History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.42.3

v7.c89.42.3

The Kauṣītaki-gṛhya provides for the same (in V 5. 1-2) and proceeds¹¹⁶¹ "if a man sees a bad dream or when the cawing of a crow is heard in the night and in the case of other *adbhutas* (untoward or unusual occurrences) he should cook rice grains in the milk of a cow that has a calf of the same colour (as itself) but in no case of a black cow and let him sacrifice with the hymn to Night (Ṛg. X. 127) verse by verse and having partaken of the remnants of the oblations with the *mahāvyāhṛtis* and having recited over his ears the verse 'bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ' (Ṛg. I. 89.8) and over himself the verse 'śatam-in-nu' (Ṛg I. 89. 9) donate something to the brāhmaṇas". The Śāṅkhāyana-gṛhya (V. 6, 7, 10 and 11) provides: "if a disease befalls a person, he should offer boiled Gavedhuka grains with the hymn 'these prayers to the powerful Rudra' &c verse by verse (Ṛg. I. 114). If the honey bees make honey in a man's house, he should fast and sacrifice a hundred and eight pieces of udumbara wood besmeared with curds, honey and ghee with two verses Ṛg. I.114. 8-9 and murmur the hymn (Ṛg. VII. 35) and if an ant-hill arises in his house the house should be abandoned and having fasted three nights (and days) he should perform the 'Mahāśānti'.¹¹⁶²