History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.533

v5.c72.533

Special rules are provided for the purification of vessels and implements used in Vedic sacrifices. Baud. Dh. S. (I. 5. 51–52)⁷³⁹ remarks that the camasa vessels used in sacrifices are purified according to the special Vedic texts, since the Veda says that *camasa* vessels do not incur the fault of being *ucchisṭa* when it is soma liquid that is drunk from them. Manu V. 116-117, Yāj. I 183-185, Viṣṇu Dh S. 23. 8-11, Śaṅkha 16. 6, Parāśara VII. 2-3 and others lay down rules about the purification of sacrificial implements. For example, Manu (V. 116-117) provides 'sacrificial vessels should be first rubbed with the right hand (or with darbhas or strainer) and then *camasas* and cups are to be washed with water before using them in the sacrifice; the *carusthālī* (the vessel in which the oblation of boiled rice is prepared), *sruc* (a wooden vessel used for pouring clarified butter on sacrificial fire), and *sruva* (wooden ladle of a semicircular shape) are purified by being washed with hot water; the *sphya* (wooden sword), the winnowing basket, the cart (for bringing the soma plant), wooden mortar and pestle, are purified with water (or sprinkling water according to Yāj. I. 184).