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[Full title: Royal Ceremonies (6) The Bhumidana-vidhi]

Bhumidana is a ceremony (Atharvaveda-Parisistas 10) in which an image of the Earth (Bhumi) is prepared and is given in charity to a Brahmana. Under the constellation Rohini, the Brahman priest observes a fast and sprinkles the donor with holy water into which are put seeds, rasas, jewels and perfumes. mantras: atisrsto apam 75 The etc. are recited while sprinkling. The donor and the recepient take up a vow with the mantra: vratena tvam vratapate 76 and observe it for one night, or for five nights or for twelve nights as may be possible. They sleep down on the ground during this period. The next day, the paurnamasa tantra is performed up to 77 ajyabhara and then all the officiating priests offer oblations of clarified butter with the kama-sukta, kala-sukta, and with the maha-vyahrtis. puruga-sukt?8 (75) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension XVI.1.1-13 (76) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension VII.14.4. Cf. Vaitana Sutra 1.13. (77) See Kausika Sutra 3.20 ff; Vaitana Sutra 2.17 (78) The hymns are XIX.52 (Kama), XIX. 52-54 (Kala) and XIX.6 (Burusa).

389 79 An image of the Earth is made of the size of gocarma. The image is brought to the pandal and is placed to the north 80 of the altar with the mantra: yasyam vedim Images of mountains are installed therein with the mantra: giravas te 81 parvata... and they are decorated with gold, silver, installed there with the mantra: sa manda sana jewels, pearls, corals etc to the accompaniment of the mantra: yad adah samprayatih Images of rivers are 83 and they 82 are filled with rasas. Images of seas are installed with the 84 mantra: apam agram asi and herbs are placed in the image of e Earth with the mantras: vanaspatih saha devair brhaspatina 86 85 and The image of the earth that is thus prepared is paid 87 homage to with the mantra: nidhim bibhrati bahudha... and (79) The word gocarma is explained by Gobhila Grhya Parisista 1.39 as follows: rpamekasatam yatra va tisthati samkrtam| bavvatsaprasutanam gocarma khiti tam viduh || But this seems to be too big a size here. Hence it is better to understand the word in its literal sense -'of the size of a cow's hide'. Cf. f.n. 12 in the section 'Ritual' below. (80) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension XII.1.13. (81) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension XII.1.11. (82) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension III.13.1. (83) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension XIV.2.6 (84) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension XVI.1.6. (85) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension XII.3.15. (86) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension XIV.2.53-58. (87) X Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension XII.1.44.

390 the auspiciousness of day (punyaha) is pronounced by reciting 88 89 and the verse ye deva 90 the anuvaka: satyam brhat The image of the earth is then given away to a Brahmana having recited over it the mantra: nava divo devajanena and the formula: esa 'smai rohini kamam nikaman va dugdha. It is stated that just as seeds sprout out well in a furrowed land, so do the desires fructify here and hereafter in the case of a man who grants (the image of) the Earth. He is said to acquire the fruits of all the danas (gifts).