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- ^^^ ^-grht^^ by a husband on the day of his 0^^^^^^^" •T^^^ ftre, or the altar on which it is kept, ^ Y<^ ^ "^^ 'Ivy®*' ^^d the grihya sacrifices are all fO^^ ^^^ ^ ^^V *^** a^^tar. But it is doubtful whether >^*^ V^*^ \ ^ V^^ mean wife. In the passage quoted <^^ c.^*^^^^^^'^^ ^-j^et^^ans house or family. Besides, as v^ ^^SP^^^^^'*^'^^* themselves admit, this domestic fire has ^^>^^^ \^ ^0 ^ be lighted by a Brahman ^ before his '^'i^'^^^vi^^'^^ ^ ^^®® ^^® father should die prematurely.^ ^^^s^"^^^^^^ ^^^fore, probably meant origi nally the house ^^^^^^^^;f t.b^V,^heartb, from griha, house ; and it was ^' t.\^e t**'*.* to t^® great sacrifices for which several °n opP*'*^*^*'^e required, and which were therefore heavtVis "^^ .1^ j tbat the domestic ceremonies were called t'fl*^'** 'if^rfif^^''^^ ^^''^'"*^^ 'hTnr:! This Til GnaWO^ ia token from ^.^ ^fao has not yet finished his religious educv tion, possesses no ^.^^^ burnt-ofiFerings, he must do so with com- '"■^'Ternd wXut sacred vesseR Thus the K&ty&yan.^<itrv :ra^::::;s:Uv.r-''f^^*^ ^^mr^sify ^- r 0RIH7A. 203 called grihya^ as performed by means of the one do* mestic fire. It should be stated, however, in favour of the former interpretation, that in Gobhila's Si^tra these domestic ceremonies are not called grihya, but grihy&-karm&ni, and that here also the commentator admits grihy& in the sense of housewife or tradition.^ The general name of the sacrifices performed, ac cording to the Grihya-siitras, is Pd^kayajna, where pAka is not to be taken in the sense of cooking, but signifies, according to Indian authorities, either small or good. That pdha is used in the first sense appears from such expressions as ^' yo'smatplLkatarah," ^^ he who is smaller than we.'' But the more likely meaning is good or excellent or perfect; because, as the commentators remark, these ceremonies impart to every man that peculiar fitness without which he would be excluded from the sacrifices, and from all the benefits of his religion. As it is neces- sary that the marriage ceremonies should be rightly performed, that the choice of the bride should be made according to sacred rules, prescribed in the Stltras or established by independent tradition in various fa- milies and localities, the first ceremony described in ^i^fil^lgnfi qi4lmni^:H Narftyana on A^v. Grihya. siitra. The three fires are the Garhapatya, AhavaDiya, and Da- kshina ; the one fire is the Avasathya or Grihya. ^ IFT^II ^rai^ ^EIRT Wfttl cret 'ITf^ WlSTt%ll ORIBTA. ^^itraa is Mlaxrriage. Then follow the Sans- ^^j^^'" fites to \>e performed at the conception n 'Y^^^^^ at various periods before his birth, at *^^^^^\ bis birtVi., the ceremony of naming the '*' ^ '^ -^^ -.ry*i"g hina out to see the sun, of feeding ' .^^ ^.^^V.tit'S ^^^ hair; and lastly of investing him tiin^^ ^^^ rttj *^^^ handing him to a Guru, under 3, o* ^^ ^^^ y^ei i* **^ study the sacred writings, that is of j^*!^-"^ af ^ them hy heart, and to perform all the 'g^ ft^^^^^^ ^^0j^Vimacha,rin, or religious student. It is ^e *^^^::^ ^' ^ h*^ served his apprenticeship and grown ^ ''5' '^ '^ ^ /><'^' *^^* ^® i'* allowed to marry, to light (S^ ^ ^'^^tf^^ \ ^^^ ^^^ himself, to choose his priests, ^ <v^^<=%-^*^ <*** ^^^^ after year the solemn sacrifices, \P ^t^^^^'^y *^® ^'f'^ti and the Smriti. The latter '^^i^^^ ^ in the later books of the Grihya-sAtras, ^ %c<^°^lt^ t, ^°°^ contains a full account of the &**^^ 1^ ponies and of the sacrifices offered to *\ ce*^ the departed. ®^ Vf ^*'® ^ ^rt^^^y more of human interest in these •"Viere is ^ than i^ the great sacrifices described Ycstic '^^^^g^^sAtras. The ofTerings themselves are ,he ^^^^ simpl® nature, and the ceremonial is sral^y o* jiot require the assistance of a large ' *^/'* ^* fessional priests. A log of wood placed * fF^ i the hearth, an oblation poured out to he fire o ^^^^ ^j^^^^ ^^ ^^^ BrAhmans, this is ^constitutes P^^^S^'v^da^n'^^r"^ "^""T ral passages ^^"\ *^? ^^^ m order to show the gods do riot despise those simple offerings, that a mere prayer will secure their favour, that a hymn of praise is as good as bulls and • He quotes from Bv- vin. 19. 5. and 6. : " The ^ "^bo aacri^cea to Agni with a log of wood, with GfLlHTA. 205 an oblation, with a bundle of grass ^ with a reverence, careful in his performance, his horses will press on quickly, his fame will be the brightest ; nowhere will mischief, whether wrought by the gods or wrought by men, reach him." Another verse is quoted from Rv. yiii. 24. 20., where men are called upon " to speak a mighty speech which is sweeter to Indra than milk (ghrita, ghee) and honey." And lastly, reference is made to a passage (Rv. vi. 16. 47.), where the poet says : " With this hymn of praise, 0 Agni, we bring thee a sacrifice that is fashioned by the heart ; may these be thy bulls, thy oxen, and thy cows." All these passages are more applicable to the Grihya than to the drauta ceremonies, and though the latter may seem of greater importance to the Brahmans, to us the former will be more deeply inter- esting, as disclosing that deep-rooted tendency in the heart of man to bring the chief events of human life in connection with a higher power, and to give to our joys and sufferings a deeper significance and a re- ligious sanctification.^ ^ The Commentator explains veda as the sacred code. Such a code was not known to the authors of the hjmns. On the mean- ing of veda, see page 27. note I . ' In addition to a list of literary names quoted in the Grihya- sttnB of A^val&yana (see p. 42), I subjoin a larger list of a similar character from the d^nkhiyana-grihya-stitras, of which a copy exists at Berlin. (Weber, Catalogue of Sanskrit MSS." p. 33.) Sumantuh, Jaimini - YaiSampayana - Failasiitrabhashya- G argya- Babhru-Babhravya-Mandu-M^ndayyah, Gargi Y&chaknavt, Ya- dav& Pr&titheyi Sulabhft Maitreyi; Eahokm, Kaushitakimy Mahftkaushttakim, Suy^jnam, l^nkh&yanam, Aivalayanam, Aita- reyam, Mahaitareyam, Bh&rady&jam, J&tiikarnyamy Paingyam, Mahapaingyam, Bashkalam, G&rgyam, ^alyaro, M&nd^keyamy Mah&damatram, Audavfthim, Mahaudavfthim, Sauy&mim, day 206 sAmayIchAkika. The third class of the Siitras, the S&mayd^^h&rika or Dharma-siitrBS, are equally interesting on account of the light which they throw on the every day life of the early Brahmans. According to the commenta- ries on these works, the existence of the Dharma^ 8{ktras is presupposed by the l^rauta and Grihya-siitras. It is said, for instance, in the former, that a certain act of the sacrifice is to be perfcnrned by a man, after he has adjusted his sacrificial cord (yajnopavitin) : but in what peculiar manner a man ought to adjust that cord is not stated, but is supposed to be known from the Dharma-s^tras. The same remark is made with reference to the exact manner of rinsing the mouth (dx^h&nta), and of performing the morning and even* ing prayers (sandhy&vandana). These matters are spoken of as generally known from the Siitras, and, according to Hindu commentators, they could only be known from the Dharma-siitras. This argument, however, can hardly be considered conclusive as to the historical priority of the Dharma-s(itras. On the contrary, it seems more likely that these matters, such as adjusting the sacrificial cord, &c., were sup- posed to be so well known at the time when the Srauta and Grihya-sAtras were first composed, that they required no elucidation. Instead, therefore, of considering the Dharma-siitras as earlier in time, the evidence, as far as it is known at present, would rather point in the opposite direction, and make us look upon these Dharma-siltras as the latest of the three branches of SAtras. This impression is con- firmed by other reflections. In neither of the other SAtras is the position of the Sftdra so definitely nakim, Gautamim, ^^kapiinim, ye cbanya acharyas* te sarve tripyaatv iti. See also Earmapradipa, MS. W. 465, p. 16. b. sAmatAchIrika. 207 1 marked as in the Dhanna-siitras. Apastamba, in his S&may^h4rika-sttras, declares distinctly that there are four Yarnas, the Br&hmana, the Eshatriya, the Yaisya, the S^ra, but that the initiatory rites, the Upanayana in particular, are only intended for the three first classes.