Thread by @RangaTheDude on Thread Reader App – Thread Reader App
A note on sAvitrI reference in Atharvaveda’s Kaushika grihya sutra.
Atharva vedic samhitas do not contain the famous vishvAmitra’s sAvitrI mantra in the gAyatrI meter. Still, we can infer that it is held in high regard in AV tradition.
Gopatha explanation
Gopatha brahmana devotes a chapter on this mantra as a discussion between maudgalya and glAva maitreya. Note the question and answer -
kim svikAhurbhoH saviturvareNyaM bhargo devasya kavayH kimAhuH | dhiyo vichakshva yadi tAH pravettha pracodayantsavitA yAbhireti ||
The chapter then proceeds to explain the 24-syllabled gayatri mantra as pairs of “savitA-sAvtirI” in typical brAhmaNa fashion. Mind is savitA, Speech is sAvitrI and they form a pair. So does agni and earth; vAyu and mid-region; Aditya and the heavens; and so on.
The same chapter, though not giving the mantra in one shot, gives it pAda by pAda with explanations. The connection to AV is explicit as the brAhmaNa makes bhrigu and angiras the eyes of gAyatrI Image
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Now, BrihadAraNyaka 5.14.5 tells us that there were some who used to initiate students with the sAvitrI in anushTubh meter instead of the gAyatrI but discourages it favoring the one in gAyatrI meter.
The anuShTubh sAvitrI is
“tat savitur vR^iNImahe |
vayam devasya bhojanaM |
shreThaM sarvadhAtamaM |
turaM bhagasya dhImahi ||.”
Keep this in mind as we’ll refer to this for the kaushika reference.
Chandogya ritual
Chandogya has an interesting ritual with this mantra. In this ritual, herbs of villages and forest are collected, mixed with honey & curds. The sacrificer takes the vrata on a new moon and performs the ritual on the full moon on Avasathya fire. Offering is made with mantras like “vasiShThaya svAhA | pratShThAyai svAhA..” and so on.
SampAta is collected and mixed into the paste. (You offer from the darvi leaving a bit in the spoon and pour it in sampata receptacle or on the dravya which needs to be sprinkled with sampata.) Then portions of the mixture is eaten with the pAdas of the Rik one by one. “tatsavitur vR^iNImahe”, then “vayaM devasya bhojanaM”, then “sreThaM sarva dhAtamaM” and finally “turam bhagasya dhImahi”.
The performer retires behind the fire, keeping silence. If he sees a woman in his dream, the ritual is successful.
kaushika
Now, coming to Kaushika sUtra, in the context of madhuparka, we see that Kaushika is employing both gAyatrI and a portion of the anuShTubh sAvitrI.
The madhuparka is ritually prepared and with the specified fingers little by little taken up and consumed. Note the use of atharvavedic vyAhR^itis (janad, vR^idhat, karat, ruhat, mahat, tat, shaM, oM).
The first consumption is with “oM bhUstat saviturvareNyaM bhUH svAhA”.
Second with “bhargo devasya dhImahi| bhuvassvAhA”.
Third with “dhiyo yo naH prachodayAt svassvAhA”.
Fourth with “vayaM devasya dhImahi janatsvAhA”,
fifth with “turaM devasya bhojanaM vR^idhatsvAhA”.
Then with “karat svAhA, rudhat svAhA, mahat svAhA tat svAhA shaM svAha”.
Eleventh with OM and 12th silently.
Note that Kaushika omits 2 pAdas of tatsavitur vR^iNImahe. The remaining pAdas have the initial words swapped, though it is obvious Kaushika is reworking the same mantra from RV. Instead of vayaM devasya bhojanaM and turaM bhagasya dhImahi, Kaushika has “vayaM devasya dhImahi” and “turaM devasya bhojanaM”.
The Chandogya ritual appears even more “atharvanic” than what Kaushika is prescribing. There must be an independent kAmya ritual with ritual consumption of a honeyed mixture that both Chandogya and Kaushika are adapting.
I also have a speculation that Kaushika, even while rightfully called samhitAvidhi, has lost some ritual application of AV sUktas as lot of viniyoga he gives appears to be secondary - a topic that warrants a separate discussion.