The Journal of Oriental Research Madras September 1951 to June 1952

When about to comence the Päriplava the hotr makes the overture sadhvaryo'3 and the adhvaryu responds with 'ho hotar'.4 The other piests also sit down on cushions or boards and bands of christers holding lutes sit down to the south and sing of the good deeds of the king and of his ancestors.5 As the king is thus enaged in sacrifices and in listening to the Pariplava and to the songs the adhv [...] The crowned queen lies down by the side of the dead horse and both are covered by the adhvaryit with the mantle on which the horse lies and she unites with it.4 Then5 outside the vedi the hair abuses the crowned queen in obscene language and she returns the abuse along with her one hundred attedant princesses and the brahma priest and the favourite wife enter into a similar obscene abuse. [...] At the end of the performance the Adhvaryu offers in the Dakfirta firc libations for the movements of the steed and in the Ahavaniya after sunset the Dhrti libations to secure the success of the rite. [...] The most attractive alternative to this view is undoubtedly the acceptance of the sun as the sun horse offered originally to the sun as a spell to strengthen it and the chief difficulty in that view is merely the fact that the sun is not the recipient of the offering in any measure. [...] The description of the sacrifice as given in the Epic corresponds very nearly to the ordinary ceremonies as given in the Brabmanas the chief points of diffexence being the form and the material of the altar which is described as: Adhy.