Contents.

Effect of the consumed sacrificial food p. 328. Avoiding the consumption of sacrificial food p. 333.

Magic Fire, Sacrificial Litter, and Sacrificial Fire. The Threefold Sacrificial Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336—353
The magic fire p. 336. Sacrifice without sacrificial fire p. 341. The sacrificial litter: A layer of sacred grass (Barhis) spread on the sacrificial ground for the gods to sit upon. p. 341. The removing fire and the sacrificial fire p. 345. The single and the three sacrificial fires p. 348. Establishing the sacred fires p. 352.

Sacrificial Food and Sacrificial Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353—370
Vegetable substances, milk, and similar items p. 353. Animal sacrifice p. 355. The original: "Netz"; refers to the omentum or fatty membrane of the animal, a specific sacrificial offering. omentum of the sacrificial animal p. 360. Human sacrifice p. 363. The Soma: A sacred, ritual drink made from a pressed plant, believed to grant immortality and inspire the gods. p. 366. Inedible sacrificial offerings p. 369.

The Sacrificer and the Priests . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370—397
The sacrificer original: "Der Opfernde"; the patron who pays for and benefits from the sacrifice. p. 370. The priests p. 372. The Purohita: The chief domestic priest and spiritual advisor to a king. p. 374. The sacrificial priests, an ancient list of the seven p. 383. The Hotar: The priest who recites the hymns of the Rigveda to invite the gods. p. 386. The Adhvaryu: The priest responsible for the manual labor and physical steps of the ritual. p. 388. The Agnīdh: The "fire-kindler" who assists in maintaining the sacred flames. p. 389. The Praśāstar: An assistant priest, also known as the Maitrāvaruṇa, who gives directions. p. 390. The Potar and Neshṭar: Secondary priests involved in purification and leading the sacrificer's wife respectively. p. 391. The singers The Udgātṛ priests who chant the Samaveda. p. 393. The Brahman: The supervising priest who sits in silence and corrects ritual errors through mental effort. p. 395.

Dīkshā and Sacrificial Bath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398—410
The Dīkshā: A solemn initiatory rite that prepares the sacrificer for the ritual through purification and asceticism. p. 398. The Dīkshā as a magic rite p. 400. Dīkshā and Tapas: Spiritual heat or energy generated through intense self-discipline. p. 403. The sacrificial bath The Avabhṛtha, or final cleansing bath that marks the end of the ceremony. p. 407.

Cultic Observances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410—430
Fasting and similar practices p. 410. Avoiding various dangers, specifically contact with the dead p. 416. Infusion with magical substances p. 420. Rain-substance p. 420. Sun-substance p. 422. Bathing p. 423. Shaving p. 425. Chastity p. 429.

Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430—438
Free prayer and fixed rites p. 430. Liturgical prayer p. 432. Content of prayer p. 435. Effect of prayer p. 437.

Individual Sacrifices and Festivals . . . . . . . . . . . . 438—475
Sacrifices of the daily, monthly, and yearly cycles p. 438. The fire sacrifice p. 439. The full and new moon sacrifice p. 440. The four-month festivals and the Śunāsīrīya: A seasonal harvest festival. p. 441. Solstice customs p. 444 OCR likely error; printed as 144, but fits between 441 and 445.. Various other festivals p. 445. The Pravargya: A ritual involving the heating of a milk offering in a special vessel. ceremony p. 447. The Soma sacrifice p. 451. Indra as its primary deity p. 452. The gods of the three pressings p. 454. The Soma sacrifice as rain magic p. 458. General overview of the Soma sacrifice p. 459. Rites for occasions in family life p. 461. The wedding p. 462. Rites for pregnancy, birth, childhood...