Verse 4.150

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

सावित्रान् शान्तिहोमांश्च कुर्यात् पर्वसु नित्यशः ।
पितॄंश्चैवाष्टकास्वर्चेन्नित्यमन्वष्टकासु च ॥ १५० ॥

sāvitrān śāntihomāṃśca kuryāt parvasu nityaśaḥ |
pitṝṃścaivāṣṭakāsvarcennityamanvaṣṭakāsu ca || 150 ||

On special days, he shall always offer the oblations to Savitṛ, and also the Pacificatory Oblations; on the “Aṣtakas” and on the “Anvaṣṭakas” he shall always worship the Pitṛs.’—(150)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The exact forms of the afore-mentioned oblations are now described.

‘Oblations to Savitṛ.’—Those that are offered to Savitṛ as the deity.

‘Special days;’—i.e., on the Moonless and the Full Moon Days—the said oblations are to be offered.

‘Pacificatory oblations—the oblations that are offered for the purpose of averting evil.

At all these oblations, Clarified Butter is to be the substance offered; for, in regard to all oblations, it has been declared that, where no substance is specified, Clarified Butter is to be used, by such passages as—‘what is called Clarified Butter is used at all sacrifices.’

The Locative ending in ‘parvasu’ (‘on special days’) has the force of the Accusative; as the receptacle (which is what is denoted by the Locative) of the oblation is Fire, which is never the object; the objects offered being mentioned as—‘fried grain,’ ‘butter,’ ‘meat,’ ‘mixed Hour,’ ‘curd,’ ‘milk’ and ‘grains.’

These oblations are mentioned here for the first time, and the exact procedure of these has been described before, as learnt from usage.

‘Aṣṭakā.’—The three eighth days of the three dark fort nights following after the Full Moon Day of the month of ‘Āgrahāyaṇa;’ according to some, it stands for the four eighth days of the four dark fortnights during the Hemanta and Śiśira seasons.—On these days, ‘he shall worship the pitṛs’—‘by means of śraḍdha; the J;erm ‘pitṛ,’ standing for one’s dead ancestors—‘Anvaṣṭakā’ is the name of the ninth days following the aforesaid ‘aṣṭakās.’—(150).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Apar ā rka (p. 229), where it is explained to mean that ‘one should offer on the fifteenth day of every fortnight the Ājya-homas to Savitṛ, which alleviate the evil effects of sins;—and in Hemādri (Kāla, p. 682), which explains ‘Savitrai’ as ‘those dedicated to the deity Savitṛ.’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (71.86).—‘On the Parva days one shall offer the propitiatory oblations.’

Viṣṇu (76.1-2).—‘The moonless day, the three Aṣṭakās, the three Anvaṣṭakās, the full moon day of Māgha, the thirteenth day after the full moon day of Bhādra, and also the ripening of the Vrīhi and the Yava;—these are the compulsory occasions for Śrāddha—says Prajāpati. If one does not offer Śrāddha on these occasions, he falls into hell.’

Yājñavalkya (1.217).—‘The moonless day, the Aṣṭakās, the Vṛddhi, the darker fortnight, the two solstices, materials, excellent Brāhmaṇas, and the Viṣuvat Saṅkrānti.’

Prajāpati (30).—‘On all the Aṣṭakās, and all the Anvaṣṭakās, one should offer balls of food, which is conducive to endless satisfaction.’