The Agnistoma Somayaga in the Shukla Yajurveda
by Madan Haloi | 2018 | 109,416 words
This page relates ‘Somasamstha (2): Atyagnishtoma’ of the study on the Agnistoma Somayaga as described in the Shukla Yajurveda (dealing with Vedic Rituals). The Agnistoma sacrifice (lit. “praise of Agni”) 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.
Somasaṃsthā (2): Atyagniṣṭoma
[Full title: Forms (Saṃsthās) of Somayāga (2): Atyagniṣṭoma]
The Agniṣṭomasaṃsthā becomes Atyagniṣṭomasaṃsthā when to it is directly added the ṣoḍaśistotra, ṣoḍaśiśastra and the ṣoḍaśigraha by excluding the ukthyastotra, ukthyaśastra and the ukthyagraha—
… agniṣṭomastotrānantaraṃ ukyhyastotrāṇi trīṇyakṛtvā ṣoḍaśistotraśastrādipracāro yatra kriyate sā atyagniṣṭomasaṃsthetyucyate / evaṃ ca agniṣṭoma eva taduttaraṃ ṣoḍaśigrahacamasastotrādīnāmanuṣṭhāne sā agniṣṭomasaṃsthaiva saṃsthāntaraṃ bhajata iti phalitam /[1]
Vidyadhar states that the animal of the Atyagniṣṭoma is not other than the animal of the Agniṣṭoma i.e., he-goat.[2] Chitrabhanu counts this saṃsthā as fifth of the Somasaṃsthās and states that in this saṃsthā, the additional animal is offered to Indra[3]. The Atyagniṣṭomasaṃsthā contains thirteen Stotras, thirteen Śastras, the ṣoḍaśigraha and four Stomas. The Stomas are trivṛt, pañcadaśa, saptadaśa and ekaviṃśa
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Cinnasvamishastri, Pattabhiramashastri(ed.), op.cit., p.73
[2]:
[3]:
Chitrabhanu Sen, op.cit.,pp. 35,36