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The Agnicayana or the pilling of the fire altar or the construction of the vedi is the most technical and complicated sacrifice. According to Prof. Eggeling it is originally an independent rite and later come under the system of soma sacrifice^[1]. The 办腻峁囜笉补蝉 from VI-X of the 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 is attributed to Agnicayana. It is one of the oldest sacrifice so far found and described in the ancient Vedic 蝉补峁僪颈迟腻蝉. In the chapter-V we have tried to give a brief description of the Agnicayana ceremony.

So, in this chapter an attempt is made to highlight some important features of the Agnicayana ceremony which are here under:

鈥� The Agnicayana ceremony represents the cosmogonic speculations of the time. The making of the bricks and the process of pilling them up symbolize 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈鈥檚 cosmic creation. The 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 has identified the fire altar with 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈, the lord of creation^[2].

鈥� The making of the fire pan has been stated as the making of the worlds^[3].

鈥� The making of the bricks is identified with the production of offspring^[4].

鈥� The construction of the fire altar has been conceived as reconstructing 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈.^[5]

From the above references it is clear that various ritualistic performances of the Agnicayana ceremony give us enough scope for philosophical thinking of life. Along with philosophical discussions the Agnicayana ceremony also has some rituals with political significance, such as鈥搕he 笔腻谤迟丑补 oblations of the 搁腻箩补蝉奴测补 sacrifice, 础产丑颈峁�e办补 of the 驰补箩补尘腻苍补, Six 痴腻箩补辫谤补蝉补惫颈测补 offerings, twelve 搁腻峁ａ弓谤补产丑峁泃 offerings and so on. As already discussed in the earlier chapter that by offering 笔腻谤迟丑补 oblations, the sacrificer is consecrated by the 搁腻箩补蝉奴测补 and by the 痴腻箩补辫谤补蝉补惫颈测补 oblations he (the sacrificer) is consecrated by the 痴腻箩补辫别测补. After those oblations the sacrificer offers Agni consecration, because he who is consecrated by the Agni consecration rite becomes everything, king and emperor^[6].

In the ritual procedure of the Agnicayana ceremony there are a certain rites in which the sacrificer is given a sacred bath. This sacred bath or 础产丑颈峁�e办补 in the Agnicayana ceremony has some similarities with the royal consecration. After having piled up the fire, the sacrificer should consecrate with sacred bath. As who has piled the fire altar and the sacrificer of the 搁腻箩补蝉奴测补 conquers both the worlds^[7]. After that the sacrificer also performs the 搁腻峁ａ弓谤补产丑峁泃 (realm-sustaining) oblations^[8]. Hence, from the above discussion, it can be said that along with various ritualistic performances, the Agnicayana ceremony also have some philosophical as well as political character in it.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Eggelig, J, The Sacred Book of the East, Vol-XLII, Introduction Page-XIII

[2]:

艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-br膩hma峁嘺 -X/1/1/3-鈥淪a ya sa 蝉补峁僾补迟蝉补谤补 辫谤补箩腻patir vyastrasata| Ayameva sa yo鈥檡amgniscc墨yate鈥檛ha触鈥�

[3]:

滨产颈诲-痴滨/5/3/3鈥斺赌淎迟丑辞办丑腻峁� karoti| Im膩stallok膩nkarotyatha vi艣vajyoti峁�a karotye迟腻 诲别惫补迟腻 补驳苍颈峁� v膩yum膩 dityameta鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹��.诲别惫腻鈥檌迟测补诲丑颈诲别惫补迟补峁亿鈥�

[4]:

Ibid-VI/5/3/5-鈥淎thakh膩峁� karoti 谋 膧tm膩na峁� tatkarottyatha vi艣vajyoti峁�a karati 辫谤补箩腻 vai vi艣vajyoti 辫谤补箩腻 hyeva 惫颈艣惫补峁� jyoti..................... ulva峁� 箩补谤腻测耻触鈥�

[5]:

Ibid-X/1/3/5-鈥淪a ya sa 辫谤补箩腻pati|Ayameva sa yo鈥檡amgniscc墨yate鈥檛ha asya 迟腻 辫补帽肠补 marty膩stanva 膩sanne迟腻s迟腻 pur墨峁�ac墨tayo鈥檛ha y膩 am峁洺倌� e迟腻s迟腻 i峁ａ弓ak膩citayah触鈥�

[6]:

艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-br膩hma峁嘺 -IX/3/4/9-鈥淪arve haite sa v膩 yadagnisava 蝉补谤惫补峁� haitadgnisavena suto bhavati 谤腻箩腻 ca samr膩t ca tasm膩dgneruttam膩ni juhoti触鈥�

[7]:

罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-sa峁僪i迟腻-V/ 6/3/4

[8]:

艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-br膩hma峁嘺鈥揑X/4/1/1-鈥淎th膩to r膩峁ａ弓rabh峁泃o juhoti| R膩j膩no vai r膩峁ａ弓rabh峁泃aste hi r膩峁ａ弓r膩峁噄 bibhryatye迟腻 ha 诲别惫补迟腻 su迟腻 etena savena yenaitatso峁�yam膩no bhavati|触鈥�