Expiatory Rites in Keralite Tantra
by T. S. Syamkumar | 2017 | 59,416 words
This page relates 鈥楨xpiatory Rites in Samhita Literature鈥� of the study on Expiatory Rites in Sanskrit literature and ancient Indian religion and society, with special reference to Keralite Tantra. Further references to texts include those found in Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism as well as Dharmashastra literature. This study also investigates temple records and inscriptions of Kerala in order to demonstrate the connection between social life and expiatory rites and its evolution.
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5.1. Expiatory Rites in Sa峁僪it膩 Literature
The Vedas are the earliest literary source mentioning various forms of expiation. The Vedic seers considered that one has to perform expiation for the deliverance from sins and their bad effects. The roots of the concepts and features of sin and expiation seen in later Sanskrit literature can be traced out in Vedas. Generally the Vedic 笔谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补 consisted of the performance of a variety of sacrifices, purificatory baths and recitation of the Vedic Mantras. The whole of Sanskrit literature reveals the existence of a social system based on different dimensions of this concept.
In the Vedic period,[1] it is believed that one can be free from sins only through the expiation. The Vedic people offered prayers, Havis and Soma to Agni, 痴补谤耻峁嘺, 叠谤补丑尘补峁嘺蝉辫补迟颈 and A艣vi峁僺 for that purpose.[2] In 峁欢惫别诲补, 痴补谤耻峁嘺 has an elevated status as the divine entity active in rescuing human beings from sins and in maintaining a righteous legal system.[3] The concepts of purity and sin referred to in 峁欢惫别诲补 attain more authority when they reach Atharvaveda.[4] The seers of 峁欢惫别诲补 offered sacrifices to the gods for the removals of sins. 峁欢惫别诲补 consists of a prayer to waters (膧pa岣�) to wash away all evil (Durita) arising from daring violence (Abhidudroha) or from speaking falsehood (础苍峁泃补).[5] The 峁歡vedic people mostly used the expiations for removing their individual sins. While interpreting the word Saptamary膩da in a 峁歡vedic 厂奴办迟补, 驰腻蝉办补 says that sins are seven in number. They are theft, violating the bed of the Guru, murder of 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, murder of Bhr奴峁嘺, drinking of Sura (liquor), continual performance of the same sinful act and telling a lie.[6] After the period of 峁欢惫别诲补 the expiatory rites were used in ritualistic actions like 驰腻驳补 and 驰补箩帽补. The Yajurveda, Atharvaveda and 厂腻尘补惫别诲补 also use the word 笔谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补 or Pr膩ya艣citti in the sense of expiatory rites.[7] 罢补颈迟迟补谤墨测补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 states that the gods redeemed themselves from all sins by 础艣惫补尘别诲丑补 sacrifice. 痴腻箩补蝉补苍别测墨蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 said that 础驳苍颈峁ａ弓辞尘补 destroys all sins.[8]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
峁欢惫别诲补 is the oldest available literature in Sanskrit composed in the northwestern region of the Indian sub-continent, most likely in the period between 1500-1200 BCE. In addition, the initial codification of this text was complete in the period between 1200-900 BCE. Also the scholars determines the Vedic period is in between 1500-600 BCE. For a detail discussion on the topic vide Gavin, Flood, An Introduction to Hinduism, Cambridge University Press, 1936, p. 37, Michel Witzel, 鈥淓arly Sanskritization Origins and Development of the Kuru 厂迟补迟别鈥�, Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies (EVJS), 1995, pp. 1-26. According to Patrick Olivelle and McClish, the date of the early Vedic period is in between 1500-1000 BCE. Cf. The 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补 Selections from the Classic Indian Work on Statecraft, edited and translated with an introduction by Mark McClish and Patrick Olivelle, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc, Indianapolis/Cambridge, 2012, p. xxiv.
[2]:
See 峁欢惫别诲补, 1.18.1-5, 1.24.9, 1.24.13-15, 1.25.1-5, 1.36, 1.36.11-14 and 1.58.8-9.
[3]:
Ravindran, K.A.,鈥湷詹拱茚箛a in 峁欢惫别诲补-The God of Virtue and Law鈥�, 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻, Half yearly Journal of the Department of Sahitya, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, Vol. II, Issue I, ed. Dharma Raj Adat, pp. 128-132. Also, see 峁歵补: The cosmic order, ed. Madhu Khanna, D. K. Print world (P) Ltd, New Delhi, 2004.
[4]:
Atharvaveda, 6.45, 6.26, 6.114, 6.115, 6.112, 6.113, 6.120, 6.27, 6.29, 7.24, 6.46 and 7.115.
[5]:
峁欢惫别诲补, 1.23.22, 10.9.8.
[6]:
[7]:
Yajurveda, 39.12; Atharvaveda, 14.1.30; 罢补颈迟迟补谤墨测补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 3.1.3.2, 4.1.4.7, 5.1.9.3 and 5.1.12.9; 惭补颈迟谤腻测补峁嚹珁补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 1.4.8, 1.8.3, 1.8.7 and 2.1.4; 碍腻峁环补办补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 6.3, 6.6, 6.11, 32.4, 35.16, 35.17, 35.18 and 35.19; 碍补辫颈峁ａ弓补濒补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 4.2, 4.5 and 4.36.
[8]:
Vsam, 8.13.