३२

अथ यदौदुम्बराण्यूर्जो वा एषो ऽन्नाद्याद्वनस्पतिरजायत यदुदुम्बरो भौज्यं वा एतद्वनस्पतीनाम् ।

(The Symbolical Meaning of the Fruits of the Udumbara, Aśvattha, and Plakṣa Trees. What Implements are Required for the quasi-Soma Feast of the King.)

As to the fruits of the Udumbara tree, which originated from the vigour which is in food, and in which there is all the vigour of the trees, furnishing nourishments,

अथ यदौदुम्बराण्यूर्जो वा एषो ऽन्नाद्याद्वनस्पतिरजायत यदुदुम्बरो भौज्यं वा एतद्वनस्पतीनाम् ।

ऊर्जमेवास्मिंस्तदन्नाद्यं च भौज्यं च वनस्पतीनां क्षत्त्रे दधाति ।

the Kṣatriya (when drinking the juice prepared from its fruits) places in the Kṣattra food, and what yields nourishment from the trees.

ऊर्जमेवास्मिंस्तदन्नाद्यं च भौज्यं च वनस्पतीनां क्षत्त्रे दधाति ।

अथ यदाश्वत्थानि तेजसो वा एष वनस्पतिरजायत यदश्वत्थः साम्राज्यं वा एतद्वनस्पतीनाम् ।

As to the fruits of the Aśvattha tree, which sprang out of lustre, and which has the sovereignty over the trees,

अथ यदाश्वत्थानि तेजसो वा एष वनस्पतिरजायत यदश्वत्थः साम्राज्यं वा एतद्वनस्पतीनाम् ।

तेज एवास्मिंस्तत्साम्राज्यं च वनस्पतीनां क्षत्त्रे दधाति ।

the Kṣattriya (when drinking the juice prepared from its fruits) places in the Kṣattra lustre and the sovereignty over the trees.

तेज एवास्मिंस्तत्साम्राज्यं च वनस्पतीनां क्षत्त्रे दधाति ।

अथ यत्प्लाक्षाणि यशसो वा एष वनस्पतिरजायत यत्प्लक्षः स्वाराज्यं च ह वा एतद्वैराज्यं च वनस्पतीनाम् ।

As to the fruits of the Plakṣa tree, which sprang out of glory, and in which there is the independence and brilliancy of the trees represented,

अथ यत्प्लाक्षाणि यशसो वा एष वनस्पतिरजायत यत्प्लक्षः स्वाराज्यं च ह वा एतद्वैराज्यं च वनस्पतीनाम् ।

यश एवास्मिंस्तत्स्वाराज्यवैराज्ये च वनस्पतीनां क्षत्त्रे दधाति ।

the Kṣattriya places in this way the independence and brilliancy which is in the trees in the Kshattra.

एतान्यस्य पुरस्तादुपकॢप्तानि भवन्ति ।

एतानि अस्य पुरस्तात् उपकॢप्तानि भवन्ति।

When all these things (the roots of the Nyagrodha tree, etc.) are in readiness for him,

एतान्यस्य पुरस्तादुपकॢप्तानि भवन्ति ।

अथ सोमं राजानं क्रीणन्ति ।

then the priests buy the Soma,

अथ सोमं राजानं क्रीणन्ति ।

ते राज्ञ एवा ऽऽवृतौपवसथात्प्रतिवेशैश्चरन्ति ।

and perform for the king the several ceremonies preceding the eve of the festival, just in the same way as the real Soma is treated.

ते राज्ञ एवा ऽऽवृतौपवसथात्प्रतिवेशैश्चरन्ति ।

अथौपवसथ्यमहरेतान्यध्वर्युः पुरस्तादुपकल्पयेताधिषवणं चर्माधिषवणे फलके द्रोणकलशं दशापवित्रमद्रीन्पूतभृतं चा ऽऽधवनीयं च स्थालीमुदञ्चनं चमसं च ।

Then the day before the celebration (of the feast) the Adhvaryu should have all these things ready which are required for the preparation of the Soma juice, such as the (goat) skin (placed below), the two boards required for squeezing, the Droṇakalaśa, the cloth (for purifying), the stones, the Pûtabhṛit, the Adhavanîya, the Sthâlî, the Udanehnam and the Chamasa.[10]

[10]Here are the principal implements required for squeezing, preparing, keeping, sacrificing and drinking the Soma juice mentioned. A detailed knowledge of them constitutes one of the principal qualifications of an Adhvaryu. Their description is therefore to be found principally in the Sûtras of the Yajurveda (see the 9th and 10th Adhyâya of the Kâtiya sûtras, the 8th and 9th Praśna of the Hiraṇyakeśi Sûtras, Sâyaṇa’s Commentary on the 4th Prapâṭhaka of the 1st Kâṇḍa of the Taittirîya Saṁhitâ, founded on the Apastamba Śrauta Sûtras).

In order to make the use of these vessels intelligible to the reader, I subjoin here a short description of the preparation of the Soma juice, partially from what I myself have witnessed, partially from the ritual books and oral information.

The plant which is at present used by the sacrificial priests of the Dekkhan at the Soma feast, is not the Soma of the Vedas, but appears to belong to the same order. It grows on hills in the neighbourhood of Poona, to the height of about 4 to 5 feet, and forms a kind of bash, consisting of a certain number of shoots, all coming from the same root; their stem is solid like wood; the bark greyish; they are without leaves, the sap appears whitish, has a very stringent taste, is bitter, but not sour; it is a very nasty drink, and has some intoxicating effect. I tasted it several times, but it was impossible for me to drink more than some tea-spoonfulls.

The juice is obtaind in the following way: The Adhvaryu first spreads a skin (charma), and puts on it the Soma shoots which are called aṁśu or valli. He now takes two boards, adhiṣavaṇa; the first is placed above the Soma. He beats the board with one of the so-called grâvaṇas, i.e., Soma squeezing stones, takes the shoots (as many as he requires for the particular Savana) from below the boards, ties them together, and places the other board above them. He then pours water from the Vasatîvarî pot (see page 114-115) on this board; this water is called nigrâbhya. He now takes certain number of shoots (there are, for instance, for the libation from the Upâṁśu Graha, which is the first of all, six required) out of the whole bunch which lies between the two boards, holds over them the Soma squeezing stone, and shakes them thrice in the Chamasa (cup) of the Hotar, towards the right side. This is the Nigrâbha. He wets them with the waters of the Vasatîvarî pot. Now he puts them on a large stone, places upon them some grass, and beats the shoots in order to extract the juice. The technical term for this beating is, abhiṣuṇoti. Each abhiṣava, or complete extracting of the Soma juice consists of three turns (paryâyas); in the first, the Adhvaryu beats the shoots eight times, and makes the Nigrâbha in the manner described above; in the second turn, he beats them eleven times, and in the third twelve times, making at the end of each the Nigrâbha. The juice which the Adhvaryu catches at the end of each turn with his hard, is thrown into a vessel (at the first abhiṣava in the Upâṁśu Graha).

After this first or preliminary abhiṣava, follows the mahâbhiṣava or the great squeezing ceremony, performed exactly in the same way as the first, with the only difference, that the Adhvaryu takes from between the two boards as many Soma shoots as are required for the rest of the Savanam (libation). If the juice is extracted, it is poured in the Adhavanîya, a kind of trough. Thence it is poured in a cloth, in order to strain it. This cloth is called Pavitra or Daśâpavitra. Below the cloth is another trough, called Pûtâbhṛit (i.e., the bearer of what is strained, purified). The Udgâtar must hold the cloth when the juice is strained.

Single shoots of the Soma, and drops of its juice, are put in several sthâlis or small vessels generally used for keeping butter. The libations are poured from two kinds of vessels, from the Grahas (see page 118), and the Chamasas (cups). Each offering from a Graha consists of a certain number of Dhârâs or portions (of a liquid substance). So, for instance, the offering from the Agrayaṇa Graha, at the evening libation, consists of the following four Dhârâs: that one which is in the Agrayaṇa sthâlî (not the Graha) taken by the Adhvaryu; the two portions which remained in the Aditya Graha (the libation from which precedes that from the Agrayaṇa), and in the Ajya sthâli (the pot with melted butter); these two are taken by the Pratipasthâtar; the fourth Dhârâ is taken from the Adhavanîya trough by the Unnetar. Each of the four Dhârâs is first strained by a cloth held over the Pûtâbhṛit vessel. The Unnetar takes his Dhârâ with a vessel, called Udañchana, or with a Chamasa. These four Dhârâs are then filled from the Pûtâbhṛit in the Agrayṇa Graha, and sacrificed in the usual way. Certain offerings are filled in the Grahas from another very large trough, the so-called Dronakalaśa (one such vessel is in my possession). At certain occasions, there is not only the mouth of the Graha to be filled up to the brim, but the small cup, put in it (which alone was originally the Graha; but, after the latter term had become identical with Pâtra, the vessel itself, the small cup, was called atigraha), is also filled; this is called atigrâhya.

अथौपवसथ्यमहरेतान्यध्वर्युः पुरस्तादुपकल्पयेताधिषवणं चर्माधिषवणे फलके द्रोणकलशं दशापवित्रमद्रीन्पूतभृतं चा ऽऽधवनीयं च स्थालीमुदञ्चनं चमसं च ।

तद्यदेतद्राजानं प्रातरभिषुण्वन्ति तदेनानि द्वेधा विगृह्णीयात् ।

Then they should make two parts of what is squeezed for the king (the roots of the Nyagrodha, &c.);

तद्यदेतद्राजानं प्रातरभिषुण्वन्ति तदेनानि द्वेधा विगृह्णीयात् ।

अभ्यन्यानि सुनुयान्माध्यंदिनायान्यानि परिशिंष्यात् ।

one is to be made ready for the morning libation, the other to be left for the midday libation.

अभ्यन्यानि सुनुयान्माध्यंदिनायान्यानि परिशिंष्यात् ।