Who are the Havirdhanas mentioned in RIgveda?

Question

Rigveda Book 10 Verse 13 is devoted to the Havirdhanas and goes something like this:

1. I yoke with prayer your ancient inspiration: may the laud rise as on the prince's pathway. All Sons of Immortality shall hear it, all the possessors of celestial natures.

2. When speeding ye came nigh us like twin sisters, religious-hearted votaries brought you forward. Take your place, ye who know your proper station: be near, be very near unto our Soma.

3. Five paces have I risen from Earth. I follow her who hath four feet with devout observance. This by the Sacred Syllable have I measured: I purify in the central place of Order,

4. He, for God's sake, chose death to be his portion. He chose not, for men's good, a life eternal They sacrificed Bṛhaspati the Ṛṣi. Yama delivered up his own dear body.

5. The Seven flow to the Youth on whom the Maruts wait: the Sons unto the Father brought the sacrifice. Both these are his, as his they are the Lords of both: both toil; belonging unto both they prosper well.

From the above verses it becomes clear that the appellation is meant for TWO people, most likely female, and they are perhaps offered in oblation. There are various interpretations of these but I want to know who exactly are the Havirdhanas according to scriptures.

Answer 1

The Havirdhanas are the two carts used to carry the Soma offerings in Soma Sacrifice from outside to main Place of Yajna . These two carts Havirdhanas are considered as gods. One is Heaven and another is Earth like twins. As described in Satapatha Brahmana .

6 Moreover, the cart represents an abundance; for the cart does indeed represent an abundance: hence, when there is much of anything, people say that there are 'cart-loads' of it. Thus he thereby approaches an abundance, and for this reason he should take from the cart.

Here is the footnote of above.

The havirdhāna (-maṇḍapa) is a temporary shed or tent erected on the sacrificial ground for the performance of the Soma-sacrifice, in which the two carts containing the Soma-plants are placed. These carts themselves, however, are also called havirdhāna.

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This is also confirmed in the book - The Aitareya Brahmanam Of The Rigveda By B.D. Basu.

The two Havirdhanas are two carts on which the soma and the other offerings are put and covered with cover .

29 Carrying of the repositories of sacred food to the Uttara Vedi. The Advaryu calls ( upon the Hotar) : repeat the mantras approprieate to the two respositories with sacred food ( havairdhana) being carried (to the uttar vedi).

For the Havirdhanas , which are gods ,were united with the Brahma. By reciting this verse he joins both these ( Havirdhanas) with the Brahma and having this latter (Brahma) power , he does not suffer any harm.

And the answer is given in below verse.

They ask "Why does the Hotar repeat a triplet adressed to Heaven and Earth , when he is reciting mantras to the two Havirdhanas being removed (to uttar vedi) ? " And the answer is : Because Heaven and Earth are the two Havirdhanas of the gods . They are always repositories for offerings ; for every offering is between them (Heaven and Earth).

The verse : "yame iva yatamane yadaitam" (10.13..2) means : these two Havirdhanas walk together like twins their arms stretched.

See the explanation provided regarding Havirdhanas on that page.

The two Havirdhanas are two carts on which the soma and the other offerings are put and covered with cover.

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So the two Havirdhanas are the two carts , symbolically considered as Heaven and Earth and are also considered as gods , as they are abundant in resources , and offer those to us. The one you mentioned as female is Earth.