History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c53.s2.9

v3.c53.s2.9

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).