History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.550

v4.c63.t2.550

Śabara cites on Jai. I. 3. 4 (when taken as a separate topic)1626a two examples; (1) the adhvaryu priest takes (as his fee) the cloth used in the Vaiśarjana *homa*; (2) they perform the gift of the elephant (i. e. the cloth covering) of the sacrificial post. Śabara says that these passages are not opposed to any śruti text but instead of inferring a Vedic text as their basis it is far better to hold that there is a manifest worldly motive for these rules (viz. covetousness of the adhvaryu) and so these smṛti passages need not be looked upon as authoritative.¹⁶²⁷