The Agnistoma Somayaga in the Shukla Yajurveda
by Madan Haloi | 2018 | 109,416 words
This page relates ‘Part 5.3: Animal sacrifie in honour of Agni (savaniya-pashuyaga)’ 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.
Part 5.3: Animal sacrifie in honour of Agni (savanīya-paśuyāga)
[Full title: Rites Performed on the Fifth Day: (c) Animal sacrifie in honour of Agni (savanīya-paśuyāga)]
In addition to the above stated rites performed on the soma pressing day, comes the rites related to the Savanīya animal sacrifice. This rite basically follows the procedures of Agnīṣomīyapaśuyāga. After the completion of the bahiṣpavamānastotra the Adhvaryu issues directions to the Āgnīdhra to carry the fire from the āgnīdhriyadhiṣṇya to the other Dhiṣṇyas and to scatter the barhiṣ on the pṛsthyā and to adorn the sacrificial breads. Then the Pratiprasthātṛ is directed to proceed with the savanīya animal. The Āgnīdhra brings the burning coals from the āgnīdhrīya shed and places them on the other Dhiṣṇyas.[1] Vidyadhar in his commentary on Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra states that the Āgnīdhra carries barhiṣ from the antaḥpātya to the uttaravedī and silently covers the pṛsthyā.[2] Before proceeding with this rite, the Adhvaryu ensures the protection of the dhruva cup and performs the rites called parivyayana.[3]
Devayājñika states that one who belongs to the Kṣatriya caste protects the dhruva cup on being engaged by the Adhvaryu for this task.[4] According to Karka, it is protected by covering it with a cloth.[5] Kātyāyana states that the Adhvaryu starts this animal sacrifice from the rite of girdling of the sacrificial post. The post which has already been girdled during the Agnīṣomīya animal sacrifice is again girdled for the Savanīya animal sacrifice. He completes this rite lifting up the former girdle of the same post.[6] It has been mentioned that in the Agnīṣomīya animal sacrifice the animal is offered to both Agni and Soma . But, in the Savanīya, the animal is offered only to Agni.[7] The animal to Agni is a he-goat. This animal is known as stomāyana[8] i.e., fit to come forward with the singing of a stoma which is a form of chanting Stotras[9]. Thereafter the Adhvaryu performs the rites related to the animal sacrifice up to the uttering of the name of Hotṛ. He chooses the Hotṛ by his designation and then the other priests are invited through their liṅga to perform their tasks.He also applies the indirect method of āśrāvya.[10] The word āśrāvya is a part of āśravaṇa i.e ., indicating term which can be termed as a call given by the Adhvaryu to the Āgnīdhra with the consent of the Brahmā.[11]
Karka states that not only the other priests but, the Hotṛ should also be chosen through liṅga such as indraṃ hotrāt.[12] Then the Adhvaryu and the Pratiprasthātṛ are chosen referring them as aśvinas.[13] Here Karka in his commentary on Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra mentions that they are chosen by the Neṣṭṛ.[14] Thereafter the priests Maitrāvaruṇa and Acchāvāka, the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsin, Potṛ, Neṣṭṛ, Āgnīdhra and the sacrificer are invited by the Adhvaryu for preparing the libations . Each of them has to make two libations of ghee with prescribed formula. The order of making libation is the order of their invitation.[15]
The first formula runs as follows—
juṣṭo vāce bhūyāsaṃ juṣṭo vācaspatayedevi-vāgyatte vāco madhumattamaṃ juṣṭatamaṃ tasminmā dhāḥ svāhā sarasvatyā//[16]
The second formula runs as follows—
pāvakā naḥ sarasvatī vājebhirvājinīvatī/ yajñaṃ vaṣṭu dhiyāvasuḥ/[17]
The Adhvaryu completes all the related rites of the Savanīya animal sacrifice up to the offering of the omentum of the he-goat to Agni and the rite cleansing their bodies by all the priests with water. Thereafter the priests along with the sacrificer pay homage to the eight Dhiṣṇyas i.e., to the fires uttering formula with each.[18] Vidyadhar states that this is done like Agnīṣomīya animal sacrifice and the formulae to be uttered too are same as before.Vidyadhar clarifies it that all the sixteen priests perform this rite.[19] The Adhvaryu standing beside the eastern door of the sadas, worships the āhavanīya fire, the place of the bahiṣpavamānastotra, the cātvāla, the śāmitra place, the audumbarī post, the place of the Brahmā priest, the śālādvārya fire and the prājahita fire applying the formula samrāḍasi…etc. and finally he worships the rubbish heap applying the formula samudro’si… etc. Then the Adhvaryu touches the sadas as well as the two posts of the eastern door of the sadas.[20]
During these rites of paying homage, he utters the following formulae—
(a) vāgasyaindramasi sado’si/
(b) ṛtasya dvārau mā mā santāptam/[21]
Thereafter, he honours the sun, the officiating priests and the dhiṣṇya fires one by one another with a formula with each.[22]
The formulae are respectively.[23] —
(a) adhvanāmadhvapate pra mā tirasvastime’sminpathi devayāne bhūyāt/
(b) mitrasya mā cakṣuṣekṣadhvam/
(c) agnayaḥ sagarāḥ sagarāḥ stha sagareṇa nāmnā raudrṇānīkena pātamāgnayaḥ pipṛtamāgnayo gopāyata mā namovo’stu mā mā hiṃsiṣṭa//
This rite of coming back to the Dhiṣṇyas and worshipping the Dhiṣṇyas i.e., the dhiṣṇya fires is called sarpaṇa.[24]
According to Kātyāyana, the rite called sarpaṇa for the midday and the evening soma pressings involves only the rite of touching the sadas or worshipping of the dhiṣṇya-fires. Then comes the rite related to the savanīya sacrificial bread which has already been kept ready for Indra.[25] From the commentary of Vidyadhar on the concerned sūtra of Kātyāyana Srautasutra,it is clear that the Adhvaryu proceed not only with the bread, but also with all the oblation materials (five in number) kept ready. Here the word purodāśa indicates all the five oblations.[26] These are for Indra , his steeds , Puṣan , Sarasvatī and Maitrāvaruṇa which have already been stated in connection with the Agnīṣomīyapaśuyāga. But, Kane mentions that these oblation materials are brought to the Adhvaryu by the Pratiprasthātṛ.[27] Though the oblations materials are five for Indra , Haris etc. deities, these are one in offering.[28] The arrangement of these five materials in a vessel has already been stated. These are placed in a clock wise order with the purodāśa in the centre and the dhānā to the east of it.[29] Kane mentions that the vessel on which the oblation materials are placed may be the juhū.[30] Then the Adhvaryu directs the Maitrāvaruṇa to recite the anuvākyā for the sacrificial bread and to direct the Hotṛ to recite the yājyā for the oblation in honour of Indra. He does this in the other Savanas i.e., soma pressings also.[31] Kane mentions that the Anuvākyās for the purodāśa and the other offerings in the three Savanas are Ṛgveda Saṃhitā, 3.52.1.5 and 6 respectively.[32] Thereafter, the Adhvaryu keeps aside a portion for the sviṣṭakṛt offering of paśupurodāśa and places it in the upabhṛt ladle.[33] This rite of cutting a piece of offering material is called avadāna.Kane makes it clear that apart from the portions for principal and sviṣṭakṛt offering, some portions are cut for the Brahmā priest, iḍā too is cut off and is placed on the Hotr’s seat and the rest is kept aside for the sacrificer.[34] Then after the principal and the sviṣṭakrt offerings and putting aside remnants of the sacrificial bread one may place all the remaining oblations on this dhiṣṇya. This rite of keeping aside the remnants is done by the Adhvaryu etc.[35]
Alternately a sacrifice if he so wishes may offer eleven animals in honour of eleven gods.In this case, the ritual is called Paśvekādaśini or Ekādaśini paśuyāga.For eleven animals eleven Yūpas are raised or one may also use only one yupa for eleven animals.In case of one yūpa,the eleven animals are connected to another by tying them with a rope in a row and are bound to the yūpa.In case of eleven Yūpas, each is bound to one yūpa.In case of eleven Yūpas, the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa says that the central i.e., the agniṣṭha yūpa i.e., sacrificial post is raised first and then the northern yūpa of the agniṣṭha post should be raised, then the southern, then a northern, again a southern post should be raised and this order should be followed to complete the task. Or one may raise the Yūpas reversely.The uttama i.e., the highest post should be in the southern sideand the height of the posts towards the north should be decreased gradually and thus the northernmost yūpa becomes the smallest. Apart from these eleven Yūpas in this ritual, there is a 12th yūpa known as upaśaya which is not raised, but lies on the earth in the southern side of the highest yūpa i.e., the sacrificial post. Moreover, this ritual contains a 13th yūpa known as pātnīvata which is for the ritual of the wives of the gods and where a animal is tied for Tvaṣṭṛ.This sacrifice is modeled on the Agnīṣomīya animal sacrifice.The references regarding this animal sacrifice are available in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa and Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra.[36]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 4.2.5.11, Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 9.7.4-6.
[4]:
cf., dhruvaṃ gopayatīti dhruvagopaḥ kaśvitkṣatriyaḥ/ taṃ dhruvarakṣakaṃ puruṣaṃ dhruvasamīpe sthāpayitvā…/ Devayājñika on ibid., 9.8.1.
[5]:
cf., dhruvaguptiśca kaṭapaṭādīnāmanyatamenāvagūhanam/ Karka on Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 9.8.1
[6]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.8.1.
[7]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 4.2.5.14; cf., āgneyo’gniṣṭomesavanīyaḥ…/ ibid, 9.8.2.
[8]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 4.6.3.3; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 9.8.4.
[9]:
Chitrabhanu Sen, op.cit., pp.121,122
[10]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.8.5.
[11]:
Chitrabhanu Sen, op.cit, p.48.
[12]:
Karka on Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.8.5.
[13]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.8.6.
[14]:
Karka on ibid.,9.8.6.
[15]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.8.7-11.
[16]:
As shown by Thite, this formula belongs to Taittirīya Saṃhitā , 3.1.10.1, op.cit., p.371 under sūtra 9.8.17
[17]:
Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 20.84.
[18]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.8.12.
[19]:
Vidyadhar Sharma on ibid.,9.8.17.
[20]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.8.13.
[21]:
Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 5.33(b&c)
[22]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.8.15-17.
[23]:
Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 5.33(d) -34.
[24]:
Vidyadhar Sharma on Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.8.24.
[25]:
cf., sado’bhimarśanādi vottarayoḥ savanayoḥ/, purodāśaiścarati/ Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.9.1-2.
[26]:
Vidyadhar Sharma on ibid.,9.9.2.
[27]:
P.V. Kane, op.cit., Vol.2,Part. 2, p.1174.
[28]:
cf., ekaṃ pradānam/ Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.9.3.
[29]:
Ibid.,9.9.4.
[30]:
P.V. Kane, op.cit.,Vol.2, Part.2, p.1174.
[31]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,9.9.5-7.
[32]:
P.V. Kane, op.cit., Vol.2, Part.2, p.1175.
[33]:
cf., upabhṛticāvadyati/ paśupurodāśavat/ Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 9.9.8.
[34]:
P.V. Kane, op.cit., Vol.2, Part.2, p.1174.
[35]:
[36]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ,3.7.2.1-8,9.1.6-27; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 8.8.6-7,9-37,8.9.1