The Agnistoma Somayaga in the Shukla Yajurveda

by Madan Haloi | 2018 | 109,416 words

This page relates ‘Part 2.6: The performance of the Upasadishti’ of the study on the Agnistoma Somayaga as described in the Shukla Yajurveda (dealing with Vedic Rituals). The Agnistoma sacrifice (lit. “praise of Agni”) connects god with men and is performed in the spring season. It is the model of all the Soma sacrifices and forms a large and complicated ceremony preceded by four preliminary ritualistic days. This thesis deals with all the details involved in the Agnistoma sacrifice.

Part 2.6: The performance of the Upasadiṣṭi

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[Full title: Rites Performed on the Second Day: (f) Upasadiṣṭi]

In addition to the Pravargya rite comes the Upasad Iṣṭi. This is an Iṣṭi to be performed on the 2^nd, 3^rd and the 4^th day of the Agniṣṭoma omitting some rites such as agnyanvādhāna, brahmavaraṇa etc. which are essential parts of the model sacrifice.^[1] Moreover, the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa as well as the Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra mention that the Iṣṭi is performed twice a day i.e., morning and evening^[2]. The Agniṣṭoma Somayāga has three upasad days and thus, here the number of Upasad rite becomes six.^[3] The Iṣṭi starts from the rite of bringing forward the praṇītā water forward.^[4] Then having placed the vessels of praṇītā water in the northern part of the gārhapatya fire, the Adhvaryu seeks permission from the Brahmā for bringing the vessel further forward. Being ordered by the Brahmā priest, the Adhvaryu carries the vessel and places it in the northern side of the āhavanīya.^[5] The name upasad has been derived from the root sad (to shatter) with the prefix upa and thus the word means ‘that by which the allied cities became shattered.^[6]

The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa states that when the asuras made a fortified house on the earth, in the middle region and in heaven, the gods besieged them by the Upasads , hence it is called upasad.^[7]

Sāyaṇa makes it clear that the gods destroyed the castles of the asuras by the rites called Upasads i.e., by the three offerings offered to Agni, Soma and Viṣṇu.Thus, these offerings being the means of besieging are called Upasads.^[8] Then the related rites such as spreading out the sacrificial grass on all sides of the fire, placing the sacrificial vessels, sprinkling the holy water on the utensils, the act of pouring ghee as well as the heating of the offering materials on the fire and taking of the sacrificial sword(sphya) etc. are performed by the Adhvaryu. Moreover, he brings a few cuttings of sacrificial grass which have been cut during the rite called stambayajurharaṇa.^[9] The word stambayajur refers to a yajuṣ formula connected with the act of cutting the grass with a sphya and the word stambayajurharaṇa refers to the rite of throwing the bunch of grass outside the altar.^[10] The Adhvaryu orders to put the either prokṣaṇī or madantī water on the altar.^[11] The kindling sticks and the barhiṣ should not be more than what is required. The Adhvaryu cleans the offering ladles by rubbing them. Before cleaning the sruva he cleans the juhū and the upabhṛt.^[12]

The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa states that the oblation consists of clarified butter. While the Adhvaryu pours ājya which has been taken in eight scoops into juhū, he fills up the upabhṛt with ājya which is taken in four scoops.The Adhvaryu may also fill up the ladles reversely.^[13] Here the barhiṣ are laid in one row. Moreover, it should have a ājyasthālī for the dhruva ladle.^[14]

As stated by Eggeling, there are two āghāra libations of ghee. Of these two, one is made by the sruva in the north of the fire and the other with the juhū in the south of the fire respectively.^[15] Chitrabhanu states that these libations are made by the Adhvaryu on the āhavanīya fire always to the east.^[16] But, in the Upasadiṣṭi, as stated in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, the Adhvaryu makes only one āghāra libation by the sruva.^[17] After the āghāra libation, the Hotṛ takes his seat. The Adhvaryu takes the two offering ladles viz., the juhū and upabhṛt. The Adhvaryu directs the Hotṛ to recite the invitatory verse and the offering verse for Agni . While the Hotṛ utters the word vaṣaṭ, the Adhvaryu makes the libation. He does it being permitted by the Hotṛ.^[18]

Kātyāyana adds here that the Adhvaryu does it having crossed the vedī in order to reach the southern part of the āhavanīya fire.^[19]

Moreover, he states this sentence—

ardhaṃ hutvā somāya…/^[20]

From this, it is clear that the first libation is made by juhū into which ājya has been poured in eight scoops. After the first libation, the Adhvaryu makes the second libation to soma. For this, he directs the Hotṛ for reciting the invitatory verse and the offering verse for Soma.As soon as the Hotṛ utters these verses along with the word vaṣaṭ, at the end the Adhvaryu makes the libation.^[21] From the above mentioned sūtra of Kātyāyana it is clear that having completed the first libation to

Agni,the Adhvaryu offers the second half to Soma . Again for the third libation to be offered to Viṣṇu, the Adhvaryu mixes the ghee of the upabhṛt with the remnant of the juhū and then he orders the Hotṛ to recite the invitatory and the offering verses for Viṣṇu. When the Hotṛ utters the word vaṣaṭ, the Adhvaryu makes the libation to Viṣṇu.^[22] Apart from these, the Adhvaryu extends his duty to the related rites such as putting of the offering ladles on the vedī, strengthening of the soma by touching it and the rites upto directing the Subrahmaṇya priests to sing the subrahmaṇyā litany etc.^[23] Karka adds here that all these are to be done like the Ātithyeṣṭi.^[24]

Then comes the Upasadhoma. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa states that the Adhvaryu performs the first Upasadhoma(which is to be performed twice on a day) with the prescribed yajuṣ formula viz., yā te agne… etc.^[25] Sāyaṇa states that like the Upasadiṣṭi, the Upasadhoma is also performed twice on a day.^[26] Thus the number of Upasadhoma becomes six in total. As stated in the Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra, before making the first libation, the Adhvaryu smears the handful of darbha blades (prastara) in the ājya and then makes the libation by the sruva while he is being touched from behind by the sacrificer.^[27] Vidyadhar states that the prastara is smeared in the ājya contained in the juhū, upabhṛt, ājyasthālī etc.^[28] It means that it is the remnant of the former libation. The Adhvaryu makes this libation with the yā te… etc.formula.

The formula of the Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā runs as follows—

yā te agne’yaḥśayā tanūrvarṣiṣṭhā gahvareṣṭhā/ ugraṃ vaco apāvadhīttveṣaṃ vaco apāvadhītsvāhā/^[29]

This first libation is called ayaḥśayā.^[30] It is to be noted here that if it is the first upasadhoma then he has to perform the second upasadhoma in the evening. Because, it has been said in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa as well as in the Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra that the libation occurs twice on a day.^[31] After the first libation, the Adhvaryu makes the other libations with prescribed formulae.^[32]

The formula for the second libation runs as follows—

yā te agne rajaḥśayā tanūrvarṣiṣṭhā gahvareṣṭhā/ ugraṃ vaco apāvadīttveṣaṃ vaco apāvadhītsvāhā/^[33]

The third formula for the third libation runs as follows—

ya te’agne hariśayā tanūrvarṣiṣṭhā gahvareṣṭhā / ugraṃ vaco apāvadīttveṣaṃ vaco apāvadhītsvāhā/^[34]

Kātyāyana too mentions that the latter two offerings viz., rajaḥśayā and hariśayā respectively are to be performed twice on each of the third and fourth days with mantra after the first two libations of the first day of the upasadhoma.^[35] The words ayaḥśayā, rajaḥśayā and hariśayā imply the connection of the libations with the destruction of iron, silver and gold castles made by the Asuras, through these Homas.^[36]

It is to be noted here that in the Upasadiṣṭi, there are no Ājyabhāgas, no Prayājas, Anuyājas and sviṣṭakṛt offering^[37]

Moreover, the outstanding features of this Iṣṭi is that the anuvākyā or puro’nuvākyā of morning Upasad becomes the yājyā and the yājyā of the morning Upasad becomes the anuvākyā in the evening Upasad—

tad yāḥ pūrvāhṇe’nuvākyā bhavanti; tā aparahṇe yājyāḥ/ yā yājyāstā anuvākyāḥ/^[38]

The process of milking of the cow for the fast-milk is also a noteworthy feature of the Upasad rite.

The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa as well as the Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra mention this process. The Agniṣṭoma being an Ekāha contains three upasad days. On the first day, according to the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, one udder (i.e.,one cow)is used to milk, on the second day, two udders (i.e., two cows)are used to milk,on the third day, the milk from three udders (i.e.three cows) is used. It has also been stated that one may do the milking in reverse order.^[39] Kātyāyana is also of the same opinion, but, he has stated the latter option of the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa at the first.^[40]

Again he states that the process of milking from one udder on the first day, two on the second day and three on the third day, should be done in the sacrifice where there is no rite of preparing the fire altar—

viparyasya vā’nagnicitye/^[41]

As stated in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa in case of twelve upasad days, the days are to be divided in three groups where each group contains four days and on each four days, one Upasad rite is to be performed.^[42] Sāyaṇa makes it clear that on the first group of four days, the first Upasadhoma known as ayaḥśayā should be performed. On the next four days, rajaḥśayā should be performed and on the next four days hariśayā should be performed.^[43] Again, it is to be noted here that in case of twelve Upasads,on the first four days, three udders are used daily, on the second four days, two and on the last four days, one udder is used daily.^[44] This process is followed in case of three upasad days. Kātyāyana states that in case of more than three upasad days, the days are to be divided equally^[45] in to three groups as the udders to be milked are three in number. Kātyāyana simply states that if the Upasad rite takes for many days, the increase of their numbers is to be done without breaking the initial order of the ayaḥśayā, rajaḥśayā and hariśaya offferings.^[46]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

cf., agnyanvādhānabrahmavaraṇayoraprasaktatvāt/ Karka on Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra 8.2.15.

[2]:

cf., dvirekayā pracarati dvirekayā/,sa yat sāyaṃ prātaḥ pracarati…/ Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ,3.4.4.17,21;Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 8.2.32

[3]:

cf., tāḥṣaṭ sampadyante/ Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.4.4.18

[4]:

cf., praṇītādyupasat/ Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 8.2.15;This rite is known as Praṇītāpraṇayana, Āpastamba Śrautasūtra , 1.15.7,16.3-5

[5]:

Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,2.3.1-3.

[6]:

P.V. Kane, op.cit., Vol.2, Part. 2, p.1151, fn. 2561

[7]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 3.4.4.3-4

[8]:

cf.,...te devā yasmāt etābhiḥ trībhirāgneyādīṣṭikarmabhiḥ…upāsīdan asuranirgamanapratibandhāt trīṇi purāṇyāvṛtya nyavasannityarthaḥ/ata upasadanasādhanatvādāsāmupasannāma sampannam/ Sāyaṇa on Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 3.4.4.4.

[9]:

Ibid.,8.2.19-20.

[10]:

Āpastamba Śrautasūtra , 2.1.4; Chitrabhanu Sen, op.cit.,p.121.

[11]:

Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,8.2.21.

[12]:

Ibid.,8.1.22-23.

[13]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.4.4.6-8.

[14]:

Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,8.2.25-26.