The Sacrifices of Rajasuya, Vajapeya and Ashvamedha (study)
by Aparna Dhar | 2016 | 61,606 words
This page relates 鈥楽ummary of the Agnyadheya Sacrifice鈥� 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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Summary of the 础驳苍测腻诲丑别测补 Sacrifice
[Full title: A Brief note on the sacrifices of the 艢atapatha 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 (2): 础驳苍测腻诲丑别测补]
础驳苍测腻诲丑别测补 sacrifice is also known as 础驳苍测腻诲丑腻苍补 sacrifice. There are seven havir测补箩帽补 蝉补峁僺迟丑腻[1] and among them the 础驳苍测腻诲丑腻苍补 occupies the first place. 膧诲丑腻苍补 means to establish the fire with the chanting of mantras; that rises out of the 补谤补峁噄 manthan in to the designated 办耻峁囜笉补. 础驳苍测腻诲丑腻苍补 is an 颈峁ａ弓颈 sacrifice which accomplished by a 测补箩补尘腻苍补 and his wife with the help of four priests鈥� viz. Adhvarju, Agnidhra, 贬辞迟腻 and 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺. In the introduction to the 膧艣惫补濒腻测补苍补 艢谤补耻迟补 Sutra by 膧肠腻谤测补 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 础驳苍测腻诲丑腻苍补 is narrated as 鈥渢he placing of burning coals for lightening the 骋腻谤丑补辫补迟测补 and other fires, at a particular time and place by a particular person accompanied by certain specific mantras[2]. The 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, the 碍峁迟谤颈测补, the 痴补颈艣测补蝉, the 搁补迟丑补办腻谤补蝉 and some others have the right to set up the sacred fires. There are four proper season for the performance of sacred fire viz. Vasanta 峁泃耻 for 叠谤腻丑尘补峁�, 骋谤颈峁补 for 碍峁迟谤颈测补, 艢补谤补迟 峁泃耻 for 痴补颈艣测补 and 痴补谤蝉腻 for 搁补迟丑补办腻谤补.
The 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 brings in his house two 补谤补峁噄 woods of an 础艣惫补迟迟丑补 tree produced in a Sami tree, under the assistance of Adhvarju. And Adhvarju recites the mantra-鈥�yo 补艣惫补迟迟丑补岣� samigarbha岣� 膩ruroha tve sac膩鈥�[3]. After that the 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 prepares the 补谤补峁噄 wood and make ready other necessary material for several days before the actual setting up of the sacred fires. For worship or Deva 测补箩帽补, the 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 chooses a proper place and prepares five holes for the fires and constructs 惭补丑腻惫别诲颈. The 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 performs the act of taking bath, purification, sipping of water (腻肠补尘补苍补), sprinkling of water and the announcement of Punyahavirvacana on the upavastha day. After that the 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 along with his wife seats on the darbha grass and set up sacred fires formally with the help of four priests and honours them by offering madhuparka. In the afternoon he (测补箩补尘腻苍补) ignites the Brahmaudanika fire and cooks the Brahmaudana[4]. The 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 takes some quantity of cooked Brahmaudana in spoon and a spoon and offers it in to the fire and the residual Brahmaudana are taken by the priests after offering plenty of 驳丑峁泃补 in it. After that the 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 offers three 蝉补尘颈诲丑腻蝉 in the fire and performs the Gopitra 测补箩帽补. The 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 has to stay awaken whole night and to put the fuel sticks (蝉补尘颈诲丑腻蝉) in the Brahmaudanik fire.
In the morning the Adhvarju heats the two 补谤补峁噄 woods on the fire and hands over these woods to the 驰补箩补尘腻苍补. The 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 after receiving these 补谤补峁噄 woods prays the Gods with specific mantras. The Adhvarju then arranges the material for sacred fires according to the rules. The Agni manthana or the rite of churning out of the fire is performed when the first rays of the sun spread in the sky. The fire is invoked by the Adhvarju and the 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 produced it by churning. After that the Adhvarju accepts a cow which is presented by 测补箩补尘腻苍补. When the 蝉腻尘补蝉 are being chanted viz.鈥撯��Rathantara and 测补箩帽补 yaj帽ia 蝉腻尘补苍鈥�, the Adhvarju establishes the 骋腻谤丑补辫补迟测补 fire on the sambharas and strews darbhas around it[5]. He lights some fire sticks from the 骋腻谤丑补辫补迟测补 fire and formally sets up the 膧丑补惫补苍墨测补 fire. The fire for installation of the 顿补办峁颈苍腻驳苍颈, is taken from the house of the richest person of the city or the village, belonging to any of the four 惫补谤峁嘺蝉 or it may be produced by manthan. The fire by name 鈥�Sabhya鈥� and the 鈥�础艣惫补迟丑测补鈥� are also placed from the domestic or the 膧丑补惫补苍墨测补 fire. The 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 distributes 鈥�顿补办峁苍腻鈥� among the priests according to his ability. After installation of the sacred fire the 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 has to keep some specific observances for a specific period[6]. If the 驰补箩补尘腻苍补 is a 碍峁迟谤颈测补, he plays the game of dice.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Gautama-诲丑补谤尘补-蝉奴迟谤补-I/8/20 -鈥渁gny膩dheyamagnihotra峁� dar艣apurnam膩s膩b膩gr膩yana峁� c膩turm膩sy膩ni niru岣峚 辫补艣耻产补苍诲丑补岣� 蝉补耻迟谤腻尘补峁嚹� iti sapta havir测补箩帽补 蝉补峁僺迟丑腻 触触鈥�
[2]:
膧艣惫补濒腻测补苍补-艣谤补耻迟补-蝉奴迟谤补-滨滨/1/9-鈥淏颈蝉颈峁ａ弓补 办腻濒别 bis峁ａ弓a de艣e bisi峁ａ弓a puru峁na bisi峁ａ弓a mantrainarhirpaty膩 agnyutytytha峁� yadio鈥檊膩r膩n膩m 苍颈诲丑腻苍补峁� 迟补诲补驳苍测腻诲丑别测补尘耻肠测补迟别触.
[4]:
罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-br膩hma峁嘺 (厂腻测补峁嘺 叠丑腻蝉测补)-I/1/9鈥撯�淏r膩hmana峁� devamuddi艣ya homartha brahman膩n膩m 峁泃vij膩m ca pr膩san膩rtha ca 辫补肠测补尘腻苍补 odano Brahmaudana岣鈥�
[5]:
膧辫补蝉迟补尘产补-艣谤补耻迟补-蝉奴迟谤补-V/12/2