁśa day, an Ukthya Five months, each consisting of four Abhiplava ṣaḍahas and one Pṛṣṭhya ṣaḍaha (i.e. each month of 30 days). . Three Abhiplavas and one Pṛṣṭhya / Abhijit day (Agniṣṭoma) / Three Svarasāman days. 28 days. All these together come to six months of 30 days each.

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B. The Viṣuvat²⁶⁷⁹ or central day (which is Ekaviṁśastoma) on which an Atigrāhya Soma cup is offered to the sun and also a victim.

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²⁶⁷⁹ The Viṣuvat day is like the central ridge of a shed from which on two sides two thatches spread slantingly downwards. In order to imitate the Sun's passage to the north and south, the arrangement shown in A is reversed in C. अथ विषुवानेकविंशः । न पूर्वस्य पक्षसो नोत्तरस्य । आश्व. XI. 7. 7-8. For a description of Chandomas vide Haug's tr. of Ait. Br. p. 347 n.

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C. . Three Svarasāman days (on / which sāmans called Svara are / chanted, Tāṇḍya IV. 5) / Viśvajit day (Agniṣṭoma) / One Pṛṣṭhya and three Abhiplava / ṣaḍahas 28 days. Four months, each consisting of one Pṛṣṭhya in the beginning and four Abhiplava ṣaḍahas . Three Abhiplava ṣaḍahas / One Goṣṭoma (Agniṣṭoma) / One Āyuṣṭoma (Ukthya) / One Daśarātra (ten days) 30 days. Mahāvrata day (Agniṣṭoma) Udayanīya (Atirātra). All these in C come to six months.

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The Gavām-ayana was performed for various rewards viz. progeny, prosperity, plenty (or greatness), high position, heaven (Āp. XXI. 15. 1, Śat. XVI. 5. 14). About the day on which dīkṣā (initiation) for it took place there were several views. The Ait. Br. (19. 4) prescribes that it should be done either in Māgha or Phālguna. Some (Śat. XVI. 5. 16-17, Āp. XXI. 15. 5-6) said that dīkṣā took place four days before the Full Moon of Māgha or Caitra. Vide Lāṭ. X. 5. 18-19, Kāt. XIII. 1. 2-10 for the several days. Jai. VI. 5. 30-37 and Kāt. XIII. 1. 8 favour the view that the dīkṣā should be undertaken four days before the Full Moon day of Māgha (i. e. on ekādaśī day) since the Vedic texts prescribe the Ekāṣṭakā day of Māgha (i. e. 8th of dark half) for the purpose of soma (after 12 days of dīkṣā). In the Gavām-ayana the procedure of the Dvādaśāha as a sattra is to be followed (Āp. XXI. 15. 2-3, Jai. VIII. 1. 17), but some held that in Gavām-ayana there were to be 17 dīkṣās (instead of 12). There are certain general rules about sattras which may be stated here. They are to be performed by many as sacrificers and only brāhmaṇas can perform them (Jai. VI. 6. 16-23, Kāt. I. 6. 14). There are no separate priests (ṛtvij), but the yajamānas themselves are the priests (Jai. X. 6. 45-50 and 51-59, Śat. XVI. 1. 21). A text quoted by Śabara on Jai. VI. 2.

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1 says that the persons who engage together in a sattra must be at least 17 and not more than 24 and each of the performers secures the same unseen (or spiritual) reward for which the sattra is performed (Jai. VI. 2. 1-2). There is therefore no *varaṇa* (choosing) of priests and there is no question of remunerating them for their services by several gifts as in Jyotiṣṭoma (Jai. X. 2. 34-38). At the time when gifts are made in other rites, in sattras the sacrificers perform the Dākṣiṇa homas and waving their dark antelope skins they go out with their faces turned northwards by the path by which dakṣiṇas are taken away in other rites (Śat. XVI. 2. 19, Kāt. XII. 2. 18). As no dakṣiṇas are to be donated in sattras agents (called sanīhāras) are not to be sent for collecting subscriptions (Śat. XVI. 1. 40). The sacrificial utensils (yajñapātras like juhū) to be used in the sattra are specially got prepared for the common use of all, while each keeps his own utensils separate with which he is cremated if he dies in the midst of the performance (Jai. VI. 6. 33-35). Though the general rule is that there is no *pratinidhi* (substitute) for the performer of rites like agnihotra, the sattra is an exception, since if any one of the many performers dies in the midst of a sattra another person may be substituted by the others in his place (Jai. VI. 3. 22), but he is only an agent secured by payment and the spiritual unseen reward of the sacrifice goes to the performer that is dead (Jai. VI.

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3. 23-25). The Tāṇḍya Br. IX. 8. 1 states that if one of the performers of a sattra dies after dīkṣā, he should be cremated, his bones should be tied in his antelope-skin and placed beyond the mārjālīya shed and his son or other very near relative should be given dīkṣā and be associated in the sattra. Only those who have consecrated the three Vedic fires can engage in sattras except in the Sārasvata sattra (Jai. VI. 6. 27–32). According to Jai. (VI. 6. 1–11) only those who follow the same procedure can join in the sattra, otherwise difficulty is caused in the case of the Prayājas and the Āprī verses. The second prayāja deity in the case of Vasiṣṭhas and Śunakas is Narāśaṁsa, while Tanūnapāt is the second prayāja deity in the case of other gotras. After stating the view of Gāṇagāri that only those who have the same gotra can join in a sattra, Āśv. (XII. 10. 2-3) states the view of Śaunaka (and it is his view also) that even persons of different gotras may join in a sattra, that where in a particular matter there is a difference of procedure in accordance with the difference of gotra, the procedure should be regulated by the gotra of one (called gṛhapati) of those who join in the sattra. Jai. (VI. 6.

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24–26) states the somewhat striking rule that even among brāhmaṇas those who belong to the Bhṛgu, Vasiṣṭha and Śunaka gotras cannot join in a sattra but only those who belong to the Viśvāmitra gotra or who have a similar procedure (about prayājas &c.), since śruti requires that the function of hotṛ in a sattra must be performed by one belonging to Viśvāmitra gotra. If after making a resolve to join in a sattra or if after just beginning a sattra a man gives up the idea, he had to perform by way of penance the Viśvajit rite (Jai. VI. 4. 32 and VI. 5. 25–27).

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Though in a sattra all are yajamānas yet one of them becomes the gṛhapati; those actions which only one can perform and which are done in other sacrifices by the yajamāna (except what are saṁskāras like *vapana*) are here done by the gṛhapati alone and others only touch him (e. g. in tying the veda or placing a fuel-stick on fire, Kāt. XII. 1. 9–15). In performing dīkṣā a peculiar procedure is followed (Kāt. XII. 2. 15, Sat. XVI. 1. 36, Āp. XXI. 2. 16–XXI. 3. 1). The adhvaryu first gives dīkṣā to the gṛhapati and to brahmā, hotṛ and udgātṛ; the pratiprasthātṛ gives dīkṣā to adhvaryu, then to maitrāvaruṇa, brāhmaṇācchaṁsin and prastotṛ; the nestṛ gives dīkṣā to the pratiprasthātṛ and the acchāvāka, āgnīdhra and pratihartṛ; the unnetṛ gives dīkṣā to nestṛ, the grāvastut, and subrahmaṇya and lastly the pratiprasthātṛ or another brāhmaṇa (who is himself a dīkṣita) or a Veda student or snātaka gives dīkṣā to unnetṛ. Each of the wives of all these is given dīkṣā along with her husband (Kāt. XII. 2. 16). Every day one of those who join in a sattra guards soma silently and others are allowed to study their Veda and to fetch fuel-sticks (Śat. Br. IV. 6. 9. 7, Kāt. XII. 4. 1 and 3). On the tenth day there is brahmodya²⁶⁸⁰ as in Aśvamedha or they engage in the abuse of Prajāpati for having created such pests as bees and wasps and thieves (Āp. XXI. 12. 1–3, Śat. XVI. 4. 33–35, Kāt. XII. 4. 21–23).

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²⁶⁸⁰ The Tāṇḍya Brāhmaṇa (IV. 9. 12 and 14) speaks of both brahmodya and the parivadana of Prajāpati 'ब्रह्मोद्यं वदन्ति ब्रह्मवर्चस एव प्रतितिष्ठन्ति । प्रजापतिं परिवदन्त्याल्पवैवैनं तद् व्याचक्षते वावदापामैनमिति ।'. The com. gives several explanations of both. द्राक्षायणश्रौत (IX. 4. 16–18) says 'प्रजापतिं परिवदन्ति । पापैः कर्मभिरित्येके । अपि वाश्वयुर्बहुवृषानां किंचित् स्यात् ।.'

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While engaged in the sattra the performers have to observe certain rules (Āśv. XII. 8, Drāhyāyaṇa Śr. VII. 3–9 ff). From the day the dīkṣaṇīyā iṣṭi is performed in the sattra, the usual duties to pitṛs (such as piṇḍapitṛ-yajña), to gods (such as Agnihotra) are stopped till the end of the sattra. They have to give up sexual intercourse and must not run, they should laugh covering their teeth (so as not to show them), should not jest with women, should not speak to those who are not āryas, should not plunge in deep water, should give up falsehood and anger, should not climb up trees or enter a boat or chariot. Rules are laid down as to whom to bow to. A *sattrin* should eschew singing, dancing and instrumental music. While dīkṣās are going on he should subsist on milk. On pressing days he should partake of the remnants of *havis* only or of fruits and roots and other food fit for *vrata*.

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One of the most interesting day is the Mahāvrata, which is the last day but one in a sattra. Several strange and bizarre rites are performed on this day. This day is so called because it is specially meant for Prajāpati who is 'mahān' and mahāvrata means 'anna' (Tāṇḍya IV. 10. 2, Śat. Br. IV. 6. 4. 2). In this a mahāvratīya cup of soma is offered in addition to the usual ones and a victim is slaughtered for Prajāpati. In connection with this cup a mahāvrata sāman is chanted followed by the recitation of the Mahad-uktha (great laudation) of the hotṛ. Vide Haug's tr. of Ait. Br. p. 283 n, S. B. E. vol. 43 pp. 282-283 note 5. The chanting of the Pṛṣṭhastotras is started by a brāhmaṇa who plays on a harp (vāṇa) with a hundred strings of muñja grass (Śat. XVI. 7. 7-9, Tāṇḍya V. 6. 12-13). During the chanting the udgātṛ priest sits on a chair of udumbara, the hotṛ on a swing, the adhvaryu on a board and the other priests on seats of grass (Tāṇḍya V. 5. 1-12). A brāhmaṇa in the front part of the sadas and a śūdra at the back alternately belaud and abuse those engaged in the sattra, the former saying they have done well and the latter saying they have not done well (Tāṇḍya V. 5. 13). An ārya and a śūdra engage to the west of the āgnīdhra shed in a contest for a white circular skin that symbolizes the sun (for whom the Gods and Asuras fought laying claim to the Sun as their own), the fight being so arranged that it culminates in favour of the ārya (Tāṇḍya V. 5. 14-17, Śat. XVI. 7. 28-32). A harlot and a brahmacārin abuse each other on the northern hip of the altar.

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Sexual intercourse between a man and a woman (that are strangers to the sacrifice) takes place in a screened shed to the south of the mārjālīya shed (according to Kāt. XIII. 3. 9). This probably is a symbol for indicating creation of the world by Prajāpati to whom the mahāvrata specially appertains. A chariot is made ready to the east of the southern corner of the vedi. A noble or a kṣatriya in full armour occupies it, armed with a bow and three arrows. He goes round the vedi thrice and discharges three arrows at a hide but not so as to pierce it through and through (Śāṅ. XVII. 15).

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They beat drums placed on all corners of the vedi and strike a bull-hide spread over a hole dug to the west of the āgnīdhrīya shed, half inside the vedi and half outside (this is called 'bhūmi-dundubhi'). When the priests chant, the wives of the performers act as choristers²⁵⁸¹ to the singing priests (Jai. X. 4. 8, Śat. XVI. 6. 21, Āp. XXI. 17. 15-16) and play on several instruments. Eight servants and maids or slaves and slave girls, placing water jars on their heads dance thrice round the mārjālīya seat, striking the ground with their right feet and singing popular songs (gāthās) in which cows are lauded as mothers of ghee and which contain words like 'this is sweet' (Sat. XVI. 6. 39-41, Āp. XXI. 19. 17-20 and XXI. 20). These features of the mahāvrata show that it was some folk festival in the hoary past and was welded on to the solemn vedic sacrifices as a relaxation after the weary days and months of sacrifices. The Ait. Ār. (I and V) gives an esoteric turn to the mahāvrata. In one place it summarizes all the popular features of the Mahāvrata.²⁶⁸²

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²⁵⁸¹ पत्न्योऽपघाटिलाभिरुपगायन्त्ययाम्बिज्जयेनेव तत्पत्न्यः कुर्वन्ति सह स्वर्गं लोक-मय़ानेति। ताण्ड्य V 6. 8. The com. explains that अपघाटिला is a lute made to yield sound by the breath from one's mouth. 'उपगायन्ति पत्न्योऽपाघाट-लिकारस्तालुक्रवीणाः काण्डवीणाः पिच्छोला अलाबुकपिञ्छील्र्प्यः।' सत्याषाढ XVI. 6. 21.

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²⁶⁸² झाब्दानध्वर्यवः कारयन्ति । एतस्मिन्नहनि प्रभूतमनं दद्यात् । राजपुत्रेण चर्म व्याधयन्त्याघ्नन्ति भूमिदुन्दुभिं पत्न्यश्च काण्डवीणा भूतानां च मैथुनं ब्रह्मचारिपुंश्चल्योः संप्रवादोनेकेन साम्ना निष्केवल्याय स्तुवते राजनस्तोत्रियेण प्रतिपद्यते । ऐ. आ. V. 1. 5

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On the Udayanīya day three anubandhyā cows are offered to Mitrāvaruṇa, the Viśve Devas and Bṛhaspati (Kāt. XIII. 4. 4).

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In the Indian Antiquary, vol. 41, Dr. Sham Sastry contributed a series of articles on the Vedic calendar in which he adduced weighty arguments for holding that the Gavāmayana was a symbolic representation of the efforts made to square up the Vedic lunar year with the solar year by adding intercalary days. It is somewhat remarkable and also indicative of the bias of most western scholars that while Prof. Keith in his work on the 'Religion and philosophy of the Veda' refers ad nauseam to all sorts of lucubrations by European scholars on the origins of the Vedic sacrifices, about rain spells and fertility rites and similar lore he does not condescend to notice the views of Dr. Sham Sastry or Mr. Tilak, which have far more probability than many of the learned hypotheses advanced by European scholars who appear to be obsessed by the notion that Vedic usages must be similar to practices found in the 19th century among the backward races of Africa, America and Oceania.

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Though the sūtras speak of sattras for a hundred or a thousand years, there were writers even in ancient India who thought that such sattras did not exist in fact, at least in historical times. Patañjali states in his Mahābhāṣya that the sattras of a hundred or a thousand years were never attempted in times near to his day and that Yājñikas prescribe rules for them following the tradition of sages.²⁶⁸³ Jaimini also boldly asserts that when the texts²⁶⁸⁴ speak of Viśvasṛjāmayana for a thousand saṁvatsaras the word saṁvatsara means only a day (Jai. VI. 7. 31–40).

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²⁶⁸³ दीर्घसत्राणि वार्षशतकानि वार्षसहस्रिकाणि च न चाद्यत्वे कश्चिदपि व्यवहरति केवलमृषिसंप्रदायो धर्म इति कृत्वा याज्ञिकाः शास्त्रेणानुविदधते । महाभाष्य vol. I. p. 9 on वार्तिक 'अप्रयुक्ते दीर्घसत्रवत्।'

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²⁶⁸⁴ सहस्रसंवत्सरं विश्वसृजाम्। कात्या. XXIV. 5. 24.

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Among the other sattras the Sārasvata sattras are most instructive, since in them many places on the most sacred Sarasvatī and other rivers were approached by the sacrificers during the course of the sacrifice.²⁶⁸⁵ Vide Āśv. XII. 6., Lāṭ. X. 15 ff, Kāt. XXIV. 6. 14 ff.

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²⁶⁸⁵ For details about sattras, vide Tai. S. III. 3. 6, III. 5. 10, VII. 5. 5-7, Tai. Br. I. 2. 2-5, Sat. Br. IV. 6. 2, Tāṇḍya IV-V, Ait. Br. 17-18, Āp. XXI, Kāt. XIII, Āśv. XI. 7, Sat. XVI, Baud. XVI. 13-23, Śāṅ. XIII. 19; and S. B. E. vol. 41 pp. XXI. ff, Haug's tr. of Ait. Br. pp. 279 ff, Prof. Keith's 'Rel. and Phil.' part 2, pp. 350-352.

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