The Agnistoma Somayaga in the Shukla Yajurveda
by Madan Haloi | 2018 | 109,416 words
This page relates 鈥楶art 4.8: Preparation of the Dhishnyas鈥� of the study on the Agnistoma Somayaga as described in the Shukla Yajurveda (dealing with Vedic Rituals). The Agnistoma sacrifice (lit. 鈥減raise of Agni鈥�) connects god with men and is performed in the spring season. It is the model of all the Soma sacrifices and forms a large and complicated ceremony preceded by four preliminary ritualistic days. This thesis deals with all the details involved in the Agnistoma sacrifice.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 4.8: Preparation of the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉
[Full title: Rites Performed on the Fourth Day: (g) Preparation of the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 (诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补苍颈谤尘腻峁嘺)]
In addition to this, comes the rite of making the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉. These are prepared on spots which are raised with earth that has been taken out from the 肠腻迟惫腻濒补 pit. The Adhvaryu carries and puts the loose soil with the help of a sphya and thus prepares the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉. During the pouring of the loose soil, the sacrificer keeps himself busy in touching the Adhvaryu from behind and the Adhvaryu too performs the rite of pouring of the loose soil by sitting down facing towards the north. While he prepares the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 he utters one formula with each.[1]
The 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 are small Vedis made of earth for installing the fires on them that belong to the saumika priests鈥�
补驳苍墨苍腻尘腻艣谤补测补产丑奴迟腻 尘峁沝腻 苍颈谤尘颈迟腻岣� svalpavedik膩 dhi峁ａ箛y膩nyucyante/[2]
Vidyadhar in his commentary on 碍腻迟测腻测补苍补 艢谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补 mentions that the loose soil for the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 is taken from the 肠腻迟惫腻濒补 and these are the places where after placing the fires, the priests such as the 贬辞迟峁� etc. recite their 艢补蝉迟谤补蝉.[3] After the pouring of the loose soil on the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 , the Adhvaryu scatters sand over them[4]. The 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 states that the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 are for the protection of the soma and in order to protect the soma the 腻丑补惫补苍墨测补 should be in the eastern part, the 尘腻谤箩腻濒墨测补 should be in the south,the 腻驳苍颈诲丑谤墨测补 should be in the north and the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 inside the sadas protect the soma from behind.[5] First of all, the Adhvaryu prepares the 腻驳苍颈诲丑谤墨测补诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补 inside the 腻驳苍颈诲丑谤墨测补ma峁囜笉apa. Then other six 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 are made inside the sadas. The Adhvaryu makes these six 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 while his face is pointing towards the west. He makes first the 诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补 belonging to the 贬辞迟峁� in the western side of the eastern door of the sadas. The 诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补 belonging to the 惭补颈迟谤腻惫补谤耻峁嘺 is prepared in the south-eastern part of the 补耻诲耻尘产补谤墨 post. To the northern part of the 诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补 of the 贬辞迟峁� are prepared the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 belonging to the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嚹乧肠丑补峁僺颈苍, 笔辞迟峁�, 狈别峁ａ弓峁� and 础肠肠丑腻惫腻办补 keeping same gap among the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉.[6] Vidyadhar states that the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 have diameters of 18 础峁単耻濒补蝉 each and the gap among the 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 is also 18 础峁単耻濒补蝉.[7] The last i.e., the 尘腻谤箩腻濒墨测补诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补 is made in the opposite direction of the southern side of the 腻驳苍颈诲丑谤墨测补诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补.The Adhvaryu prepares this 诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补 by facing towards the south.[8] According to Kane, the 诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补 belonging to 础肠肠丑腻惫腻办补 is larger of four 础峁単耻濒补蝉 than those of the rest. The seats are either square or round.[9]
The formula to be uttered with the first 诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补 is as follows鈥�
惫颈产丑奴谤补蝉颈 pravha峁噊 raudre峁嚹乶墨kena p膩tam膩gnaya岣� pip峁泃am膩gnayo gop膩yata m膩 namo vo鈥檚tu m膩 m膩 hi峁僺i峁ａ弓a/[10]
The other seven formulae for the seven other 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 are respectively.[11] 鈥�
(a) vahnirasi 丑补惫测补惫腻丑补苍补岣�
(b) 艣v膩tro鈥檚i 辫谤补肠别迟腻岣�,
(c) tuthosi 惫颈艣惫补惫别诲腻岣�,
(d) 耻艣颈驳补蝉颈 办补惫颈岣�,
(e) a峁単h膩rirasi 产补尘产丑腻谤颈
(f) avasy奴rasi 诲耻惫补蝉惫腻苍
(g) 艣耻苍诲丑测奴rasi 尘腻谤箩腻濒墨测补岣�
The last part 谤补耻诲谤别峁嚹伳玨别苍补...etc. is to be added with each of formulae.[12] The 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 states that each 诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补 has double names.[13] From the commentary of 惭补丑墨诲丑补谤补 on V膩jasaney墨 厂补峁僪颈迟腻, it is clear that 惫颈产丑奴 and 辫谤补惫腻丑补峁嘺 are two names of 腻驳苍颈诲丑谤墨测补诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补, vahni and 丑补惫测补惫腻丑补苍补 are the names of the hot峁浕宄缶贬梗峁嚥獠�, 艣惫腻迟谤补 and 辫谤补肠别迟腻 are two names of maitr膩varu峁嘺诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补, the names tutha and 惫颈艣惫补惫别诲腻 belong to the 诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补 of the priest 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嚹乧肠补峁僺颈苍, 耻艣颈办 and kavi belong to the pot峁浕宄缶贬梗峁嚥獠�, a峁単h膩ri and 产补尘产丑腻谤颈 are the two names of the ne峁ａ弓峁浕宄缶贬梗峁嚥獠�, avasy奴 and 诲耻惫补蝉惫腻苍 are two names of the acch膩v膩ka诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补, and 艣耻苍诲丑测奴 and 尘腻谤箩腻濒墨测补 are two names of the 尘腻谤箩腻濒墨测补诲丑颈峁ａ箛测补.[14]
After the completion of the preparation the eight 顿丑颈峁ａ箛测补蝉 , the Adhvaryu by positioning himself in standing position to the east of the eastern door of the sadas, looks at each of the following one by one鈥攖he 腻丑补惫补苍墨测补 fire, the place for 惫补丑颈峁补惫补尘腻苍补, the 肠腻迟惫腻濒补, the 艣腻尘颈迟谤补, the 补耻诲耻尘产补谤墨 post, the seat of the 叠谤补丑尘腻 priest, and the fires called 艣腻濒腻诲惫腻谤测补 and 辫谤腻箩补丑颈迟补 i.e., old 驳腻谤丑补辫补迟测补. He does this by uttering 测补箩耻峁� 蹿辞谤尘耻濒补鈥�蝉补尘谤腻岣峚蝉颈...etc in each case.[15] From the commentary of 惭补丑墨诲丑补谤补 it is clear that here the 腻丑补惫补苍墨测补 fire refers to the fire of the 耻迟迟补谤补惫别诲墨 which is addressed, 艣腻尘颈迟谤补 is a place where the animal is killed, the 辫谤腻箩补丑颈迟补 fire refers to the old 驳腻谤丑补辫补迟测补 fire which is in the west of the 辫补迟苍墨艣腻濒腻.[16] Vidyadhar states that the place for 产补丑颈峁补惫补尘腻苍补 is to the south of the 肠腻迟惫腻濒补 pit and inside the 惫别诲墨.[17] Thereafter the Adhvaryu addresses the utkara with the prescribed 测补箩耻峁� formula[18].
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 , 3.6.1.27; 碍腻迟测腻测补苍补 艢谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补 , 8.6.12
[2]:
惭补丑墨诲丑补谤补 on 痴腻箩补蝉补苍别测颈 厂补峁僪颈迟腻 , 5.31.
[4]:
cf., 蝉颈办补迟腻艣肠辞辫补谤颈/ 碍腻迟测腻测补苍补 艢谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补 ,8.6.14.
[5]:
cf., te v膩 ete somasyaiva guptyai nupyante -腻丑补惫补苍墨测补岣� 辫耻谤补蝉迟腻迟, m膩rj膩l墨yo dak峁峁嘺ta岣�, 膩gn墨dhr墨ya uttarata岣� atha ye sadasi te 辫补艣肠腻迟/ 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, 3.6.2.21.
[6]:
碍腻迟测腻测补苍补 艢谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补 ,8.6.13, 16, 17-19.
[7]:
Vidyadhar Sharma on 碍腻迟测腻测补苍补 艢谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补 ,8.6.19.
[8]:
[9]:
P.V. Kane, op.cit., Vol. 2, Part. 2, p.1156.
[10]:
痴腻箩补蝉补苍别测颈 厂补峁僪颈迟腻 , 5.31, 34.
[11]:
痴腻箩补蝉补苍别测颈 厂补峁僪颈迟腻 5.31-32.
[12]:
cf., raudre峁噀ti sarvartra/ 碍腻迟测腻测补苍补 艢谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补 , 8.6.1
[14]:
惭补丑墨诲丑补谤补 on 痴腻箩补蝉补苍别测颈 厂补峁僪颈迟腻 , 5.31-32.
[15]:
碍腻迟测腻测补苍补 艢谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补 ,8.6.21.
[16]:
惭补丑墨诲丑补谤补 on 痴腻箩补蝉补苍别测颈 厂补峁僪颈迟腻 , 5.32.
[17]:
[18]:
碍腻迟测腻测补苍补 艢谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补 ,8.6.22.