Verse 4.25 [The Agnihotra and the Darśa-Pūrṇamāsa]

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

अग्निहोत्रं च जुहुयादाद्यन्ते द्युनिशोः सदा ।
दर्शेन चार्धमासान्ते पौर्णमासेन चैव हि ॥ २५ ॥

agnihotraṃ ca juhuyādādyante dyuniśoḥ sadā |
darśena cārdhamāsānte paurṇamāsena caiva hi || 25 ||

He shall always offer the Agnihotra, either at the beginning, or, at the end, of day and night, as also the “Darśa” and the “Paurṇamāsa” at the end of each half-month.—(25).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The terms ‘agnihotra’ and the rest are found used in the Veda and in the Gṛhyasūtra texts, in the sense of particular rites; and these rites, along with their procedure, are prescribed in these texts. And it is to these rites that the present verse makes a reference; it does not contain the original injunction of the rites; specially, as it speaks of their form only; i.e, all that the present verse mentions is the necessity of performing the act of offering only,—and it does not mention either the material to be offered, or the deity to whom it is to be offered. And yet the names ‘Agnihotra’ and the rest, stand in need of the mention of detailed particulars; hence it follows that what is implied is that the detailed particulars of these rites are to be learnt from other treatises.

“If that be so, then, since the necessity of performing the rites also could be learnt from those same treatises, there is no use for the present text at all.”

The use of the present text lies in adjusting the necessity of performing these acts, in the case of persons who have renounced Vedic rituals, with the form of worship laid down in the present context; the sense being that just as, according to what has been said regarding some people offering ‘the life-breath into speech,’ and so forth, the Five Great Sacrifices are performed by such men, by means of Knowledge alone,—so are the sacrificial rites mentioned in the present verse also. Then again, what sort of objection is this that you urge, when you ask—‘Why should there he a repeated mention?’ As a matter of fact, in the case of the Vedic and Smṛti texts, it is found that what is said in one part of it is said again in another part; and all this would be open to objection (according to you). Lastly, we have already provided the general answer to such objections;—viz., that since the persons meant to be enlightened are many, the texts cannot be regarded as needless repetitions at all. Just as, by reason of the perceiv-ers being many, there are many organs of perception, and all men cannot see with one eye only, and there is need of several such organs,—so also is the case with the diverse Vedic and Smṛti texts.

The question might be raised—“Why should the mere name of the rites be mentioned?”

There is nothing objectionable in this also. Since the procedures as laid down in the several Vedic texts are divergent, which particular procedure could the verse mention? If it were to mention all, there would be prolexity; and if it were to mention any one only, this would involve the abandoning of the others.

“Even so, the omission is open to objection.”

But we have already pointed out that the present verse contains only a reference, and not an Injunction. It is only an Injunction, against which the objection can be urged that—‘the act being already enjoined elsewhere, why should it be enjoined again?’

‘At the beginning and end of dag and night;’—this is not meant to be construed respectively. What is meant is—‘at the beginning of day and beginning of night,’ and ‘at the end of day and end of night;’ and by this, morning and evening are meant. For those who follow the practice of making the offerings after sunrise, the offering shall be made ‘at the beginning of day;’ while for those who follow the practice of making the offerings before sunrise, it shall be made ‘at the end of night.’

The term ‘dyu’ here is synonymous with ‘Divasa,’ ‘day.’

‘Always,’—i.e., throughout one’s life, one should offer these morning and evening libations.

In connection with ‘darśena,’ it is necessary to supply the root ‘yajeta’; as the original injunction of the Darśa-sacrifice does not contain the verb, ‘juhuyāt,’—the injunction being in the form ‘darśena yajeta;’ and the prfesent verse makes only a reiterative reference to what is prescribed in that injunction; and thus (it being impossible to construe ‘darśena’ with the verb ‘juhuyāt’ in the verse) it becomes necessary to supply the verb ‘yajeta.’ For this same reason, though the text does not make any specification, the phrase, ‘at the end of half-month’ should be understood to mean that the Darśa is to be performed at the end of the darker fortnight, and the Paurṇamāsa (Pūrṇamāsa) at the end of the brighter fortnight. Says the Śruti—‘One should perform the Darśa sacrifice on the Moonless Day and the Paurṇamāsa on the Full Moon Day.’—(25)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 217), which makes the following observations:—The ‘ends of night and day’ being laid down as the times fit for the making of the two Agnihotra offerings,—the points of time really meant are also those immediately preceding and following the said ‘ends’; it is on this understanding that the evening-offering is commenced in the afternoon and finished after the evening; and for those who adopt the alternative of making the offering ‘after sunrise,’ it is done after the sun has actually risen, (which would naturally be after the end of the night). Similarly as the exact point of time denoted by the term ‘Darśa’ would be too minute for any act, it stands for such length of time as may be necessary for the entire offering. Then follows a long disquisition regarding ‘Paurṇamāsa’ and ‘Amāvasyā’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Yājñavalkya (1.124).—‘That Brāhmaṇa who may have grains enough for three years shall drink Soma; and he who has enough for the year shall perform the rites previous to the Soma.’

Viṣṇu (59. 2-4).—‘The Agnihotra in the morning and in the evening;—oblations should be poured to the gods;—one shall offer sacrifices on the moonless and full-moon days, by reason of the proximity and remoteness of the moon and the sun.’