History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c53.s3.12.2

v3.c53.s3.12.2

To the south of that ornament is laid down the golden image of a man with head to the east and face turned to the sky in such a way that the image does not cover the hole pierced in the golden ornament (disc) by passing a string with which it was tied round the neck (the mantra repeated being very significant 'in the beginning Hiraṇyagarbha arose' Ṛg. X. 121. 1 = Vāj. S. XIII. 4). The sacrificer performs the adoration (upasthāna) to the golden man with the three verses 'bow to the serpents' (Vāj. S. XIII. 6-8, Tai. S. IV. 2. 8. 3). One should thereafter never go to the north of the image from the south by passing in front of it (i. e. to the east of it). By the side of the two arms of the golden man he places two srucs (one of kārśmarya wood filled with ghee near the right hand and the other of udumbara filled with curds near the left) with their tops to the east. A brick called svayamātṛṇṇā on which *ājya* is offered and over which the yajamāna breaths is handed over to a brāhmaṇa who places it in the centre with the help of the adhvaryu, the brāhmaṇa being looked upon as fire (Tai. S. V. 2. 8. 2). On that brick a dūrvā creeper is placed in such a way that its roots are on the brick and its tops hang on to the ground towards the east. Then the brick called *dviyajus* is laid to the east of the dūrvā, two retaḥsic bricks to the east of the preceding, then two ṛtavya bricks and then the Aṣāḍhā brick is placed to the east of the preceding.