History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.130

v7.c89.130

The Grahayajña in Yāj. is short and simple, but in some purāṇas such as the Bhaviṣyottara (141. 6-85) and medieval and modern works it has become an elaborate affair by the addition of numerous details. One or two details may be pointed out. Each planet was supposed to have a gotra and was¹²¹⁰ deemed to have been born in a certain country (vide note 875 p. 588 for the countries of the birth of planets). Therefore, in invoking the presence of each planet these two details have to be added (as specified below in the note for the sun by way of illustration). The gotras of the grahas from the Sun to Ketu are respectively Kāśyapa, Ātreya, Bhāradvāja, Ātreya, Āṅgirasa, Bhārgava, Kāśyapa, Paithīnasa, Jaimini. The Saṃskāra-tattva of Raghunandana (p. 946) sets out from Skanda the gotras and countries of birth of the nine grahas and provides that if worship is offered to them without mentioning the gotras and countries that would be disrespectful to them. The Grahayajña may be simple (*kevala*) as in Yāj. or Ayutahoma or Lakṣahoma or Koṭihoma A few further remarks are added here from the Agnipuarāṇa (chap 149), Narasiṁha-purāṇa (chap. 35), Matsya (chap 93 and 239), Bhaviṣyottara (chap 141 and 142), Atharva-pariśiṣṭa XXXI (for Koṭihoma) and other works. The Kṛtyakalpataru¹²¹¹ (Rājdharma) quotes the Brahma-purāṇa as follows. The king should perform two Lakṣahomas every year and one Koṭihoma which confers freedom from the fear of all calamities and he should at once perform a Mahāśānti that removes all evil consequences when there are eclipses of the Sun and the Moon and an earthquake The Agni (149.12) says 'Ayutahoma confers slight success, Lakṣahoma drives away all distress, while Koṭihoma tends to destroy all kinds of trouble and confers all desired objects' The Viṣṇudharmottara (II. 36. 3-4) states that Aśvapati, father of the famous *pativratā* Sāvitrī performed a Lakṣahoma with the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) mantras for securing a son. 'There is no *utpāta* in the world that is not conjured away by Lakṣahoma, there is no more auspicious thing that surpasses Lakṣahoma. In the case of the king who gets a Koṭihoma performed by brāhmaṇas the enemies cannot stand up against him in battle excessive rainfall, drought, mice, locusts, parrots, evil spirits and the like and all enemies on the battle-field are conjured away from him.'¹²¹² The Bhaviṣyottara (142 11-12) calls koṭihoma a śānti rite, which yields all desired objects, by which even grave sins like brāhmaṇa-murder are removed at once, all utpātas are conjured away and great happiness. follows. Bhaviṣyottara (chap 142. 7-54) contains an elaborate procedure of Koṭihoma and also a briefer one (in chap. 142. 56-80). Atharva-pariśiṣṭa (No 31) describes the procedure of Koṭihoma; it was to be begun on an auspicious tithi in the bright half, on the *muhūrta* called Vijaya and on one of the nakṣatras viz. Rohiṇī, Puṣya, Anurādhā, the three Uttarās, Abhijit, Mṛgaśiras, Śravaṇa, Citrā, Revatī. The firepit was to be of eight cubits (for Lakṣahoma half of this), the brāhmaṇas may be 20, 100, 1000 or even one crore, who should offer fuel sticks anointed with ghee. The Bṛhadyogayātrā¹²¹³ verses are quoted below.