365bet娱乐

[Full title: Ritual observances (7) Other implements at the Sacrifice]

a) The Sruva鈥擳he Sruva occupies a very important position in the ritual as the material of oblation is usually taken out of the container by means of it. Hence a full Parisista (27) is devoted to the prescription of such details as the material of which it is made, its size, shape, etc. In a great sacrifice, a sruva made of gold or of silver should be used. For santika and paustika rites, it should be made of copper or of Palasa-wood. For sorcery, a sruva made of iron or of Khadira wood 35 should be used; for making a person submissive, that of Asvattha; for cursing, that made of Nimba wood; and for attaining immortality, that made of sandal wood (21.3.1-3). A Sruva made of bell-metal (kamsya) should be used for offering blood and flesh only in rites intended for uprooting the enemy. It is stated that all these except that of iron may be used for an ordinary rite. The handle of the Sruva should be twenty-eight fingers 36 in length and should be as thick as the tip of the little finger. In shape, it should be like the tail of a cow (21.2.5) 35. At Atharvaveda-Parisistas 21.3.1 a Sruva of Khadira wood is prescribed for a santika rite. 36. AT Atharvaveda-Parisistas 23.6.1 the length of the Sruva is given as one hasta, i.e. twenty-four fingers. Vide Kat Ss 1.3.39; Gobhila Grhya Parisista 1.82.

439 and, at its circular head, there should be a cavity as deep as the tip of the thumb (23.2.4). The Sruva should not have X any defects. If it is longer than 28 fingers, it kills the king; if shorter, it destroys the priest; if too thick, it creates danger to the crop; and if too thin, it causes ruin. The wood to be used for preparing a Sruva should be obtained by felling a tree in the following manner: On an auspicious day, under an auspicious constellation, a person, maintaining gentle speech, should go out in the morning in an auspicious direction and fell a tree in such a way that its top falls towards the east. Wood of only a good tree should be selected for making a Sruva. A tree which is half-burnt, or is half-dried or is struck by lightning or is uprooted or is cracked, should not be even thought of in this connection (23.4.1-2). b) The Sruc The length of the handle of a Sruc, which is used for the offering of oblations, should be, according to one opinion, twenty-four fingers and, according to others, thirty-seven fingers 37. At its front end there should be a circular cavity the diameter of which should be double that of the handle. The wood surrounding this cavity should be half a finger in thickness. The Sruc should have a beak (puskara) of the form of an elephant's lip. The base of the puskara 37. Cr. Kat ss 1.3.38; Bharadvaja SS 1.16.1.

440 should be four fingers and its altitude, eight fingers (23.3.1-4). If the wood of which a Sruc is made is cracked X or is broken or is bent or is split up or is full of holes or joints, it destroys eyes and other limbs of the body (23.3.5). Hence it is necessary that the Srug should be prepared out of carefully selected wood. c) Agnihotrahavani etc. Other implements known as Agnihotrahavani and Dhruva should be made of the Vikankata wood and Juhu should be made 38 of Palasa wood. It is stated that Dhruva and Juhu should be equal to an arm (bahu) in length (23.6.1-2). The meksana, which is a spoon (darvi) one pradesa in length and having a cavity equal to a part of the thumb, should be made of Vikankata or Palasa wood (23.4.5). It is used mainly for taking out the oblation of cooked rice. It is stated that the dice (used in Coronation-ceremony) should not be circular (23.5.1). 38. Agnihotrahavani is filled with water called proksani and the implements of sacrifice are sprinkled with that water. The vessel is also used for pouring out the oblation-material. Juhu is that implement with which all the offerings in the Ahavaniya fire are made. Dhruva is the vessel which contains Soma almost to the end of a Soma-sacrifice.

awlya d) The Wooden Sword. 39 A wooden sword called sphya is used in sacrificial ritual. It should be made of Khadira wood and should be one hasta in length (23.2.1). e) The Mortar and the Pestle The mortar (ulukhala) and the pestle (musala) should be made of Varana (Crataeva Roxburghii) wood. The mortar should be as high as the wood permits (idhmocchraya) and its cavity should be equal to half of its height. Its diameter should be equal to its depth It should be narrow in the middle part and it should be made so as to make the upper part of the wood point above (23.2.2). The pestle should be of the thickness of a fist. It should be as high as a man's shoulder and should be surrounded at the bottom with (a ring of) iron (23.2.3). The mortar and the pestle are used for pounding the paddy; the rice thus produced is cooked for sthalipaka. f) The Winnowing Basket The winnowing basket (surpa) should be made of the Kuda grass or of the leaves of a mango tree or of bamboo or 39. Paul Thiene (Die Heimat der indogermanischen geminsprache, Wiesbaden 1952, pp. 15-19) has suggested that the word sphya may possibly be derived from 'asp', a tree the wood of which might have been used for making the sacrificial sword.

442 of Balbaja (Eleusine indica) which is a sort of coarse grass. It should be square in shape and should be girt around for half the part (23.1.5). g) The Carusthalf. OME The Carusthall should be made of copper or of earth. It should be wide at the top (23.1.4). It should be used for preparing sthalipaka which is common in a number of rites. h) The Vessels. Vessels made of silver or of gold or of earth are required at a sacrifice. They should be of the same kind (savarna 1.e. made of the same metal or earth) and should be without holes (21.2.1). Sixteen vessels covered with cloth and containing pieces of gold are necessary for decorating a santi-grha (21.6.4-5). A jar similar in shape to a bottlegourd (alabu) should be made of bamboo, wood or of earth (23.5.1). 1) The Cart The cart which is required for carrying Soma is made of wood by the artisans (i.e. carpenters). 40 wheels and is called agnistha (23.5.2). It possesses two 40. The cart is called agnistha because when the sacrificer has to go out on a journey, he may carry his fires putting them into the cart.

443 j) The Skin The skin of a deer or of an antelope or the skin which has black back and head is called Kranajina. It is used in ordinary sacrifices (21.4.3). The skins of an elephant, a tiger and a bull are required for the coronation ceremony (18.2.3). Varahamihira (Brhatsamhita by Varahamihira 48.43-45) prescribes the skin of a lion also in this connection. k) The grains 3 ME Barley, fine rice and coarse rice, Syamaka (panicum frumentaceum), Priyangu (i.e. black mustard) and sesame are the different kinds of grains generally required in a sacrificial ritual. Caru and purodasa are made from them. It is stated that the same kind of corn as used for the morning rite should be used for the evening rite, because the offering of different grains leads to no fruit (23.7.2-3).