History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c53.s2.8
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c53.s2.8
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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).