What is "apris"

Apri () in Sanskrit means "conciliation, propitiation" and refers to special invocations spoken previous to the offering of oblations. RV 1.13 is known as the Apri-hymn of the Kanvas, and Sayana in the context of this hymn enumerates twelve Apris propitiating twelve deities, also known as Apris (). These are deified objects belonging to the fire sacrifice of Vedic religion, the fuel, the sacred grass, the enclosure, etc. The Apris are all regarded as different manifestations of Agni.

The identification of individual Rigvedic verses as "Apris" (f. pl. either or ) is found in Shrauta Sutra literature. The (3.2.5ff) states that these hymns are chosen differently in different schools. Thus, RV 5.28.1 is the Apri of the śaunaka school, RV 7.2.1 in that of vasaiṣṭha, and RV 10.110.1 that of others. Gargya Narayana later gives ten entire Rigvedic hymns (suktas) as "s" belonging to different gotras.