CONTENTS:-
Volume 1 :
Transliteration : 1. Sanskrit, 2. Malayalam.
A Note on Pronunciation.
General Introduction.
Part I : THE AGNICAYANA RITUAL :
1. Introduction.
2. The Agnicayana in Classical Vedic Ritual : i. Sources, ii. The Srauta Rituals.
3. A Bird's-eye View of the Agnicayana.
4. Traditional Interpretations of the Agnicayana.
5. Origin and Significance of the Agnicayana : i. Agni, ii. Fire, iii. Vedic Nomads, iv. Soma, v. The Cosmic Man, vi. The Altar, vii. Naturally Perforated Stones.
6. The Nambudiri Tradition.
Part II : THE 1975 PERFORMANCE : Preliminaries
1 Eligibility, Time and Place.
2. Measurements and Bricks.
3. Soma, Antelope Skin and Woods.
4. Wooden Implements.
5. Clay Implements.
6. The Golden Man.
7. Other Prerequisites.
8. The Ritual Enclosure.
9. Dramatis Personae.
THE PERFORMANCE :
Introductory Note.
Abbreviations.
A Note on the Jaiminiya Samaveda.
First Day : April 12 and 13, 1975 :
Episode 1. Ritual Preparation of the Ukha Pots and Introductory Rites (Ukhasambharanam, Punydhavacanam, Upavyaharanam, Samkalpa)
Episode 2. Animal Sacrifice for Vayu and Preparation of the Five Heads (Vayavyam Pasu)
Episode 3. Election of the Priests and Making Fire (Rtvigvarana, Agnimanthana)
Episode 4. Consecration of the Yajamana (Diksa)
Second Day : April 13, 1975 :
Episode 5. Adoration of the Ukha Fire with the Vatsapra Hymn and Rites for Gain (Vatsapra-upasthana, Sani)
Episode 6. Ritual Preparation of the Pravargya Implements (Pravargyasambharanam)
Fourth Day : April 16, 1975 :
Episode 7. Construction of the New Domestic Altar (Garhapatyaciti)
Episode 8. Introductory Offering; Purchase of Soma; Guest Offering for Soma (Prayaniyesti; Somakraya; Atithyesti)
Episode 9. Pravargya, Upasad, and Subrahmanya Chant
Third Day : April 16, 1975 :
Episode 10. Measurement of the Great Altar Space and of the Field of Agni (Mahavedikarana, Citisthanakarana)
Fourth Day : April 16, 1975 :
Episode 11. Setting up the Field of Agni (Agniksetropadhana)
Episode 12. The Foundation of the Altar
Episode 13. The First Layer
Fifth Day : April 17, 1975 :
Episode 14. The Second Layer
Sixth Day : April 18, 1975
Episode 15. The Third Layer
Seventh Day : April 19, 1975 :
Episode 16. The Fourth Layer
Eighth Day : April 20, 1975 :
Episode 17. The Fifth Layer
Episode 18. Rudra, Flow of Milk, and Other Ceremonies on the Fifth Layer (Satarudriya, Ksiradhara)
Ninth Day : April 21, 1975 :
Episode 19. Further Ceremonies on the Altar
Episode 20. Carrying Forth of Agni and Oblations (Agnipranayana, Adhvarahuti, etc.)
Episode 21. Flow of Wealth (Vasor Dhara)
Episode 22. Pressing of Strength, Holding of the Realm, and other Oblations (Vajaprasaviya, Rastrabhrt, etc.)
Episode 23. Setting up of the Soma Hall and the Hall of Recitation; Construction of the Dhisnya Hearths
(Havirdhanamandapakaranam; Sadahkaranam, Dhisnyanirmanam)
Third and Ninth Day : April 21, 1975 :
Episode 24. Carrying Forth of Soma and Agni; Animal Sacrifice for Soma and Agni; Offerings for the Divine Instigators; Proclamation of the Yajamana (Agnisomapranayanam; Agnisomiyapasu; Devasuvam Havimsi)
Tenth Day : April 22, 1975 :
Episode 25. Continuation of the Soma Ritual; Outdoor Chant for the Purified Soma (Bahispavamanastotra) Episode 26. The Eleven Animal Sacrifices and the Rest of the Morning Pressing (Savaniyapasu; Pratahsavana) Episode 27. Midday Pressing and anointing the Yajamana (Madhyandinasavana; Abhiseka)
Eleventh Day : April 23, 1975 :
Episode 28. The Third Pressing (Trtiyasavana)
Episode 29. The Three Ukthya Soma Sequences and the Sixteenth (Sodasi)
Eleventh Day : April 23 and 24, 1975 :
Episode 30. The Three Overnight Rounds (Ratriparyaya)
Eleventh Day : April 25, 1975 :
Episode 31. The Chant and Recitation for the Asvins (Asvinastuti; Asvinasastra)
Twelfth Day : April 25, 1975 :
Episode 32. The Tail of the Ritual (Yajnapuccha)
Volume 2 :
Part III : PERSPECTIVES :
1. The Archeological Background to the Agnicayana Ritual/Romila Thapar.
2. The Pre-Vedic Indian Background of the Srauta Ritual/Asko Parpola.
3. Other Folk's Fire/J.C. Heesterman.
4. The Geometry of the Vedic Rituals/A. Seidenberg.
5. Ritual Structure/Frits Staal.
6. The Agnicayana Section of the Maitrdyani-Samhita with Special Reference to the Manava Srauta Sutra/N. Tsuji.
7. The Atiratra According to the Kausitaki Brahmana/E.R. Sreekrishna Sarma.
8. Ritual Preparation of the Mahavira and Ukha Pots, by Yasuke Ikari.
9. Agnicayana in the Mimamsa, by K. Balasubrahmanya Sastri, edited/James A. Santucci.
10. Srauta Traditions in Recent Times/C.G. Kashikar and Asko Parpola.
11. Recent Nambudiri Performances of Agnistoma and Agnicayana/C.V. Somayajipad, M. Itti Ravi Nambudiri, and Erkkara Raman Nambudiri.
12. A History of the Nambudiri Community of Kerala/M. G.S. Narayanan and Kesavan Veluthal.
13. The Nambudiri Ritual Tradition with Special Reference to the Kollengode Archives/M.R. Raghava Varier.
14. Sanskrit and Malayalam References from Kerala/K. Kunjunni Raja.
15. The Music of Nambudiri Unexpressed Chant (Aniruktagana)/Wayne Howard.
16. The Five-Tipped Bird, the Square Bird, and the Many-faced Domestic Altar/C.V. Somayajipad, M. Itti Ravi Nambudiri, and Frits Staal.
17. Vedic Mudras/Frits Staal.
18. Notes on Comparison of Vedic Mudras with Mudras used in Kutiyattam and Kathakali/Clifford R. Jones.
19. Agni Offerings in Java and Bali/C. Hooykaas Tibetan Homa Rites/Tedeusz Skorupski.
20. Homa in East Asia/Michel Strickmann.
21. The Agnicayana Project/Frits Staal.
Part IV : Texts AND TRANSLATIONS :
Baudhayana Srauta Sutra on the Agnicayana, text/W. Caland, Translation/Yasuke Ikari and Harold Arnold.
Kausitaki Brahmana on the Atiratra, Translation/E.R. Sreekrishna Sarma.
The Passages of the Jaiminiya Srauta Sutra dealing with the Agnicayana, together with Bhavatrata's Commentary/Asko Parpola.
Part V : FILMS, TAPES, AND CASSETTES/Frits Staal
1. The Films.
2. The Tapes.
3. The Cassettes.
Contributors.
