The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v2.c30.s1.3

v2.c30.s1.3

As a result of the constant development of the ritual, the festivals of the Çrauta type are full of details which are of no consequence with regard to the meaning of the sacrifice: practically in no case is an important rite addressed to one god only: the effort on the contrary was clearly to find as much room as possible for as many gods as possible. We find, too, many variations among the details of the rites, of which but a few can be reduced to any simple principle. Thus we know that some families like the Jamadagnis and the Bhṛgus made five divisions or layers of the offerings, while other families² made but four, whence the former are called *pañcāvattins*, and the latter *caturavattins*. Another distinction which has more religious value is the differences between families based on the distinction of the use of Tanūnapāt or Narāçaṁsa, as one of the deities invoked at the Āprī litanies of the animal sacrifice,³ while the difference of dressing the hair is also of interest from the point of view of social usages,⁴ having many parallels in other lands.