{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/sbe30/sbe30119.htm","path":"hin/sbe30/sbe30119.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe30/sbe30119.htm","text":"The Grihya Sutras, Part 2 (SBE30), by Hermann Oldenberg, [1892]\n_________________\nWe shall explain the sacrifice.\nCommentary.\nYag\u00f1a, sacrifice, is an act by which we surrender something for the sake of the gods. Such an act must rest on a sacred authority (\u00e2gama), and serve for man's salvation (sreyo\u093drtha). The nature of the gift is of less importance. It may be purod\u00e2sa, cake; karu, pulse; s\u00e2mn\u00e2yya, mixed milk; pasu, an animal; soma, the juice of the Soma-plant, &c.; nay, the smallest offerings of butter, flour, and milk may serve for the purpose of a sacrifice.\nYag\u00f1a, y\u00e2ga, yagana, and ishti are considered as synonymes.\nThe sacrifice is for the three colours or castes (varna), for Br\u00e2hmanas and R\u00e2ganyas, also for the Vaisya.\nThough the sacrifice is meant for the three castes, here called varna, i.e. colour, the third caste, that of the Vaisya or citizen, is mentioned by itself, while the two castes, the Br\u00e2hmanas and R\u00e2ganyas (the Kshatriyas or nobles), are mentioned together. This is done because there are certain sacrifices (bahuyagam\u00e2na), performed by Br\u00e2hmanas and R\u00e2ganyas together, in which Vaisyas take no part. In the S\u00e2\u1e45kh\u00e2yana-s\u00fbtras, I, 1, 3, also\nthe Vaisya is mentioned by himself. In K\u00e2ty\u00e2yana's S\u00fbtras, however, no such distinction is made. and we read, I, 6, Br\u00e2hmana-r\u00e2ganya-vaisy\u00e2n\u00e2m sruteh. Women, if properly married, are allowed to participate in sacrifices, but no one is allowed to be accompanied by a S\u00fbdr\u00e2 woman, even though she be his wife. Properly a Br\u00e2hmana should marry a wife of his own caste only. A Kshatriya may marry a woman of his own or of the Br\u00e2hmana caste. A Vaisya's proper wife should be taken from his own caste. See, however, Manu III, 12 seq.\nThe four castes, with the S\u00fbdra as the fourth, are mentioned once in the Rig-veda, X, yo, 12. The opposition between \u00c2ryas and S\u00fbdras occurs in the Atharva-veda, XIX, 62, &c., and in most of the Br\u00e2hmanas. In the Satapatha Br\u00e2hmana we read of the four castes, Br\u00e2hmana, R\u00e2ganya, Vaisya, and S\u00fbdra, and we are told that none of them vomits the Soma. K\u00e2ty\u00e2yana excludes from the sacrifice the a\u1e45gah\u00eena, cripple, shanda, eunuch, and all asrotriyas, persons ignorant of the Veda, which would bar, of course, the whole class of the S\u00fbdras, but they are also specially excluded. Concessions, however, had to be made at an early time, for instance, in the case of the Rathak\u00e2ra, who is admitted to the Agny\u00e2dh\u00e2na, &c. This name means chariot-maker, but \u00c2padeva, in his M\u00eem\u00e2ms\u00e2-ny\u00e2ya-prak\u00e2sa, remarks that, though rathak\u00e2ra means a chariot-maker etymologically, it should be taken here as the name of a clan, namely that of the Saudhanvanas (MS. Mill 46, p. 13b). Deva, in his commentary on the K\u00e2ty\u00e2yana-s\u00fbtras, makes the same remark. See also Weber, Ind. Stud. X, 12 seq. These Saudhanvanas, often identified with the Ribhus, are evidently the followers of Bribu, mentioned RV. VI, 45, 31; 33, and wrongly called Bridhu in Manu X, 107; see M.M., Hist. of A.S.L., p. 494. In the S\u00e2\u1e45kh\u00e2yana-Srauta-s\u00fbtras, XVI, 11, 11 (ed. Hillebrandt), he is rightly called Bribu. In later times Rathak\u00e2ra is the name of a caste, and its members are supposed to be the offspring of a marriage between a M\u00e2hishya and a Karan\u00ee. A M\u00e2hishya is the son of a Kshatriya and a Vaisy\u00e2,\na Karan\u00ee the daughter of a Vaisya and a S\u00fbdr\u00e2. Sudhanvan also is used in Manu X, 23, as the name of a caste, namely the offspring of fallen (vr\u00e2tya) Vaisyas.\nAnother exception is made in favour of a Nish\u00e2dasthapati, a Nish\u00e2da chieftain. If it meant a chieftain of Nish\u00e2das, it might be meant for a Kshatriya who happens to be a chieftain of Nish\u00e2das. Here it is meant for a chieftain who is himself a Nish\u00e2da, a native settler. He is admitted to the Gavedhuka sacrifice.\nAgain, although, as a rule, the sacrificer must have finished his study of the Veda and be married, a sacrifice is mentioned which a Brahmak\u00e2rin, a student, may perform. The case thus provided for is, yo brahmak\u00e2r\u00ee striyam upey\u00e2t, sa gardabham pasum \u00e2labheta. As these sacrificers are not upan\u00eeta, and therefore without the sacred fires, their sacrifices have to be performed with ordinary fires, and the sacrificial offerings, the purod\u00e2sas, are not cooked in kap\u00e2las, jars, but on the earth, while the avad\u00e2nas (cuttings), heart, tongue, &c., are sacrificed in water, and not in fire. The Nish\u00e2da chieftain has to learn the necessary Vedic verses by heart, without having passed through a regular course of Vedic study. The same applies to women, who have to recite certain verses during the sacrifice.\nThat certain women are admitted to the sacrifice, is distinctly stated by K\u00e2ty\u00e2yana, I, 1, 7, str\u00ee k\u00e2visesh\u00e2t.\nThe sacrifice is prescribed by the three Vedas.\nIn order to know the whole of the sacrifice, one Veda is not sufficient, still less one s\u00e2kh\u00e2 (recension) only. The sacrifice is conceived as a whole, and its members (a\u1e45gas) are described in different parts of the three Vedas.\nBy the Rig-veda, the Yagur-veda, the S\u00e2ma-veda (is the sacrifice prescribed).\nThe Darsa-p\u00fbrnam\u00e2sau, the new and full-moon sacrifices, are prescribed by the Rig-veda and the Yagur-veda.\nThe Agnihotra is prescribed by the Yagur-veda.\nThe Agnishtoma is prescribed by all.\nBy saying all, the Atharva-veda is supposed to be included, at least according to one commentator.\nThe Agnishtoma requires sixteen priests, the Pasu sacrifices six, the K\u00e2turm\u00e2syas five, the Darsa-p\u00fbrnam\u00e2sas four.\nWith the Rig-veda and S\u00e2ma-veda the performance takes place with a loud voice (ukkaih).\nEven lines of the Yagur-veda, if they are contained in the Rig-veda and S\u00e2ma-veda, would have to be pronounced with a loud voice. Certain mantras, however, are excepted, viz. the gapa, abhimantrana, and anumantrana-mantras.\nWith the Yagur-veda the performance takes place by murmuring (up\u00e2msu).\nThis murmuring, up\u00e2msu, is described as a mere opus operatum, the words being repeated without voice and without thought. One may see the movements of the vocal organs in murmuring, but one should not hear them at a distance. If verses from the Rig-veda or S\u00e2ma-veda\noccur in the Yagur-veda, they also have to be murmured. See K\u00e2ty. I, 3, 10.\nWith the exception of addresses, replies, choosing of priests (pravara), dialogues, and commands.\nAs all these are meant to be understood by others, they have therefore to be pronounced in a loud voice. The address (\u00e2sruta) is om sr\u00e2vaya; the reply (praty\u00e2sruta) is astu sraushat 1; the choosing of priests (pravara) is agnir devo hot\u00e2; a dialogue (samv\u00e2da) is brahman prokshishy\u00e2mi, om proksha; a command (sampresha) is prokshan\u00eer \u00e2s\u00e2daya.\nIn the S\u00e2midhen\u00ee hymns the recitation is to be between (the high and the low tone).\nThe S\u00e2midhen\u00ees are the hymns used for lighting the fire. One commentator explains antar\u00e2, between, as between high tone (krushta) and the murmuring (up\u00e2msu). Another distinguishes three high tones, the krushta (also called t\u00e2ra or krau\u00f1ka), the madhyama, and the mandra, and assigns the madhyama to the S\u00e2midhen\u00ee hymns. The mandra notes come from the chest, the madhyama notes from the throat, the uttama notes from the head.\nBefore the \u00c2gyabh\u00e2gas (such as the \u00c2gya-portions at the Darsa-p\u00fbrnam\u00e2sa), and at the morning Savana (oblation of Soma), the recitation is to be with the soft (mandra) voice.\nThe pronunciation is loud, ukkaih, but soft, mandra. Satyavrata restricts this rule to the passages mentioned in S\u00fbtra X. He also treats the second part of S\u00fbtras XII, XIII, and XIV as separate S\u00fbtras.\nBefore the Svishtakrit (at the Darsa-p\u00fbrnam\u00e2sa) sacrifice, and at the midday Savana, the recitation is to be with the middle voice.\nIn the remainder and at the third Savana with the sharp (krushta) voice 1.\nThe remainder refers to the Darsa-p\u00fbrnam\u00e2sa sacrifice, the three Savanas to the Soma sacrifice. Satyavrata takes all these rules as referring to the cases mentioned in S\u00fbtra X.\nThe movement of the voice is the same.\nIn the three cases mentioned before, the voice moves quickly, when the words are to be pronounced high; slowly, when low; and measuredly, when neither loud nor low.\nThe Hotri-priest performs with the Rig-veda.\nThe Udg\u00e2tri-priest with the S\u00e2ma-veda.\nThe Adhvaryu-priest with the Yagur-veda.\nThe Brahma-priest with all.\n'With all' means with the three Vedas, because the Brahma-priest, or superintendent of the whole sacrifice, must be acquainted with the three Vedas. Others would include the Atharva-veda.\nWhen it is expressly said, or when it is rendered impossible, another priest also may act.\nVipratishedha is explained by asambhava and asakti.\nThe priestly office (\u00e2rtvigya) belongs to the Br\u00e2hmanas.\nSacrifices may be performed for Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and, in certain cases, even for others, but never by any but Br\u00e2hmanas. The reason given for this is curious,\u2014because Br\u00e2hmanas only are able to eat the remains of a sacrifice. See Satap. Br. II, 3, 1, 39; K\u00e2ty\u00e2yana IV, 14, 11; also I, 2, 8, cont.\nFor all sacrifices the fires are laid once.\nThe sacrificial fires have to be arranged for the first time\nby a peculiar ceremony, called the Agny\u00e2dh\u00e2na. They are generally three (Tret\u00e2), the G\u00e2rhapatya, the father; the Dakshina, the son; and the \u00c2havan\u00eeya, the grandson. The first laying of the G\u00e2rhapatya fire-altar takes place in spring for a Br\u00e2hmana, in summer for a R\u00e2ganya, in winter for a Vaisya.\nIf it is said, guhoti, 'he sacrifices,' it should be known that sarpir \u00e2gya, melted butter, is meant.\nSarpis is here taken as an adjective, running; yad asarpat tat sarpir abhavat. \u00c2gya is explained as navan\u00eetavik\u00e2radravyag\u00e2t\u00eeyavakanah sabdah, i.e. a word signifying any kind of substance made of fresh butter.\nIn the Aitareya-Br\u00e2hmana I, 3, we read \u00e2gyam vai dev\u00e2n\u00e2m surabhi, ghritam manushy\u00e2n\u00e2m, ayutam pitr\u00een\u00e2m, navan\u00eetam garbh\u00e2n\u00e2m, '\u00c2gya is sweet or fragrant to the gods, ghrita to men, ayuta to the manes, navan\u00eeta to children.' Here the commentator explains that \u00e2gya is butter, when melted (vil\u00eenam sarpis), ghrita, when hardened. Ayuta, sometimes called astu, is butter, when slightly melted, nishpakva, when thoroughly melted. According to K\u00e2ty\u00e2yana I, 8, 37, \u00e2gya is of different kinds. It may be simple ghrita, which, as a rule, should be made of the milk of cows. But in the absence of \u00e2gya, the milk of buffaloes (m\u00e2hisha), or oil (taila), or sesam-oil (g\u00e2rtila), or linseed oil (atas\u00eesneha), &c., may be taken.\nIf it is said, guhoti, it should be known that the Adhvaryu is meant as performer.\nThough there is a man who offers the sacrifice, yet the actual homa, the throwing of butter &c. into the fire, has to be performed by the Adhvaryu priest.\nLikewise, the spoon (guh\u00fb) as the vessel.\nGuh\u00fb, the spoon, is so called because it is used for pouring out (guhoti, homa).\n319:1 See Hillebrandt, Das Altind. Neu- and Vollmondsopfer, p. 94.\n320:1 See on this, Rig-veda Pr\u00e2tis\u00e2khya 13, 17; \u00c2sval. I, 5, 27; S\u00e2\u1e45kh. I, 14; Hillebrandt, l.c. p. 103.","title":"Grihya Sutras, Part 2 (SBE30): \u00c2pastamba's Yag\u00f1a-Paribh\u00e2sh\u00e2-S\u00fbtras: S\u00fbtras 1-25","type":"page"}