Page Text
________________
II KÂNDA, I ADHYÂYA, I BRÂHMANA.
275
nagni or Anvâhârya-pakana, if it is required at all, is of the same area, but of semicircular form, and lies south of the space between the altar and the Gârhapatya fire. The Garhapatya fire-house is constructed with its laths running either from west to east, or from south to north, and a door on the south side; and so as to enclose both the Gârhapatya and Dakshina fires. The Ahavaniya fire-house, on the other hand, with its laths necessarily running from west to east, and an entrance from the east, contains the Ahavaniya fire and the altar (vedi) adjoining it on the west, and partly enclosing it with its shoulders' on the north and south sides. The two houses are also open to each other on the inner side ; and sufficient space is left on all sides for freely moving around the fires.
The Adhvaryu then procures a temporary fire,-either producing it by friction, or obtaining it from certain specified sources in the village,-and after the usual fivefold lustration of the Gârhapatya fire-place (cf. p. 2), he lays down the fire thereon. Towards sunset the sacrificer while seated east of the Ahavaniya house invokes the gods and manes with 'Gods, fathers I fathers, gods! I sacrifice, being who I am; neither will I exclude him whose I am: mine own shall be the offering, mine own the toiling, mine own the sacrifice!' He then enters the Ahavaniya house from the east, passes through it to the Gârhapatya, and sits down behind (west of the fire; his wife at the same time entering the Gârhapatya house from the south and seating herself south of him,-both facing the east. Thereupon the Adhvaryu hands to the sacrificer two pieces of wood (arani),-if possible, of a svattha, grown out of a sam î tree,- to be used next morning for the production (or 'churning') of the sacred fire by one of them (the upper arani) being rapidly drilled in a hole in the other (or lower arani). The sacrificer and his wife then lay the upper and lower sticks respectively on their laps; whereupon certain propitiatory ceremonies are performed by them, and honours are paid to the priests and the sticks; and the latter are finally deposited on a seat.] In the house of the Gârhapatya a he-goat may then be tied up for the night, which, if it belong to the sacrificer, is to be pre
Agnîdhra on the completion of the sacrifice. After sunset the Adhvaryu measures out four vessels of husked rice grains-each containing three handfuls, which quantity is considered sufficient to furnish a meal for one man-on an ox-hide died red (and spread out with the hairy side upwards and the neckpart to the east). With this rice the (odana) katushprâsya, or
(pap) to be eaten by the four (priests),' is prepared on the provi. sional Gârhapatya fire. When it is ready, the Adhvaryu makes a hollow in the pap and pours clarified butter into it. He then takes
T 2
Digitized by Google
| SR No. | 007674 |
| Book Title | Dhammapada |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Max Muller |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1881 |
| Total Pages | 2540 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 45 MB |