The Agnistoma Somayaga in the Shukla Yajurveda
by Madan Haloi | 2018 | 109,416 words
This page relates ‘Part 5.8: Sacrifice of sterile cow (anubandhya-pashuyaga)’ 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 5.8: Sacrifice of sterile cow (anubandhyā-paśuyāga)
[Full title: Rites Performed on the Fifth Day: (h) Sacrifice of sterile cow (anubandhyā-paśuyāga)]
The Udayanīyeṣṭi is followed by the rite of offering a sterile (anubandhyā) cow. The Adhvaryu completes the rite following the procedure of the Savanīya animal sacrifice and offers the anubandhyā cow to Mitra and Varuṇa[1]. After the killing of the anubandhyā cow, the Adhvaryu directs the Śamitṛ to take out its omentum as well as to search for an embryo. If an embryo is found, then the Adhvaryu directs the Śamitṛ to manage a pot and an uṣṇīṣa i.e., a turban. Having offered the omentum of the cow the Adhvaryu again directs to the Śamitṛ to extract the embryo from the cow’s womb. After the extraction of the embryo from the womb, the Adhvaryu address the embryo with a yajuṣ formula.[2]
The formula runs as follows—
ejatu daśamāsyo garbho jarāyuṇā saha/ yathāyaṃ vāyurejati yathā samudra ejati/ evāyaṃ daśamāsyo asrajjarāyuṇā saha//[3]
Then the embryo is cut at its throat and the liquid is poured out into a pot.As the fatty juice comes out from it, so it represents all the limbs of the embryo. After this, different parts of the cow are cut and these are cooked in the śāmitra fire. The juice of the embryo is also cooked in the same fire. After covering the embryo by the uṣṇīṣa, it is placed beside the śāmitra fire. On the otherhand, the cooked portions are lifted from the fire. The Pratiprasthātṛ fills up the pracaraṇī ladle with the fatty juice. While the Adhvaryu offers the cut out portions i.e., avadāna the Pratiprasthātṛ offers the fatty juice uttering a formula.[4]
The formula runs as follows—
yasyai te yajñiyo garbho yasyai yonirhiraṇyayī/ aṅgānyahnutā yasya taṃ mātrā samajīgamaṃ svāhā /[5]
After making an offering to Vanaṣpati , the Adhvaryu performs the sviṣṭakṛt offering to Agni Sviṣṭakṛt by the remaining portions and after that the Pratiprasthātṛ offers the remaining fatty juice.[6]
Here the Pratiprasthātṛ, utters this formula—
purudasmo purudasmo viṣurupa indurantarmahimānamanānja dhīraḥ/ ekapadīṃ dvipadīṃ tripadīṃ catuṣpadīmaṣṭāpadīṃ bhuvanānu prathantāṃ svāhā//[7]
After having completed the samiṣṭayajuṣ offering, the embryo is offered in the śāmitra fire to the Maruts . After this offering in the fire, the Adhvaryu covers it with the coals of that fire.[8]
He performs these two rites uttering the following formulae respectively.[9] —
(a) maruto yasya hi kṣaye pāthā divo vimahasaḥ/ sa sugopātamo janaḥ/
(b) mahī dyauḥ pṛthivī ca na imaṃ yajñaṃ mimikṣatām/ pipṛtāṃ no bharīmabhiḥ/
If a sterile cow is not easily available, then a bullock can be offered. If both are not available, then one should simply offer milk mess to Mitra and Varuṇa.[10]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid.,10.9.12.
[2]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 4.5.2.1-5; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,25.10.2-5.
[3]:
Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 8.28.
[5]:
Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 8.29.
[6]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 4.5.2.11-12; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,25.10.12-13.
[7]:
Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 8.30.
[8]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 4.5.2.16-18; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,25.10.16.
[9]:
Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 8.31 & 32 respectively.
[10]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra ,10.9.14-15.