Rudra-Shiva concept (Study)
by Maumita Bhattacharjee | 2018 | 54,352 words
This page relates ‘4a. Rudra in the Prishataka ceremony’ of the study on the Rudra-Shiva concept in the Vedic and Puranic literature, starting with the concept of God as contemplated by the Rishis (Vedic sages). These pages further deal with the aspects, legends, iconography and eulology of Rudra-Shiva as found in the Samhitas, Brahamanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads Sutras and Puranas. The final chapters deal with descriptions of his greatness, various incarnations and epithets.
4a. Rudra in the Pṛṣātaka ceremony
This ceremony is performed for the prosperity of the cows. In this ceremony, a dish of boiled rice grains with milk is offered to Rudra on the fullmoon day of the month of Āśvayuja.[1] In the commentary, it is stated that āśvayuk means aśvinī nakṣatra and the full-moon day of aśvinī nakṣatra is called āśvayujī.[2] Pṛṣātaka is a mixture of payasa with ājya (ghee).[3] At dusk, after being fed pṛṣātaka, the cows are made to stay together with their calves.[4]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
(a) āśvayujyāṃ paurṇamāsyāṃ pṛṣātake pāyasaścaru raudraḥ || Gobhila-gṛhyasūtra, 3.8.1 (b) āśvayujīṃ rudrāya pāyasaḥ || Khādira-gṛhyasūtra, 3.3.1
[2]:
aśvayuk aśvinīnakṣatraṃ, tadayuktā paurṇamāsī āśvayujī | Bhaṭṭanārāyaṇa on Gobhila-gṛhyasūtra, 3.8.1
[3]:
[4]:
sāyaṃ gāḥ pṛṣātakaṃ prāśayitvā sahavatsā vāsayeta || Gobhila-gṛhyasūtra, 3.8.7