[Advaita-l] Jayaadi Homam (was: Veda Vyasa Ashtothara)

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Sun, 29 Jul 2007, Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian wrote:

> Here's some info on the jayaadi homam.
>
> Apastamba says in his gR^ihya-sUtra 1.2.7:
>
> yathA-upadeshaM pradhAna-AhutIh hutvA jaya-abhyAtAnAn-rAShTrabhR^itaH
> prAjApatyAM vyAhR^itIh vihR^itAH sauviShTakR^itIM iti upajuhoti
> "yadasya-karmaNaH ..."
>
> [After offering the chief oblations as per instructions, the
> sacrificer performs the additional sacrifices; jaya, abhyAtAna,
> rAShTrabhR^it, prajApati,the vyAhR^itis separated, and the
> sauviShTakR^iti].
>

The pAraskara gR^ihya sUtra also mentions these homas but interestingly 
only in the context of the marriage vidhi.  The Shuklayajurveda prayoga 
books include them but you are right that most shastris don't know about 
them or omit them.

> This defines the contents of the so-called jayAdi homam. It basically
> consists of:
>
> 1. The jaya group
> 2. abhyAtAna group
> 3. rAShTrabhR^it group
> 4. One for prajApati with prajApate na tva, etc
> 5. Three, one each for bhUH, bhuvaH and suvaH.
> 6. One finally to agni with yadasya karmaNaH etc.
>

PGS puts 3 first and 4,5, and 6 are replaced by 5 ahutis to Agni.

> The jaya group consists of 13 offerings starting with citta~nca svAhA
> up to prajApatir jayAnindrAya ... svAhA. This is from taittirIya
> samhitA 3.4.4.
>

The information I have matches your description.  But interestingly it 
doesn't say these mantras are from TS.  Indeed they are given without 
svaras at all so until your article I thought they were sutrokta not 
Vedic.

> The abhyAtAna group consists of 18 offerings beginning with
> agnirbhutAnAm and ending with pitaraH pitAmahAH, etc. All the mantras
> end with asmin brahman ... devahUtyAM svAhA. This is from TS 3.4.5.
>

Same in PGS though once again they are given without svaras.

> The rAshTrabhR^it group consists of 13 offerings beginning with
> R^itAShADR^itatAmAgnir, etc. This is from TS 3.4.7. Note that this
> group comes in the udakashAnti also.
>

As I mentioned before the PGS puts it first.  Also the Shuklayajurvedic 
tradition thinks there are only 12 ahutis.

It is interesting that the Shuklayajurveda was supposed to have broken off 
from the Krshnayajurveda but it seems even afterward they did "borrow" 
occasionally.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>