History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.234.5

v6.c81.234.5

S and other Vedic texts, though the two words do not occur in the Ṛgveda The Atharvaveda says¹⁶⁴ that Paurṇamāsī was the first among days and nights and was worthy of sacrifice The Ait. Br.¹⁶⁵ has an interesting passage: "they (wise men) say that when a sacrificer dwells near his sacrificial fire, that is due to his thought that the gods will partake of his offerings, since they do not eat the offering of a sacrificer who does not abide by certain observances'. The opinion of the sage Paiṅgi is that the sacrificer should stay near his sacrificial fires (or fast) on the previous Paurṇamāsī (i e. Paurṇamāsī mixed with 14th), while the opinion of Kauṣītaki is that he should do so on the later one (i e the Paurṇamāsī mixed with pratipad). The previous Paurṇamāsī is called Anumati, the later one is called Rākā, while the previous Amāvāsyā is called Sinīvālī and the later one is called Kuhū That is the tithi (on which a religious rite should be performed), it is the one, being associated with which the sun sets and the sun rises." This passage shows that differences of opinion had arisen long before the time of the Ait Br as to on what day a particular rite associated with a certain fixed tithi was to be performed when the tithi was spread over two days. There are references in Tai S. and the Brāhmaṇa literature which show that in those ancient days the duration of tithis and therefore the actual position of the moon could not sometimes be very accurately determined beforehand.