History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.75

v5.c73.75

Gaut. (VIII. 19) mentions 'Aṣṭakā' rite as the first among the seven kinds of pākayajñas and as one of the forty saṃskāras. Aṣṭakā appears to have meant the 8th *tithi* in any month after the Full Moon day (vide Śat. Br. VI. 4. 2. 10). The Śat. Br. states⁸⁰⁰ 'On the 8th day (after full moon) he (the performer of *agnicayana*) collects the materials for the fire pan, for sacred to Prajāpati is the 8th day (after full moon) and sacred to Prajāpati is this rite viz. the firepan.' Śabara in his Bhāṣya on Jai.⁸⁰¹ I. 3. 2 cites a verse occurring in the A. V. III. 10. 2 and in the Āp. M. P. II. 20. 27 as a *mantra* indicative of Aṣṭakā. The mantra is "May that (Aṣṭakā) night be very auspicious for us, whom people welcome like a cow coming towards a person and which is the wife of the Year.' In the A. V. III. 10. 8 the Ekāṣṭakā is said to have the year (Saṃvatsara) as husband. The Tai. S. VII. 4. 8. 1. provides⁸⁰² 'Men about to take dīkṣā (consecration) for a Saṃvatsarasattra should undergo dīkṣā on the Ekāṣṭakā; what is called Ekāṣṭakā is the wife of the year.' Jai. (VI. 5. 32-37) explains that Ekāṣṭakā is the 8th *tithi* after the Full Moon of Māgha. The Āp Gṛ. (quoted by Haradatta on Gaut. 8 19) says⁸⁰³ the same, but adds that on it (the 8th *tithi*) the moon is in Jyeṣṭhā constellation. This means that if the 8th *tithi* is spread over two days, then that day on which the moon is in Jyeṣṭhā would be called Ekāṣṭakā.⁸⁰⁴ The Hir. Gṛ. (II. 15. 9) also says that Ekāṣṭakā is called the wife of the year.⁸⁰⁵