gosava rite

[Madhav Deshpande]

        Gosava is a type of one-day sacrificial rite modelled on a
Soma-sacrifice called Ukthya.  Here the host is given an Abhisheka with
cow's milk.  Details may be found in TaittirIya-BrAhmaNa (2.7.6) and
tANDya-brAhmaNa (19.13.10).  By this sacrifice, the YajamAna is said to
gain his own kingdom, svrAjyaprApti.  The priestly fee is 10,000 cows, but
there is no sacrifice of the cow.  This is prescribed as a remedy for
killing a Brahman, brahmahatyA, see: Manu 11.74.  Details of this rite are
to be found in a number of SrautasUtras, KAtyAyana (22.11.6), Apastamba
(22.25.18) etc.
                        Madhav Deshpande

On Thu, 29 Jan 1998, jonathan silk wrote:

> I have recently come across references to the gosava rite. I looked it up
> in Kane, History of D-sastra, which has apparently only a word or two on
> it, and I am afraid that here I lack decent resources to search more on my
> own. Could someone point me to what must at some point have grabbed the
> attention of some scholar with a taste for the bizzare?  (Please give me
> enough of a reference to order materials by InterLibrary Loan!).  many
> thanks!
>
> Jonathan Silk
> SILK at wmich.edu
>