History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.855

v4.c63.t2.855

16\. 'The licking of the Agnihotrahavaṇī and the use of it even after it was licked' (l. 11). In the Agnihotra the *sruva* ladle is held in the right hand and the *sruc* called agnihotrahavaṇī is held in the left and the milk is poured into the latter from the milk pot with sruva. After the Agnihotra homa is offered the agnihotrahavaṇī is licked twice in order to take out the remnants of the milk and after wiping it with darbha blades it is used again. Ordinarily a vessel when it is once licked by a man cannot be used again in a religious rite unless proper purification is resorted to. But this did not apply to the Agnihotrahavaṇī and *camasas* of soma. Vide H. of Dh. vol. II p. 1002, n. 2663 for agnihotrahavaṇī, p. 1005 for its licking and p. 1177 (n. 2598) for the drinking of soma from the same *camasa* by the several priests. The licking of the agnihotrahavaṇī and its use constitute really the subject of the prohibition.¹⁸²¹