The Sacrifices of Rajasuya, Vajapeya and Ashvamedha (study)
by Aparna Dhar | 2016 | 61,606 words
This page relates 鈥楧etails of the Ashvamedha 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.
Details of the 础艣惫amedha Sacrifice
The 础艣惫 amedha or the horse sacrifice is one of the most ancient and important religious ceremonies by which the king approved his claim to suzerainty over his neighbors. It is performed by that ruler whose strength, power and wealth uphold such an aspirant undertaking. By performing this sacrifice, the sacrificer extends his empire, increases his strength and power and achieved success in new enterprises. Actually the horse is a representative of royal power and domain (碍峁迟谤颈测补)[1]. During sacrifice, both the horse and the king have to abstain from carnal pleasure in order to enhance their strength[2]. Anyone who wants to secure the 鈥�heroic power鈥� should perform this sacrifice.
By performing this sacrifice, 鈥�
The 产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 becomes a mantra making 峁涐梗颈, the military man a piercing hero, the 痴补颈艣测补 a wealthy and successful breeder and farmer, the women became pretty and faithful, the grain ripened without previous ploughing, there was no want of food, liquid was everywhere and so on鈥�[3].
The 础艣惫amedha sacrifice is regarded as the king of all sacrifices[4] and the bull of all sacrifices[5]. It is said that 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 gave all the sacrifices to the Gods but preserved the 础艣惫amedha for himself. It is a means of obtaining all desired objects and of attaining all attainments or success.[6] The 础艣惫amedha is actually a soma sacrifice with political significance which aims at the attainment of paramount sovereignty. It is considered as a victory celebration rite[7]. The 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 has identified the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice with 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈[8]. Regarding the results of the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice the 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 declares that鈥撯�淗e attains everything who performs the 础艣惫amedha; it is the expiation of all crimes; it is the medicine of all鈥�[9]. The ruler who is not satisfied with 谤腻箩测补 or S膩m谤腻箩测补 but to attain unrivalled paramount sovereignty should perform the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice. The 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 calls it a 碍峁迟谤颈测补 测补箩帽补[10]. It is also mentioned that if any weak ruler performs this sacrifice he becomes defeated[11]. Hence, the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice involved an assertion of power and political authority which a king of undisputed supremacy should possess.
Before the actual performance of the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice, the sacrificial horse which is black in the forehead, white in the back part, and which has a mark on its forehead is let loose to roam freely over the whole country for a year. A large number of royal attendants consisting of various types of fighters go with the horse for its protection. It is the duty of the attendants to protect the horse from all dangers and calamities and bring it back uninjured to the sacrificer. The 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 gives a list of the attendants-鈥渁 hundred royal princes clad in armour; a hundred warriors armed with swords, a hundred sons of heralds and headman bearing quivers fitted with arrows; a hundred sons of attendants and charioteers bearing staves-and a hundred exhausted worn out horses amongst which, having let loose that (sacrificial) horse they guard it[12]. From the list of attendants of the sacrificial horse it is clear that people from both the nobility and common men formed the complete force to guard the sacrificial steed. This passage is very important as it gives us a clear idea regarding the different classes of fighters and also the names of various missiles, weapons, armours used in that period. Actually, this large number of attendants as noted in the 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 bespeaks the military power of the king. While roaming if any one seizes the horse, it means that the person stands in the way of sacrificer鈥檚 attaining paramount sovereignty. In such a situation, the attendants of the horse fight with the person. If they become fail to do so, the sacrificer cannot perform the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice. While the horse is roaming the sacrificer performed various homas relating to different limbs and various functions of the horse. Till the return of the horse, the sacrificer appoints some 叠谤腻丑尘颈峁� and 碍峁迟谤颈测补 lyricists who sing song on the pious and heroic deeds of the king[13]. In the day time the 叠谤腻丑尘颈峁� singers sing the glory of the king relating charity, sacrifice and acts of piety. In the evening the 碍峁迟谤颈测补 singers will sing his glory relating to his deeds of valour, victory in war and so on.
After the return of the horse the main sacrifice takes place. The chief queen 惭补丑颈峁Ｄ� anoints the body of the horse and places a hundred and one gold coins in its mane and tail At this stage a theological discussion known as Brahmodya (debate consisting of solution of riddles) takes place between the superintending priest and the 贬辞迟峁�[14]. Another such debate held before the 厂惫颈峁ａ弓补办峁泃 offerings between the sacrificer (驰补箩补尘腻苍补) and Adhvaryu.
In the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice queens play an important role. Not only the chief queen called (惭补丑颈蝉墨) but all the queens of the monarch with their full retinue and implements have to take active part in this ceremony. In the 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, it is mentioned that 鈥榯he four wives of the king come with four hundred female attendants and a young maiden to wash the feet of the horse[15].
Each of the four queens is followed by a hundred female attendants as presented below:
鈥� The chief queen known as 惭补丑颈蝉墨 is attended by hundred princeses (搁腻箩补辫耻迟谤墨) of royal family[16].
鈥� 痴腻惫腻迟补 or the favorite queen served with a hundred females of royal descent (搁腻箩补苍测补)[17].
鈥� 笔补谤颈惫峁沰迟腻, the childless discarded or neglected wife of the king is served with daughters of heralds (suta) and head man of villages (骋谤腻尘补苍墨) consisting of hundred in all[18].
鈥� The fourth wife of the king known as 笔腻濒腻驳补濒颈, who is inferior to the other three queens in social rank is attendant by a hundred females who are the daughters of chamberlain and charioteers[19].
From this passage we can learn the constitutional status and dignity of the queens in the Vedic age.
In the presence of the four queens the sacrificial horse is laid on a blanket soaked in butter and its head is kept towards the east and legs facing the north and after that the horse is choked to death. Besides slaughtering of the horse, there is a very peculiar rite performed in this sacrifice. The chief queen 惭补丑颈蝉墨 lies down by the side of the dead horse. Then the chief queen and horse are covered in a blanket and the chief queen (惭补丑颈蝉墨) try to unite with the horse. The 贬辞迟峁� abuses the crowned queen in 鈥榦bscene鈥� language and she returns the 鈥榦bscene鈥� along with her attendant princess. This rite is performed with the intention of facilitating the birth of a virtuous and vigorous son as indicated in the 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺[20]. The 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 also records an unknown dialogue between the priests and other wives of the sacrificer[21].
Then the dead horse is dissected and various limbs of its body is extracted for oblation. The blood of the horse is kept in vessel for 厂惫颈峁ａ弓补办峁泃 offerings. The different organs of the horse are offered in the 膧丑补惫补苍墨测补 fire along with butter. These offerings follow the 厂惫颈峁ａ弓补办峁泃 homa where the horses鈥� blood is offered as oblation and this homa again follows the usual Patni-厂补尘测腻箩补 ceremony. On the following day a soma sacrifice having the 础迟颈谤腻迟谤补 蝉补峁僺迟丑腻 is performed followed by a 辫补艣耻 测腻驳补.
础艣惫amedha sacrifice ends with the concluding ablution ceremony known as 础惫补产丑峁泃丑补 rite. There is a peculiar ceremony including in this 础惫补产丑峁泃丑补 rite known as Jumbaka offering. The offering is made on the head of 鈥渢he 鈥榳hite-spotted, bald-headed man with protruding teeth and reddish brown eyes鈥�[22] which is 痴补谤耻峁嘺鈥檚 form. By this offering the sacrificer redeems himself from 痴补谤耻峁嘺鈥檚 noose. In the 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺[23] it is mentioned that by performing the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice one can redeem all sins. It may be mentioned here that in Vedic Period Indra with his horse in the form of thunderbolt defeats the asuras, especially the 痴峁泃谤补. Hence, the horse in the sacrifice gives the power to the earthy king to slay his foes.
In the 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 it is quoted:
鈥淰erily, the 础艣惫amedha means royal sway: it is after royal sway that horse strives who guards the horse. Those of them who reach the end become (sharers) the royal sway, but those who do not reach the end are cut off from royal sway. Wherefore let him who holds royal sway performs the horse sacrifice鈥�[24].
The 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺[25] records the name of the kings who performed the horse sacrifice and they are as follows:鈥�
The priest Indrota Daivapa Saunaka performed the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice for King Janamejaya 笔补谤颈办峁迟补. The king Janamejaya bound for the Gods a black spotted, grain eating horse, adorned with a golden ornament and with yellow garlands. Three more kings belonging to the same dynasty viz. Bhimasena, Ugrasena and Srautasena also performed the horse sacrifice. The Kausalya king Para Atnara, son of king Atnara, king Purukutsa of 滨办峁Ｄ乲耻 race, the Ayogava king Maruttara Aviksita, the 笔腻帽肠腻濒补 king Kraivya, Ddhvasa Dvaitavana, the king of the Matyas performed the horse sacrifice.
King Bharata Dauhsyanti executed the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice and attained the vast territory and wide administration. Near the bank of the river Yamuna, Bharata binds seventy-eight (78) horses for the sacrifice and fifty five (55) horses near the 骋补苍驳腻. Thus in total he bound one hundred and thirty three horses and subdued the whole earth. And there is no competitor against him. There is a 驳腻迟丑腻 or laudatory verse attached to it as every king who performed the horse sacrifice attains paramount sovereignty. One such 驳腻迟丑腻 praising the glorious deeds of king Bharata runs thus-once the king Bharata performed the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice with a thousand horses and that time there was no king who preceded him. King 驰补箩帽补迟耻谤补 of Sviknas, Soma satrasaha, the 笔腻帽肠腻濒补 king also performed this sacrifice. We also get the reference of one king who seized the sacrificial horse loosen by other king. For example, King Satanika Satrajita seized the white sacrificial horse of king 顿丑峁泃补谤腻蝉迟谤补 in the tenth month of its roaming and performed the horse sacrifice with that horse.
The Aitareya 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺[26] records the names of various kings who ruled over in different parts of India. These kings were consecrated with Indra鈥檚 great consecration by their priests.
They are presented below:
鈥� The priest Tura 碍腻惫补峁测补 consecrated king Janamejaya, son of 笔补谤颈办峁迟补 who conquered the earth and performed the 础艣惫amedha.
鈥� The king 厂腻谤测腻迟补 惭腻苍补惫补 was consecrated by the sage 颁丑测腻惫补苍补 叠丑腻谤驳补惫补.
鈥� 厂辞尘补艣耻峁补, son of 痴腻箩补谤补迟苍补 anointed king Satanika Satrajita.
鈥� Parvata and 狈腻谤补诲补 consecrated the king 膧尘产腻峁ａ弓丑测补 and Yudh膩峁兣況au峁ａ弓i Augrasenya.
鈥� The king 痴颈艣惫补办补谤尘腻 Bhauvana was anointed by the sage 碍腻蝉测补辫补.
鈥� 痴补颈蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 consecrated 厂耻诲腻蝉 笔补颈箩腻惫补苍补.
鈥� 厂补峁僾补谤迟补 Angirasa consecrated Marutta Aviksita.
鈥� The sage Udamaya 膧迟谤别测补 (i.e. son of Atri) anointed king Anga. The king Anga donated golden ornaments, a hundred cores of cows and eighty eight thousand (88,000) white horses to his sage (Udamaya 膧迟谤别测补).
鈥� The sage Dirghatama consecrated the king Bharata, son of 顿耻峁补苍迟补. This Bharata king performed one hundred and thirty three (133) horse sacrifices.
These kings performed the 础艣惫amedha sacrifice after conquering the whole earth.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺鈥揦滨滨滨/2/2/15-鈥�办峁迟谤补峁� 惫腻 补艣惫补触鈥�
[3]:
Ibid, Page-112
[5]:
Ibid-XIII/1/2/2-鈥淏峁涐梗abha e峁 测补箩帽补n膩m yad补艣惫补medha岣ゴモ��
[6]:
Ibid-鈥淴III/4/1/1 鈥淪ar惫腻n k膩m膩n 膩pnotsar惫腻 vya峁ａ弓墨rvy膩艣truta sar惫腻nnaha vai k膩m膩n膩pnoti sar惫腻鈥︹�︹��.yo 补艣惫补medhena yajate触鈥�
[8]:
艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺鈥揦III/2/2/13, 13/4/1/15-鈥湵拾孤崮灞璨钩倬眗补艣惫补medha岣ゴモ��
[9]:
[10]:
Ibid XIII/4/1/2-鈥湴梗a迟谤颈测补 测补箩帽补 惫腻 e峁 yad补艣惫补medha iti触鈥�
[11]:
Ibid-XIII/1/6/3-鈥淭asm膩d r膩stry补艣惫补medhena yajet 辫补谤腻 惫腻 e峁 sicyate yo,balo艣vamedhena yajate触鈥�
[12]:
[13]:
Ibid鈥揦III/1/5/1鈥撯�淰in膩艣mai 惫腻dyate 产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺u触鈥�
[15]:
[16]:
Ibid-XIII/5/2/5-鈥淭asyai 蝉补迟补峁� r膩japutryo anucaryo bhavanti触鈥�
[17]:
-XIII/5/2/6-鈥淭asyai 蝉补迟补峁� r膩janya anucaryo bhavanti触鈥�
[18]:
艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 -XIII/5/2/7-鈥淭asyai 蝉补迟补峁� s奴tagr膩manya dhuhit膩ro鈥檔uc膩ryo bhavanti触鈥�
[19]:
Ibid -XIII/5/2/8鈥撯�淭asyai 蝉补迟补峁� k峁trasamgrahit峁沶膩n duhit膩ro鈥檔uc膩ryo bhavanti触鈥�
[20]:
Ibid -XIII/1/9/9, V膩j.Sa峁�-XXIII/22-31-鈥溎�yasya yajam膩na峁a viro j膩yat膩miti触鈥�
[21]:
-XIII/2/9
[22]:
艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺鈥揦III/3/6/5-鈥湷詹拱茚箛a vai Jumbaka s膩ks膩deva 痴补谤耻峁嘺mvayajate sukklasya鈥︹�︹�︹��..varu峁嘺峁僾ayajate|触鈥�
[23]:
-齿滨滨滨/3/1/1-鈥沦补谤惫补尘辫腻辫尘腻苍补苍迟补谤补迟颈 产谤补丑尘补丑补迟测腻峁� yo鈥櫯泇amedhena yajate触鈥�
[24]:
艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺鈥揦III/1/6/3-鈥�搁腻峁ａ弓谤补峁� 惫腻 补艣惫补medha峁� | 搁腻峁ａ弓谤补 ete vyavacchante ye 补艣惫补 rak峁nti te峁Ｄ乵鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹��.tasm膩d r膩stry补艣惫补medhena yajate|触鈥�
[25]:
Ibid -XIII/5/4
[26]:
Aitareya-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺鈥揤III/39