The Agnistoma Somayaga in the Shukla Yajurveda

by Madan Haloi | 2018 | 109,416 words

This page relates ‘Part 4.4: Construction of the Havirdana-mandapa’ 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 4.4: Construction of the Havirdāna-maṇḍapa

< Previous

Next >

[Full title: Rites Performed on the Fourth Day: (c) Construction of the Havirdāna-maṇḍapa]

The havirdhānamaṇḍapa is constructed inside the mahāvedī which is nothing but a garaging place for the havirdhāna carts. It is constructed keeping two doors-one in the eastern side and the other in the western side.^[1] Kātyāyana states that the door posts should be placed in both sides of the pṛṣṭḥyā.^[2] Again Vidyadhar while comments on the sūtra of Kātyāyana puts his view that the gap between the door posts of eastern and the western sides should be of two Aratnis.^[3] Thus, it can be said that the each door post is raised at the distance of one aratni from the pṛṣṭḥyā.The Śatapatha mentions that the havirdhāna shed should be prācīnavaṃśa i.e., its tie beams should be placed pointing towards the east from the west.^[4]

Vidyadhar gives a brief idea about the havirdhāna shed. Accordingly, by the materials placed on the havirdhāna carts, the havirdhāna shed is made on four posts. It is covered by three mats and out of these, the middle mat is touched and uttered a formula by the sacrificer being directed by the Adhvaryu. The havirdhāna carts are covered by cloth.^[5] As stated by Chitrabhanu, the shed is made within the mahāvedī in the front part of the sadas. It is raised on twelve or eight posts with two or four beams and is covered with three chadis and enclosed with a mat. The shed is a little higher in the east than in the west.^[6] Each cart as it seems has its own shed.

The Adhvaryu leads the sacrificer to touch the middle chadi of the cart and makes the sacrificer to utter a yajuṣ formula.^[7]

The formula runs as follows—

pra tadviṣṇuḥ stavate vīryeṇa mṛgo na bhīmaḥ kucaro giriṣṭhāḥ/ yasyoruṣu triṣu vikramaṇeṣvadhikṣiyanti bhuvanāni viśvā//^[8]

Kātyāyana states that the Adhvaryu repeats this formula it in case of the other two chadis.^[9] Again, the sacrificer is led to touch the rarātyā, ucchrāya i.e., enclosures and each time, he has to utter one yajuṣ formula at the invitation of the Adhvaryu.^[10]

The formulae are respectively.^[11] —

viṣṇo rarātamasi/

And—

viṣṇoḥ snaptre sthaḥ

The word ucchrāya refers to the prāvaraṇa i.e., a cover made of tṛṇa and attached to each side of the door posts of the maṇḍapa.^[12]

The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa mentions that the mat in the back side of the maṇḍapa is like a skull bone—

atha yadidaṃ paścācchadirbhavati idaṃ haivāsyaitat śīrṣakapālaṃ yadidaṃ paścāt/^[13]

Sāyaṇa too makes it clear that this mat is as it were the skull-bone of the sacrificial head of the havirdhānamaṇḍapa.Sāyaṇa is of the opinion that this mat has its fore part to the east and the end towards the west. So, the other three covering mats should have their front part to the north and these mats should be placed in a north-south direction, otherwise, the position of the former mat whose end is towards the west can not be matched with the other.^[14] Kātyāyana too states the position of the three mats in the same way.^[15] Here, Vidyadhar comments that these three mats are used to cover the havirdhānamaṇḍapa.^[16] Then comes the rite of tying the enclosures with a cord with the help of a laspūjanī i.e., a wooden pin to which the cord is connected and making of knot.^[17] The Adhvaryu does these two acts with yajuṣ formulae.

The formulae are as follows respectively^[18] —

viṣṇoḥ syūrasi/

And—

viṣṇordhruvo’si/.

Sāyaṇa while commenting on the Śatapatha states that after having covered the posts with Darbhas, the Adhvaryu attaches the enclosures with a cord which is connected to a wooden pin.^[19] As it has been stated each maṇḍapa has two doors and each door contains two posts and thus the doors have four dvāryas i.e., posts. The mats are scured to these posts.^[20] After the construction of the havirdhāna shed is completed, the Adhvaryu with prescribed yajuṣ formula touches the shed.^[21]

The formula runs as follows—

vaiṣṇavamasi viṣṇave tvā.^[22]

The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa prohibits from looking inside the sadas and the havirdhāna shed through any other gap except the doors. If someone does it, the Adhvaryu should prevent him from doing so.^[23] The Yajurvedic texts also state that one must not partake food inside the havirdhānamaṇḍapa.^[24]