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INTRODUCTION.
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wife sit down to the west of the fire which has just been established, and then the Adhvaryu hands over to them the two kindling sticks? The Paddhati, in describing that act, goes into further details. The Adhvaryu hands over to the sacrificer the two Aranis, which, as required by custom, are wrapped up in new clothes. The wife takes the adharàrani from his hand and puts it on her lap; the sacrificer puts the uttarârani on his lap, and they do homage to them with flowers, saffron, sandal wood, &c.; then, after the performance of some other ceremonies, they put the two Aranis away on a chair or bench. The two Aranis have to be kept by the sacrificer; if they are lost or burnt or destroyed in any other way, other Aranis must be procured, and by their attrition a new fire must be kindled?
Âpastamba likewise mentions, in his description of the Agnyâdhâna, the handing over of the two Aranis, and indicates a Mantra which the Adhvaryu recites in giving them to the sacrificer, and two other Mantras with the one of which the sacrificer receives them, while he recites the other over the Aranis, after having taken them into his hands.
Finally we may quote here, as bearing witness to the custom of the Aranipradana, a passage taken from Nârâyana's commentary on the Sankhâyana-Grihya. Though the decisive words in that passage rest only on the authority of the commentator and not of the Satrakâra himself, they deserve to be taken notice of, as they are not subject to the suspicion that they could be influenced by a misunderstanding of that very Sútra of Pâraskara of which we are treating. Nårâyana says, in his explanation of Sankhayana I, 1, 104: 'To the west of the fire the sacrificer, and southwards (of him) the wife sits down. The
IV, 7, 22: asvatthasamigarbhârani prayakkhati. * See the commentary on IV, 7, 22, and the passages of the Karmapradipa quoted there.
Srauta-sútra V, 8, 7; vol. I, p. 255, of Prof. Garbe's edition. • Sâyamahutisamskärodhvaryupratyaya ity âkâryâh.
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