The Sacrifices of Rajasuya, Vajapeya and Ashvamedha (study)
by Aparna Dhar | 2016 | 61,606 words
This page relates ‘Duties of the four priests� of the study dealing with the Sacrifices such as Rajasuya, Vajapeya and Ashvamedha including their ritualistic and monarchial strata with reference to the Shatapatha-Brahmana. These Brahmanas represent a category of ancient Sanskrit texts dealing with ancient Vedic rituals and ceremonies based on the Vedas.
Duties of the four priests
The house-holder who arranges the ³Û²¹Âáñ²¹ (sacrifice) in his house for his own welfare is called ³Û²¹Âá²¹³¾Äå²Ô²¹ and the persons with the assistance of whom he performs the sacrifice are designated as ³ÛÄå²µ²Ô¾±°ì²¹ or Ṛt±¹¾±°ì²¹²õ i.e. ³ÛÄåÂá²¹°ì²¹²õ. The system of the Åš°ù²¹³Ü³Ù²¹-rituals are such only an Agnihotra ²â²¹Âá²¹³¾Äå²Ô²¹ is himself entitled to offer oblation in the fire by chanting mantras, but in case of other sacrifices he has to take assistance of Ṛt±¹¾±°ì²¹²õ.
As a rule, four priests are necessary for performing a sacrifice, viz.
- ±á´Ç³Ùá¹�,
- Adhvaryu,
- ±«»å²µÄå³Ùá¹� and
- µþ°ùÄå³ó³¾²¹á¹�.
The á¹»¶±¹±ð»å¾±³¦ priest is called ±á´Ç³Ùá¹�, who invokes the deities in a sacrifice reciting verses from the á¹»¶±¹±ð»å²¹. The Priest of the Yajurveda is termed Adhvaryu. He is entrusted with the work of preparing the altar. The ³§Äå³¾²¹±¹±ð»å¾±³¦ priest is called ±«»å²µÄå³Ùá¹�, whose duty is to chant hymns from the ³§Äå³¾²¹±¹±ð»å²¹ to praise and please gods. The fourth priest is the superintending priest of the sacrifice called µþ°ùÄå³ó³¾²¹á¹� who is versed in all the three Vedas; Ṛk, ³§Äå³¾²¹²Ô, and Yajus. µþ°ùÄå³ó³¾²¹á¹� is responsible for smooth conduction, safe completion and any flaw of the sacrifice. In course of time, sacrifices became more and more complicated, hence as it became impossible for four priests to perform all the rites, the number of priests swelled in number, three priests being given as assistants to each priest. Thus we find four á¹»¶±¹±ð»å¾±³¦ priests, four Yajurvedic priests, four ³§Äå³¾²¹±¹±ð»å¾±³¦ priests and four µþ°ùÄå³ó³¾²¹á¹‡as making sixteen in all.
The four á¹»¶±¹±ð»å¾±³¦ priests consist ofâ€�
- ±á´Ç³Ùá¹�,
- ²Ñ²¹¾±³Ù°ùÄå±¹²¹°ù³Ü²Ô²¹,
- ´¡³¦³¦³óÄå±¹Äå°ì²¹ and
- ³Ò°ùÄå±¹²¹²õ³Ù³Ü³Ù.
The group of Yajurveda priests comprises�
- Adhvaryu,
- ±Ê°ù²¹³Ù¾±±è°ù²¹²õ³Ù³óÄå³Ùá¹�,
- ±·±ðá¹£á¹á¹�, and
- ±«²Ô²Ô±ð³Ùá¹�.
The ³§Äå³¾²¹±¹±ð»å¾±³¦ Priests are:
- ±«»å²µÄå³Ùá¹�,
- ±Ê°ù²¹á¹£á¹´Ç³Ùá¹�,
- ±Ê°ù²¹³Ù¾±³ó²¹á¹á¹› and
- Subrahmanya.
While [the following] go to the composition of the group of three Vedas known as (Trivedi)�