The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v2.c32.s8.56

v2.c32.s8.56

In the sacrificial ritual, however, the most interesting of the innovations of the Atharvavedins is the introduction of rites regarding the presentation of the presents claimed by the priests. Instead of mere appendices to the actual offering, these become in themselves offerings of the highest importance and value.¹³ The other ritual texts¹⁴ know of Savas as consecrations for various rites of importance, but in the Kauçika¹⁵ the Sava is essentially the ceremony which centres in the giving of largesse to the priests. The Atharvaveda has many hymns in connexion with these donations, two¹ of which are noteworthy in connecting an ordinary Soma rite with the formal preparation and cooking of porridge for the priests, one preparer boasting that he is the fifteenth of his line who has performed the operation: in other cases animals are the fees, and are extolled in the most exaggerated terms as divine: the goat² recalls Aja Ekapād, that faded mythological figure of the Rigveda. In another³ case a house is taken to pieces and presented to the Brahman. A counterpart to these demands for fees is the stress laid on the sacred character of the Brahman: his wife is inviolable: nay Soma has made over to him his claim to the first mating with every woman.⁴ His cow⁵ is equally sacrosanct, and on the strength of his own sanctity he can demand, when such a portent as the birth of twin calves takes place, that the erring cow should be made over to him as alone fitted to be its master.⁶