Makaranda Madhukar Anand Mahendale Festshrift

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 44

Vārāha Srautasūtra : A Further Textual Study
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The occasion is to prepare a gambling platform for the royal sacrificer. The Brahman passes on the wooden sword to the King who in his turn hands it over to the heir-apparent. The turn goes on further and ultimately the wooden sword is received by the dice-player. In all there are seven passings. Each one passes it on to the next reciting the formula एष वज्रस्तेन मे रध्य. In the height of this series of actions the correct reading in Bh can be conjectured. The word an may be emended as HH and next two blank spaces may have been intended for यजुषः. Thus one may read एष वज्र इति सप्तभिर्यजषः पर्यायैर्ब्रह्मा स्पयं राज्ञे प्रयच्छति etc. cf. MS. II. 6. 6; IV. 4.6; Mans'S. IX. 1. 4. 19; ApS'S XVIII. 18. 14. The word paryāya has been frequently used in the VārŚs.
III. 3. 3. 31-ऋचो गाथाश्च होता शंसति हिरण्यकूर्च आसीनः ॥ Bh (१२१ A४) reads ऋचश्च गाथाश्च..
... III. ३. ३. ३६-३८-अभिषेकशेषं गार्हपत्ये जुहोति ॥३६॥ प्रतिहितस्य वयं स्याम पत्रयो रवीणामिति [वाचचति] ॥३७॥ माहेन्द्रेण परित्वा] समानमावभृथात् ॥३८॥ This is the emended text. Caland and Raghu Viraedition and Band Nread अभिषेकशेषं गार्हपत्ये जहोतीति प्रतिहितस्य वयं स्याम पतयो रयीणामिति जपित्वा. Bh (१२१ A७-१०) reads अभिषेकशेषं गार्हपत्ये हुत्वा प्रजापते न त्वदित्यसाविति प्रतिहितस्य नामादिशति द्विपितरमष्यासौ पुत्र इति प्रतिहितस्य वयं स्याम पतयो रयीणामिति जपित्वा समानमावभृथात्॥
In comparison with parallel construction in Mans'S. IX. 1.4.27-29, the Bh-reading seems to have filled the gap, "the Adhvaryu offers the remnants of the sprinkling waters on the Gārhápatya with the verse prajāpate na tvad." Here he mentions the name of the heir-apparent. N. N. If the heir-apparent is a child of two fathers (by birth as well as by adoption), he should say, “N. N. son of N. N.” He should then murmur the verse, "May we be lords of wealth....” The subsequent procedure upto the Avabhrtha is similar."
__ IV. 3. 4. 36-सायं पूर्वाः प्रयुज उत्तराणि हवींषि Bh. (122 A8) adds षट् after उत्तराणि. This is the correct reading. In the Dasapeya sacrifice forming part of the Rājasūya, there are six prior prayuj offerings to be offered in the evening, and six latter prayuj offerings to be offered next morning of VārśS. III. 3. 4. 38. षडुत्तराणि प्रातः. Hence the Bh-reading is correct. cf. MS. IV. ४. ९ : यदेताः प्रयुज उपैति सायमन्याः प्रातरन्याः द्वौ वा ऋतू अहश्च रात्रिश्च ता एव प्रयुङ्क्ते षडन्याः षड् वा ऋतव ऋतूनेव प्रयुङ्क्ते ता उभयीद्वदिश द्वादश मासाः संवत्सरः संवत्सरमेव वृक्ते. cf. ApS'S. XVIII. 22. 5-7.