History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.81

v7.c89.81

¹¹⁷⁸ There is difference of opinion about शकधूम in 'शकधूमं नक्षत्राणीत्येतेन सूक्तेन जुहुयात्' कौशिक 100 3. Literally it may mean 'the smoke from dried cowdung' (शकन् = शकृत् + धूम). It occurs also in कौशिक 8 17 and 50. 65, which latter is 'उपोत्तमेन सुहृदो ब्राह्मणस्य शकृत्पिण्डान् पर्वस्वाधाय किमद्याहरिति पृच्छति।'. This shows that here at least the meaning is 'a ब्राह्मण on whose joints dried cowdung cakes were placed! Charpentier has an interesting paper on शकधूम in Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies (London) for 1935 pp 449-450 where he states that various scholars have given different meanings, viz constellation, dung smoke, weather prophet (Bloomfield), Agni (Caland), milky way and himself that it means 'Kṛttikā'. It does not clearly appear how, conceding that शकधूम stands for कृत्तिका, a ब्राह्मण could be called शकधूम in कौशिक 50 15 and on what grounds According to Pāṇini IV. 3. 34 a man born on Bahulā nakṣatra was called Bahula, so one born on Śakadhūma (Kṛttikā) may be called by the same name by analogy. सोम is called the lord of plants in शतपथ VII 2. 4. 26 and पारस्करगृह्य I 5, and the king of brāhmaṇas (सोमोऽस्माकं ब्राह्मणाना राजा) in शतपथ V 3. 4 12 and V. 4. 2. 3.