Part 4.10: Cutting and raising of the sacrificial post

[Full title: Rites Performed on the Fourth Day: (i) Cutting and raising of the sacrificial post (yūpacchedana and ucchrayaṇa)]

The Agnīṣomīya animal sacrifice related to Agni and Soma is preceded by the rites viz., the cutting and raising of the yūpa i.e., the sacrificial post for tying the sacrificial animal to it. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa as well as Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra state that the Adhvaryu begins this rite by making a libation in the āhavanīya uttering a formula related to Viṣṇu . He may make this libation with four scoops of ghee taken by the offering ladle or by the dipping spoon.^[1]

The formula related to Viṣṇu runs as follows—

uru viṣṇo vikramasvoru kṣayāya naskṛdhi/ghṛtaṃ ghṛtayone piba prapra yajñapatiṃ tira svāhā//^[2]

Having made this libation, the Adhvaryu with the sruva and a

carpenter (takṣa) with his axe proceed towards the tree which has been selected for the sacrificial post. According to Kāyāyana the sacrificial post may be made from khadira tree or from either a bilva tree or a rauhitaka tree.^[3] Having touched the tree, the Adhvaryu may mutter a yajuṣ formula or he may address the tree by standing in the west side of the tree by facing towards the east.^[4]

The formula runs as follows—

atyanyā agāṃ nānyām upāgāmarvāktvā parebhyo’vidaṃ paro’varebhyaḥ/ taṃ tvā juṣāmahe deva vanaspate devayajyāyai devāstvā devayajyāyai juṣantām/^[5]

Having touched the tree with the sruva with yajuṣ formula, he puts a young kuśa grass in between a specific place of the tree and the axe and cuts the tree at the specific uttering prescribed yajuṣ formula with each act.^[6]

The formulae are respectively.^[7] —

(a) viṣṇave tvā

(b) oṣadhe trāyasva

(c) svadhite mainaṃ hiṃsīḥ

Whene the first piece of wood falls from the tree, the Adhvaryu places it in a secured place. The tree for the post should be cut in such a way that it does not become an obstacle for the running cart.^[8] It means that the tree should be cut at the very lower part. The tree should be cut very carefully so that it does not fall in southern side. Because, as the Śatapatha Brāhamaṇa states that the southern side belongs to the manes. It says that the tree may fall either in the east, or north or in the west.^[9] Kātyāyana has added that the tree which is cut down for the post should be one that is unaccompanied by other trees or creepers.While the tree is about to fall, the Adhvaryu addresses the tree with a prescribed formula.^[10]

The formula runs as follows—

dvyāṃ mā lekhirantarikṣaṃ mā hiṃsiḥ pṛthivyā saṃbhava/ ayaṃ hi tvā svadhitistatijānaḥ praṇināya mahate subhagāya/^[11]

Thereafter the Adhvaryu makes a libation on the top of the tree which is still raised on the earth.^[12] During this time he utters the following formula—

atastvaṃ deva vanaspate śatavalśo viroha sahasravalśāviva yaṃ ruhema/^[13]

However Kātyāyana says that with the formula ayaṃ hi tvā...etc. the tree is made free from its leaves or branches. Again, as the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa is silent regarding this point hence, he puts his view that this formula is to be added to the formula which is uttered while the tree is addressed at the very outset by the Adhvaryu. Moreover, he states that the Adhvaryu should make the libation on the yūpa as its saṃskāra or he may make it on the top of the tree as śruti supports it.^[14] Having cut the tree, it is again cut as per prescribed measurement of the yūpa. Regarding the length of the yūpa, the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa and Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra mention various options such as five, six, eight, nine, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fifteen, seventeen etc.Aratnis.^[15] But Kātyāyana clearly states that the yūpa i.e., the sacrificial post of the Soma sacrifice should have length between five Aratnis to fifteen Aratnis barring the length of seven, ten and seventeen Aratnis. Or one may not follow any prescribed measurement.^[16]

Having made ready the yūpa, the Adhvaryu takes the spade and performs all the rites related to the digging of the pit and raising in it the yūpa i.e., the sacrificial post by applying the yajuṣ formula which have already been mentioned in connection with raising of the audumbarī post.^[17] But it is to be noted here that the place for the pit is marked in front of the āhavanīya and half of the hole should be outside the mahāvedī and half inside.^[18] Thereafter, the Adhvaryu puts the yūpaśakala i.e., the first piece of the tree in the pit of the post uttering a yajuṣ formula.^[19]

The formula runs as follows—

agreṇīrasi svāveśa unnetṛṇāmetasya vittādadhi tvā sthāsyati/^[20]

He makes a libation by the sruva into the pit without uttering any formula. Then the yūpa i.e., sacrificial post is smeared with ghee after having gone to the east of the pit and by facing to the north and the Hotṛ is directed to recite a verse in honour of the post.^[21] Kātyāyana adds here that either the Adhvaryu or the yajamāna does it by sitting down. Whoever goes to smear the post should direct the Hotṛ to recite a verse for the post.^[22]

The formula to be uttered during the anointment of the post runs as follows—

devastvā savitā madhvānaktu/^[23]

Thereafter, a wooden ring (caṣāla) is smeared with ghee. Having anointed it on both sides, the caṣāla is tied to the top of the yūpa i.e., the sacrificial post/^[24]

Here, the Adhvaryu utters the following formula—

supippalābhyastvauṣadhībhyaḥ/^[25]

He smears ghee from top to bottom on that side of the post which faces towards the āhavanīya^[26] On the completion of the rites of anointment, the Hotṛ is directed by the Adhvaryu to utter the prescribed verse for the sacrificial post to be raised. The yūpa i.e., the sacrificial post is raised with a yajuṣ formula.^[27]

The formula runs as follows—

dyāmagreṇāspṛkṣa āntarikṣaṃ madhyenāprāḥ pṛthivīmuparenādṛṃhīḥ/^[28]

The post becomes known as agniṣṭha

because it remains beside the fire^[29]. Thereafter he performs the rites such as placing of the post in the hole, dumping of earth around the post, pressing down the earth around it and pouring of water on the earth with prescribed formula which have already been mentioned in case of the audumbarī post. The sacrificer has to look at the caṣāla by uttering a yayuṣ formula^[30].

The formula runs as follows—

tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padaṃ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ divīva cakṣurātatam/^[31]

There after the Adhvaryu girdles the post with a rope at the height of the navel^[32] of the sacrificer^[33].

He utters the following—

parivīrasi pari tvā daivīrviśo vyayantāṃ parīmaṃ yajamānaṃ rāyo manuṣyāṇām^[34]/

A yūpaśakala i.e., a chip of the tree cut down for the yūpa is concealed in the rope^[35].

Here,he utters this formula—

divaḥ sūnurasi^[36] /

This yūpaśakala is called svaru^[37]. Later on this yūpaśakala is offered in the āhavanīya fire^[38].

Here the formula to be uttered is—

divaṃ te dhūmo gacchatu svarjyotiḥ pṛthivīṃ bhasmanāpṛṇa svāhā/^[39]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.6.4.1-3; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 6.1.4.

[2]:

Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 5.41.

[3]:

Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,6.1.9,10

[4]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.6.4.4-8; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 6.1.5-7.

[5]:

Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 5.42(a)

[6]:

cf., atha sruveṇopaspṛśati viṣṇave tvā iti/, atha darbhataruṇakamantardadhāti oṣadhe trāyasva iti /...atha paraśuna prabharati … / Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 3.6.4.9-10, Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 6.1.11-12.

[7]:

[??] _{Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 5.42}(b,c,d)

[8]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.6.4.11; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,6.1.13-14.

[9]:

cf., taṃ prāncaṃ pātayet/prācī hi devānāṃ dik / atho udancam/ udīcī hi manuṣyāṇāṃ dik / atho pratyancam/ dakṣiṇāyai tvevainaṃ diśaḥ parivībādhiṣeta/ eṣā vai dik pitṛṇām /, taṃ pracyavamānamanumantrayate.../ Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 3.6.4.12-13.

[10]:

Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,6.1.15-17.

[11]:

Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 5.43(a)

[12]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.6.4.15-16.

[13]:

Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 5.43(b)

[14]:

Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra, 6.1.18-22.

[15]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.6.4.17-26; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,6.1.24-25.

[16]:

cf., pañcāratniḥ pañcadaśaparyantaḥ some daśasaptacaturdaśavarjamaparmito vā/ Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,6.1.29.

[17]:

Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,8.8.1.

[18]:

cf., devasya tvetyabhrimādāya yūpavaṭaṃ parilikhatīdamahamityāhavanīyasya purastād antrvedyardham/ Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 6.2.8.

[19]:

cf., atha yūpaśakalam prāsyati/, sa prāsyati-agreṇīrasi.../ Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 3.7.1. 8-9; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,6.2.19.

[20]:

VS , 6.2(a)

[21]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.7.1.10-11.

[22]:

Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,6.2.20-21, 3.1-2.

[23]:

_{Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 6.2}(b)

[24]:

cf., atha caṣālamubhayataḥ pratyajya pratimuncati.../ Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 3.7.1.12; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 6.3.3-4.

[25]:

Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 6.2(c)

[26]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.7.1.13; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 6.3.5.

[27]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.7.1.13-14; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,6.3.6-7 .

[28]:

Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 6.2(d)

[29]:

Vidyadhar Sharma on Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 6.3.5

[30]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.7.1.8.; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 6.3.12

[31]:

Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 6.5

[32]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ,3.7.1.19-20; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 6.3.13

[33]:

cf., nābhimātraṃ ca pramāṇatvādyajamanaviṣayam / Karka on Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 6.3.13

[34]:

Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 6.6

[35]:

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.7.1.22; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 6.3.15

[36]:

Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 6.6

[37]:

cf.,etasmādvā’eṣo’pacchidyate / tasyaitat svamevārurbhavati / tasmāt svarurnāma / Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.7.1.24

[38]:

cf., so’dhvaryuryūpaśakalamevājuhut / … Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.7.1. 31, 32

[39]:

Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 6.21