History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c53.s2.14

v3.c53.s2.14

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