Jaiminiya Srauta Sutra
belonging to Sama Veda describes soma rituals in twenty six sections. Srauta
means pertaining to Sruti (Veda). Among the books of Kalpa Vedanga (one of the
six auxiliary disciplines connected with Veda), Srauta Sutra gives a systematic
description of Vedic fire rituals (Srajuta Yagnas).
Unlike Shodhasa samskara (in house rituals) described in
Grihyasutras, Srauta rituals are performed outside the house in tretagni (three
fires0 – Garhapatya, dakshina, and ahavaniya.
The seven soma rituals are agnistoma, atyagnistoma, uktha,
sodasi, vajapeya, atiratra and aptoryama. The most important among these rites
is agnistoma (jyotistoma), which is the prakriti (archetype) containing all
details relating to the rituals.
Agnistoma is a protracted devotional rite extending over
several days. Performed in spring, it forms an essential part of jyotistoma.
Hence the text describes this topic in detail first. The details related to the
bringing of soma plant and its pressing for the extraction of soma juice for
the offerings. The other rites in the group are known as modifications of the
archetype. These rites do not have all the details relating to the performance
of rites, taking from the archetype, agnistoma.
It may be remembered that the Vedic word soma bears a triple
meaning – adhibhautika (material), adhidaivika (cosmic or divine) and
adhyatmika (pertaining to self).
Soma plant juice is adhibhautika soma, moon or lunar divine
light is adhidaivika soma and serene mental state is adhyatmika soma. The text
Jaiminiya Srauta Sutra has a commentary by Bhavatrata, son of Matradatta. It
was completed by his nephew and son-in-law, Jayanta.