A Critical Study of the yajamāna's Role in iṣṭiyāga according to the Kātyāyanaśrautsampradayapaddhati

Abstract: In the Darsha-Purnamasa sacrifice, the role of the Yajamana (sacrificer/ patron) is as significant as that of the Adhvaryu. The Katyayana Shrauta Sutra primarily explains the application of mantras belonging to the Shukla Yajurveda; hence, it mainly focuses on the duties of the Adhvaryu, the primary priest of the Yajurveda. Consequently, a complete description of a single sacrifice is often not found within the Shrauta Sutra itself. Furthermore, the explanations in many parts of the Shrauta Sutra are highly complex. To properly understand Vedic sacrifices, auxiliary texts such as Prayoga-Paddhatis (manuals) are essential. The work titled ‘Katyayana-Shrauta-Sampradaya-Paddhati,’ composed by the Sampradayacharya's, provides a simplified and comprehensive description of the Katyayana Shrauta Sutra. In its first and second chapters, the complete ritual procedure for the Darsha-Purnamasa—which is the model (prakriti) for all Ishti sacrifices—is found. This text provides a systematic and chronological discussion of the duties not only of the Adhvaryu but also of the Hota, Agnidhra, Brahma, Yajamana, and the Yajamana’s wife (Patni). This research paper aims to analyze the prescribed duties of the Yajamana in the Ishti sacrifice based on this particular text.