The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c27.s7.74

v1.c27.s7.74

In the later ritual the chief duties of the sacrificer himself were of an inferior type: he had certain formulae to repeat, he might perform the manual throwing of the offering in the fire, and he had various restrictions to undergo: his wife was in the same position, but her part in the rite was rather smaller than her husband's: she was, however, clearly considered throughout to be concerned in the sacrifice, and a formal place is provided for her at the Soma sacrifice and still more clear is her participation in other offerings. The sacrificer had, however, the most important duty of dividing the sacrificial fees, or Dakṣiṇās, so called either from the literal fact that the gifts, usually of cows, were placed on the right side for the sacrificer to divide, or because the word Dakṣiṇā from its literal sense had come to mean acceptable.³ This duty is prescribed in precise terms with regard to the several offerings, and there is often an obvious attempt to make the reward fit the service which has taken place in respect of the nature of the gifts given, e.g. a black beast for an offering for the dead. It must remain doubtful to what extent we may not see in the Dakṣiṇās the alteration of the older practice of offering the things given at the sacrifice: the priests determined to keep them, and converted the sacrifice into gifts to themselves.