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Do any of the scriptures mention what is it to be done with meat of animal sacrificed in a yajna? Is it be thrown into fire the way butter etc is offered? Is it be eaten? If eaten then by whom? Sacrificer himself and his family or is it to be donated to people?

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    I remember that many years ago when animal sacrifice was allowed, I (being a family member) was given the meat to eat.
    – ABcDexter
    Nov 28, 2017 at 9:39
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    Much of it is offered as a havis into the fire. Remaining part is to be taken as prasada.
    – Rakesh Joshi
    Nov 29, 2017 at 23:54

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The remaining portion of the meat, which is offered into the sacrificial fire, is of course to be partaken by the family people. Not sure to whom else it can be distributed. For the time being, i could gather only an indirect proof:

[Taking meat] when life is in danger, at a Sraddha, [as well as] "prokshita" (meat of an animal offered in a fire for a sacrifice) and taking [the residue of] meat after having offered it to the twice-born, the celestials and the departed ones, does not lead to commitment of any sin.


Yajnavalkya Smriti 179.

This verse is an indirect proof of the fact that remnants of sacrificial meat are meant to be consumed only.

UPDATE:


He should make all creatures, down to dogs and Candalas , partake of the offering to All-gods. Some, however, maintain that he should not give food to unworthy people.


Apastambha Dharma Sutras 2.8.13

So, some authorities do allow distribution to everybody. Note, that this is talking about distributing the residues of the daily Viswadeva offering.

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    I was wondering if there are any injunctions to donate it to poor etc. For example in description of pandava yajna, there are descriptions of large quantities of animals in yagna sacred grounds. I doubt pandavas themselves ate all of them. Your answer does kind of answer my question. It seems meat is both offered in fire as havis for celestials and departed ones, given to "twice born" which I guess means officiating priests and then sacrificer (and his family).
    – Aks
    Dec 19, 2017 at 3:10

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