200 



Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal [April, 1907. 

 (c) Those in which the Soma juice is the principal material 



are called Soniayajnns, e.g., the Jjotlstoma. This Soma sacrifice 



IS the most important of all ; its preliminary functions were the 

 killing of some animal, usually a he-goat, and the offering of the 

 flesh and the omentum of that victim with the Soma juice to the 

 deities. The final functions were the drinking of the residue 

 of the Soma juice, thus offered, in wooden cups, which had an 

 intoxicating effect. The goat was killed in a peculiar manner : 

 the slaughterer (famita) held its mouth tightly closed, and it is 

 said that violent blows with the fists were delivered till the poor 

 animal was dead. The priests at this time retired from that place, 

 ihe Vatapatha Brahmana remarks : " The animal is not killed in 

 the human manner, by being seized by the horn, nor after the 

 manner o± the Fathers, who seized it behind the ears, but it is 

 choked by keeping its mouth closed, or by means of a noose " (Cat. 

 Br. 3,8,1,15) The omentum (Vapa), flesh-portions, and the 

 gravy ( Vasa) of that strangled animal were then cut off by means 

 ^""roT^^i^a^ instrument (Svadhiti) and offered as oblations. 

 (J) ihe Soma sacrifices are again divided into three classes 

 according to the duration required for their performance. These 

 are called (a) Ekahas or those performed in one day, e.g., the Ac^ish- 

 toma ; {b) Ahmas, or those tliat take from two to twelve days for 

 their performance, e.g., the Aharganas, like tbe Dvada^aha, and (c) 

 Sattras or sacrificial sessions lasting from twelve days upwards, e.g., 

 the Gavamayana. There are seven forms of Ek^ha sacrifices 

 m., the Agnistoma, the Atyagnistoma, the Ukthya, the Soda(?in, 

 the Vajapeya, the Atiratra, and the Aptoryuma. Besides these 



several 



^««;i^ i -/* j» ^ "— .TXixoix i^uxioiHu ui several loae- 



pendent sacrifices for example, the Rajasuya is a complex ceremony 

 consistingof a long series of sacrificial performances extended 

 over a period of two years. The legendary history of India de- 

 scribes .Saifra., which are said to have lasted for one hundred years, 

 and It 18 interesting to note that the Mahabharata mentions of a 

 battra,/s^a^Tfa by name, which lasted for even one thousand years. 



LlTil\ T""""' r Adhikararna in the Mimamsa Suttras Which 

 says that^a Samvatsara (ht. a year) means "a day " in connection 

 with the Sahasrasamvatsara sattra (*.e. sacrifice lasting a thousand 



viPw^i 1 sacrifices are often regarded from another point of 

 i\TlTTy *^"f^^«"".««t^o^ ^th one or more of the Vedas ; thus 

 oanfltf - ''I *n' i^^"\^^P''l ^^^^ifice of the Yajurveda, the Dar- 

 !ZTnf uTv. li ^\ ^'^ ^"^ *^^ Yajurvedas and the Agnis- 

 ZuldV: w^^'^^^T^^^^'S*^^ Rik,theYajurand the Saman^ It 

 the tlfree Pr«l f ''' ^Y' ^^' ^^''' ^^^^^^^^^ mentioned above are 

 the vaHonr V t r ' °'" ^^^^^5^^"*'-^! forms of sacrifices, out of which - 

 the various Vikntis or modifications have developed. 



The possible priority of the Soma SACRmcEs to the Corn ones. 



rious^*sacrifi^r?S'"'^- -'' ,T'"*^'^ ^^^^ ^^^ how these multifa- 

 rious sacrifices originated, or commenced to be performed by the 



