112

CHAPTER-V

•YAJNA* - ITS PHENOMENAL FORM AND CHIEF VARIETIES

As already stated, the avowed aim of Jaimlni,while

composing his Sutras,,was to explain the Dharma (highest

duty of man) by way of performing the sacrifices. We

have also shown above the Importance of the Yajna (Sacrifice)

as the central theme of Mimamsa. Further, It has been

explained above as to how the sacrifice was regarded the

first creative principle of this universe. We shall now

take up for our c ons id ear at io n its phenomenal forms and the

Important sacrifices together with their special features

connected with their performance. This is necessary

because the form of Yajna with which an ordinary human

being is familiar was the one as it used to be performed

In the course of their lives by the seekers of highest

good. Jaimlni has discussed sacrificial procedure^ and its

details in eleven out of twelve chapters of his work. As

already stated earlier, he has also laid down the rules

for interpretating the contradictory Vedic texts relatingthe the

to/sacrifices or .sacrificial details. In this manner, in_ __ upon

his Purva-Mimamsa, Jaimlni arelied ./.• hundreds of textsthe

(relating to/sacrificial procedure) for this purpose.

The entire Veda* excluding the Upanisads, is said to

deal with the Dharma or the acts of duty of which the chief

are the sacrifices. Different sacrifices or Yajnas have

been mentioned in the Brahmanas and in the Srauta-SOtras.

The performance of which was enjoined to attain the desired

things and the highest good here in this world or here­

after. In this way every sacrifice has its own signifi­

cance. Every activity and everything related to a Sacrifice

are of immense importance. For example, whether an action

is to be performed to the left or to the right, whether a

pot is to be put on this or that spot, whether a blade of

grass is laid down with the point to the north or to the

north-east, whether a priest steps in front or at the back

of the fire, in how many parts a sacrificial cake is to be

divided, whether the ghee is to be poured into the northern

or the southern or into the centre of the fire, at which

instant the repetition of certain spell is to take place,

the order of singing a certain song, have been ordained to

be imbued with extra-ordinary powers. The correct knowledge

of these details is very essential for the sacrificer upon

which his welfare or happiness and misery depend.

The Yajffas which in their original form were very

simple and were designed for obtaining through making

offerings to the Gods the desired objects by the Sacri­

ficer, later on became complicated. The discus­

sions of sacrificial details took the form of

a theory. In fact, the phenomenal forms of the

sacrifice and the variety of sacrifices are nothing but

114the variations of such simple factors : as what Is to

be offered, how It Is to be offered, to whom the offerings

are to be made, how these offerings are going to help the

sacrlflcer and what fees are to be paid to the priests.

Different Yajfias are performed by different numbers

of people. The original worship of fire may have been

Individualistic as well as communal or tribal. The dally

Agnlhotra was an Individual affair; but r - even simple. x he

istls like Darsapurnamasa required four priests, and Soma-

sacrifices required sixteen priests and costly preparations.

These sacrifices partook more or less of a public or at

least congregational character. Such Vedlc sentences as,

'one who has begot a son or sons and whose hair Is still

black should consecrate the Vedlc fires', establish that the

Agnyadhana was advised for /llrahmanas when they had reached

middle age or before. The dally Agnlhotra required the

maintenance of at least two cows, besides thousands of

cow-dung cakes and fuel sticks. For the maintenance of

Agnlhotra and the performance of Dar^apumamasa (in which

four priests were employed) and Caturmasyas (where five

priests were required) the householder was required to be

well to do. ^ The Soma sacrifices could be performedt. H G h f?

only by Kings, nobles and the rich and by those who could

collect large subscriptions. A brief sketch of the details

of various sacrifices Is essential because the performance

of thesewaisthe dharma of man.

The £raut a-Sutras contain a very detailed, meticu­

lously accurate and vivid description of the several

sacrifices. They contain directions of practical value for those who engage in such sacrifices. They are based on ancient Brahmanic texts which they quote at every step.The object of the following pages is not to present a thorough and detailed treatment of the Vedic sacricices, but to indicate what the cult of the Vedic sacrifice was like.The treatment is mainly based on the £rautasGtras of Aivalayana, Apastamba, Katyayana, Baud hay ana, and Satyasadhawith occasional references to the Samhitas and the Brahman as.

• *

In order to present a coherent picture of the sacri­fices we propose to follow their order as given in the

- 1Gopatha Brahmana • The order is the establishment of thet

sacred fires followed by Pur na hut i. After Purnahuti comes the Agnihotra followed by the Dar£a and the PGrna-masa. Then comes the Agrayana to be followed by four seasonal sacrifices. Then comes the PaSubandha to be followed by the Agni§toma, the Rajasuya and the Vajapeya in the succeeding order. Then comes the Aivamedha which is to be followed by the Purusamedha and the Sarvamedha in this very sequence. These important ^rauta-Yajnas can be classified in dif­ferent ways. The most important division of theseYajnas is between the Soma-Yajnas and the Havir-Yajnas.

«

Havir-yajnas are different from the Soma-Ya jnas because they do not employ the Saman-singers. Further, Soma sacrifices may be classed as the animal sacrifice, but often it forms an important and integral part of the Soma-offerings.

116

Agnyadheya2- The establishment and re-establishment of the

lLr.esO

Gautama (VIII.20-21) enumerates seven Haviryajnas.

Agnyadheya is the first among the Yajftas and is the same as

Agnyadhina. It is an isti which means, ra sacrifice per­

formed by a sacrificer and his wife with the help of four

priests'. Agnyadheya means the placing of burning coals

for the generation of the Garhapatya and other fires at a

particular time and place by a particular person to the4

accompaniment of certain mantras . Agnyadheya consists of

several acts from bringing of the aranis (two wooden logs)

to the offering of Purnsrhuti. Agnyadhana is meant for all

sacrificial rites and not merely for enabling a man to■j^ I'"] 0 pt

perform /Darsapurpamasesti . Various periods are mentioned6for establishing the sacred fires in the ritual texts, -

the spring is the season for a Brahman^ the summer for a

Ksatriya, the rainy season for a Rathakara, and the autumn

for a Vai&ya, or the cool season is suited for all castes.

The new moon especially in conjunction with certain asterisms

is also suggested as the proper time, but the full moon is

also permissible. The essential part of the rite takes

two days for setting the fire. On the first day are set up

two sheds, the one for the Garhapatya, the other for the

Ahavanlya fire. The first altar is prepared in the round

form and the second in square shape. The Vedi for Daksina

fire is south to the Garhapatya and is shaped like a half

117moon. The fire is obtained for the Garhapatya either by

friction, or by being borrowed from the house of a wealthy

man or a distinguished sacrificer. Next day, early in the7

morning the new fire for the hearths is produced by friction.

Then a horse is brought to watch and further the process

by its presence, doubtless as a symbol of the fire or the

sun. As soon as the fire appears the sacrificer breaths

upon it and inhales it. It is placed on the Garhapatyathe

andAwood placed upon the fire and it is addressed with

words which recall the ancestors of the offerer. At the

same time, Saman may be sung by the Brahmaga or alternatively

by the Adhvaryu not by the Saman singers. The Daksina

fire is lighted in the same way but according to others it

precedes the setting up the Ahavaniya. The fire which

on the preceding day was placed on the Garhapatya may be

used for cooking the porridge for the priest and then for~t H 0

cooking offerings saveXmeat offerings.

After setting up the Ahavaniya, the Sabhya fire is

established, especially, in the case of a Ksatriya. The

ceremony is accompanied by the dicing for a cow as a

prize. The establishment of the fires ends with a full

offering of butter to Agni, and after which the Agnihotra

can be performed with the fires. After twelve days, main­

taining the fire carefully, may be performed Tanuhavis3 S

which are offerings to Agni in three forms^, Pavamana,

Pavaka and £uci. While the establishment of fire or

Agnyadhana is ovCer the sacrificer is bound to observe the

119

chastity for three to twelve days* maintain the fire(

offer the Agnihotra, and sleep on the ground near the

fire. Then he must for those days avoid untruth, place

no bad wood on the fire, eat nothing cooked by a covered

fire. If he is prosperous, he must keep up the fires

all his life.3

The re-establishment of fire is prescribed in

case the fires bring the sacrificer no luck. The old

fires are allowed to go out and after a break of three

days to a year, new fires are established in the same way as before, but produce^with Ku4a grass, not with the

wood.

Agnihotra - The Fire God Oblation

Agnihotra* is the second among the Haviryajfias.

It is the duty of a man whether he has established his

fires or not. Every householder is supposed to perform,10daily, morning and evening, the Agnihotra to the end of

his life or till he becomes sanyisin. The 'Sat a pat ha

Brahmana (XII.4.1.1) says, "those who offer Agnihotra

indeed enter upon a long sacrificial session; Agnihotra

indeed is a satra that ends with the old age or death,

since he becomes free from it only by old age or death".

The proper time of offering is just before or after the

rising of the sun in the morning or after the sunset or

after the appearance of the first star in the evening.

If the fires were kept continually alight then they

119required only to be brightened up for each occasion.If not, then fire must be taken from the Garhapatya. The

Daksina might be kept continually alight or taken out daily

or only on the New and Full-moon days. The main offering

was milk,milked by an Aryan in a pot. The milk was heated

and mixed with water on the Garhapatya and offered in the

Ahavaniya and Garhapatya. At the end the sacrificer eats

and offers four water libations to the gods, the Fathers,

the seven seers and Agni on the earth or to other deities also.

With the Agnihotra may be performed the ceremony of

homage to the Fires. Agnyupasthana is usually carried out

at night. At the end of this the sacrificer utters the name of his son who is to succeed him in the duty. The close connection between the Yajna and the Homa appears in the fact that at the time of journey the householder takes

leave of the Fires and on his arrival approaches them with the wood and wor* *d of welcome. The obligation to offer the

Agnihotra ends only when one becomes a wandering mendicant.

theThe New Moon and /Full Moon Sacrifices

Dar4a and Purnamasa sacrifices are of special value

because they are the models or prakrtayah for all other

istis (called vikrtayah or modifications) include a numberof offerings for special ends. A^valayana.states that

all istis, sacrifices in which an animal is offered and• *

those in which Soma is offered are explained by the * ■■■ Paurnamasa isti. Dar^a, which has the same sense as

4 ' •

fe

120amavasya means 'the day on which the moon Is seen only by

the sun and by no one else. Purnamlsa means, 'the moment±2 __ _

when the moon is full*. Darsa and Purnaraasa in a secondary

sense mean the rites that are performed on amavasya and

purnaraasi respectively. In all these cases the sacrifice

is assumed to be performed precisely as in the New and full

moon offerings, but the difference lies In this that at the

Full moon offering there is a cake for Agni and Soma and

at the i^ew moon offering there is a cake for Agni and Indra.

For consecration two days were required at New moon, but

one might suffice at the Bill moon. On the first day, the

ceremonies were in the main preparatory. The ceremonies

of the second day were intended to keep off evil spirits.

At the end of these preliminaries the real sacrifice begins.

Then come the Ajya offerings of butter for Agni and Soma,b 11 pwhich at the new moon must be accompanied by^versies containingt he

the word vrdh, 'grow*, and at the full moon by/verses refer­

ring to the slaying of vrtra. The close of the offering

is marked by an offering to Agnl-Svistakrt; in which the

gods are invoked. The fathers are also invoked to take part

and the fees are given to the priests. The distribution r "

of the fees is followed by the Anuyajas, to the strew,

Nara^amsa and Agni-Svistakrt. This concludes with a prayer

for the prosperity of the sacrificer. At the end of this

prayer comes the Samyuvaka, an Invocation of prosperity,

accompanied by the burning of the enclosing sticks. The

remains are offered to the All-gods. Then follow four

121Patnisamyajas, offerings to the gods with their wives.To make good the defects, the Raksasas are given the frag­ments which have been produced with the husking of therice. The sacrificer in imitation of God Vlsnu strides

• «

three steps from the south hip of the altar ground and pays reverence to the Ahavanlya and Garhapatya, and then lays aside his vow.

The rite is performed all through one's life, or for thirty years. Each new and full moon sacrifice can be followed by an offering to Aditi and to Indra Vaimrdha, and the sacrifices can be carried out with Soma if so desired.

Aaravaoa Itfl - First fruit sacrificeThe isti was so named because herein the'agra*

13(first fruit) was partaken of (ayana. ) It is essential for a man who had established the fire to make offerings*4

and perform this isti before using any of the fruits of the fields. The normal offerings were those of rice in autumn,

and barley in spring (alternatively, bamboo seeds in summer and millet in autumn or1 the rains).*5 In the latter case

Soma is the God to whom the offerings are made and in theformer case Indra and Agni receive a cake of the new fruits.

the theThe all gods and/Heaven and/Earth also receive the offerings. In place of the ordinary isti the hew and Full moon sacri­fices may be performed, or the Agnihotra may be made at night and morning with the new fruits. Or again, the rice or barely may be given to a cow to eat and then the

122is

Agnlhotra/offered with the milk of that cow. The motive

of the offerings may be taken as a desire to secure that

the first fruit shall, in the first place, be used by some

one other than man. The offering of the first fruits then

remains a perfectly natural offering to the gods to secure

the safe use of the fruits, than the express of gratitude

to the gods for their <§ifts.

There are numerous 1st is which are all based on the* *

model of the new and full moon offerings, and differ only

in making certain offerings. There are i§tis for one who

desires a son, for various purifications, for making people

subject to the sacrificer and so on. One of the most interes­

ting is the Kariri^ti,which is obviously a dressed up raintfie

spell. The New and/Tull moon offerings can also be applied

to fulfil wishes which may extend to a year in duration.

Caturmasyas - Seasonal Sacrifices16

The Caturmasyas - the four-month or seasonal sacri­

fices - are closely connected with the seasons of the year.

The Caturmasyas are three (or four according to some), viz.

Vai4vadeva, Varunapraghasa, Sakamedha (and Sunaslrlya),

each of these is called a parvan (part or joint) of the

Caturmasyas. They are called Caturmasya because each of17them takes place after four months • They are performed onthe

full moon days of Phalguna (or Caitra), of Asadha, Kartika

and on the fifth full moon from the day on which SSkamedha

is performed or two or three days before it. Val4vadeva

123Is of farad in the spring, the Varurjapraghasa in the rains and Sakamedha in the autumn, at the beginning of each

season in this way. They indicate the advent of three seasons viz. Vasanta (spring), VarsaT (rains) and Hemanta*8

(autumn). The man who first performs them must begin

with an isti to Agni, Val^vahara and Parjanya or an Anvarambha- niya Isti. The sacrifice is introduced by five libations to Agni, Soma, Savltr, Sarasvati and Pusan. The season

* i

is indicated by the use of a tree with budding branches for the wood for the fire, while the strew is made from the plants which are shooting. The second offering, the Varunapraghasas, is more important. In this there are offerings to Varuqa, In dr a and Agni, to the Mar uts and to Ka i Prajapati. An important point is that the wife

of the sacrificer is called upon to admit what lovers she has and to offer in the Daksina fire the plates of Karambha,

i i

’Porridge*, which number one more than the members of the family.

The third festival is the Sakamedha*. The number of offerings in it especially for the Maruts is large, but the most important element is a feast for the dead, the Pitf Yajfia, or Mahspitryajfi’a where the fathers are honoured as Somavantas, ’connected with Soma', sitting on the strew, and as 'Burnt by Agni'. The dfferings are made with Svadha* in place of Svaha. More important offering is an offering to Tryambaka which is an offering to Rudra, everything being done in the north, the region of that God. In this

124

unmarried women of the family also perform the ceremony

in verses which show that they hoped thus to secure

marriage and avoid Death. Hie fee is a white horse or

a bull, white or with white marks. The festival is

followed by an offering to Sunasira, which is evidently

an agricultural-rite for ploughing addressed to two

parts or deities of the plough. A curious way of cele­

brating the whole of the offering together in five days from the eleventh day of the light half of Phalguna to

the full moon, is also recorded.

Pa^ubandha or NirudhaPa^ubandha - Animal Sacrifice1*

Pa 4u band ha or animal sacrifice is an independent

sacrifice and is also performed with Soma-sacrifices.

The Independent animal sacrifice is called Nirudhapa^u-

bandha which takes the place of Agnisomlya. It is

treated as Prakrti for all animal sacrifices in which

the offering of a goat is made to Agni and Soma. The

Independent animal sacrifice is to be performed by any

man who establishes the fires every six months or every20year or by an ahitagni throughout his life . If per­

formed once in a year it ought to be in the rainy season

(i.e. in iravana or Bhadrapada) on New moon or Pull moon

day. But, if performed, six monthly then at the begin­

ning of the southward and northward passages of the sun

(daksinayana and uttariyana). The form of the offering

is that of the Mew moon sacrifice, the victim taking the

place of the milk offered to Indra or Mahendra. Another

125priest is present there to give direction to the Hotr

to say his Yajya verses. Normally a goat is the victim

for this sacrifice. In the horse sacrifice and in the

human sacrifices, large number of victims are alleged

to be offered, mainly if not entirely in theory. The

normal rite occupies two days of which the former is

filled by preliminary rites, the second being the day

of actual sacrifice. However, the rites to be performed

in two days may be compressed into one.

An essential feature of the rite is the use of a

post, to which the victim is tied. Round the post af *\

band is placed at the hlght of navel; if the sacrificer

wishes little or much rain he places it lower or higher.

In the first blood of the victim a grass blade is dipped,

and thrown north-west or south-west as a spell to down

the etnemy to the deepest darkness. The offering to the

wives of the gods is performed with the tail of the

victim, the heart-split is buried, with a verse imploring

Varuna to forgive sin, in the presence of the sacrificer,

his wife and all the priests. The animal sacrifice can

be used for many special purposes, in which case some

variation is made to adapt it to the special end in view.

In all its essential features the offering must be regarded

as a gift to the gods.

21Aanistoma* *

Agnistoma comes under the second category of the

126Yajnas known as the Somayajnas. It is an archetype

of all Soma sacrifices. Agnistoma is a one day (aikahika

or ekaha) sacrifice in which Soma is offered on one day

only, in the morning, at mid-day and in the evening. It

is an integral part of the Jyotistoraa so much so that

the two are often identified. Soma sacrifices are classi­

fied into those that are completed in one day (called

ekaha)» those that are celebrated for more than one day

upto 12 days (called ahina), and those that extend over

more than twelve days (called Satra). The dvada^alia is- 22both a Satjcra and an ahina . Agnistoma is so called

because in it Agni is praised or because the last chant -23(stotra )is addressed to Agni . It is performed in Vasant

(spring) every year and on the New Moon or full moon day.

There is a victim which is offered throughout the day of

pressing to Agni in Agnistoma but in the Ukthya form of

the Soma sacrifice to Indra and Agni, in Soda£in to Indra

and in the Atiratra to Sarasvati.

In the sacrifice the length of the consecration may

last anything from one, three, or four days up to a year.

While purchasing the Soma there is a clear mimicry in

some measure of the winning of the divine drink from

the divine hands of the Gandharvas. The guest-offering

is then given to the Soma, to the priests and to the

sacrificer, by touching together butter taken from the

guest-offering. A close alliance is concluded so as not

127to prove false to one another during the rite. In three

days of Upasads, offerings are made before and after

midday session with reference to the iron, silver and

golden forms of Agni. The offering of the victim to Agni

and Soma is the occasion of an interesting rite.

Indra, doubtless, plays an important jpart in the Soma

offering - the midday pressing is almost entirely his;

the Maruts appears only in his company. However, at the

evening pressing his place is comparatively less conspi­

cuous. In the evening, the ritual finds place for the

Adityas, the Savitr, the All-gods, Agni with the wives

of the Gods and Indra with the bay steeds. In some places,

it is clear enough that Soma-sacrif ice was considered

as a rain spell: the pressing of the juice from the plant,

and the pouring of the water and juice through the sieve

are sufficient themselves to import a rain spell of the

normal Vedic type.

Thus Agnistoma is the model on which numerous other

kinds of sacrifice can be formed, in order to bring about

certain desires.

Raiasuva - The Roval Consecration— 24Rajasuya or royal consecration is a Soma sacrifice

having the Diksa' and Upasada days and preceded by a long

series of preparatory rites. This ceremony could be per­

formed only by a Ksatriya. But some say it could be

performed by those who had not celebrated the Vajapeya

(Kit. XV.1.2) while others held that it should be celebrated

12Safter the Vajapeya (Asv. IX.9.19). In 4atapatha Brahmana

(IX.3.4.8^ it is said that by performing the Rajasuya one

becomes a king (ftSjan) and by the performance of Vajapeya95one attains the position of an Bnperor (Samrit) . It is

mythically connected with the consecration of Varuna or

with In dr a and it displays many popular elements in its

character. The great nobles and officers of the Court

play an important part, the Purohita performs many of the

priestly functions, the people assemble to hear the announce­

ment of the consecration of the Sovereign. The preli­

minary ceremonies begin with the first day of Diksa~ on

the first Philguna (followed by offerings to Anumati

and to Nirrti). With the fifteenth of the month commence«

the observantec^or a year of the four month offerings.

The periods between the New and pull moon days are filled

up either by the new and full moon offerings or offerings

to the sun and the moon. These offerings cease with the

a offering on the first Phalguna of the following

year, and on that and the next two days offerings are

made to the deities of the quarters, and others. Then

on the fourth to the fifteenth offerings called the

Ratnlncam Havimsi are offered in the house of the jewels* » |

96of the King in the presence of his wives and high officers

The deities chosen for offerings being the appropriate

gods far the persons in whose apartments the offeringsa nd

are made; For Aditi in that of the Chief Queen/for Nirrti

in that of the discarded lady. After these follow various

129libations, and on the first of the Caitra comes the day of

anointing, which is performed as an Ukthya rite. The King

steps on the tiger skin in imitation of the steps of Visnu

and puts in the Palana dish the remains of the mixture,

which he hands to his eldest son, so that he may continue

his work and strength. The King puts on the sandals of

the bear’s hide and prays neither to injure the Earth,

nor be injured by it, a clear allusion to his high sanctity.

After the game of dicing, which was formal and was deli­

berately so carried out as to make the king a victor, the

sacrifice progresses to the normal end. The last bath is

followed by an offering to In dr a and Visnu of a special

nature. There are also a number of minor offerings to

propitiate the quarters, for Aditi or the Adityas. The

fee prescribed is 2^0,000 cows.

.YaJjfitYflr P- l.rtf,, pf„ .§ty?p,flth27

The Vafjapeya might have meant 'food and drink* or

drink of strength or of fdod. It comes under the different

forms of Soma-sacrifices. Although it follows the procedure

of Soc|a^n« it has so many special features of its own that

it may be said to be an independent sacrifice. One chara­

cteristic feature is that the number seventeen is predo­

minant in the sacrifice. There are seventeen stotras and

seventeen aastras, the seventeenth being the Vajapeya stotra

and 4astra# seventeen animals sacrificed for Prajapati,

seventeen objects distributed as fee, the Vtipa (of bilva or

khadira wood) was seventeen aratnis in height at the time

130of enveloping the Yupa with a girdle,in this rite

seventeen pieces of cloth were employed for the purpose,

and it lasted for seventeen days. Another feature was

that there were seven cups of sura (wine) for Prajapati

as well as seventeen cups of Soma. Another peculiarity

was that there were seventeen chariots to which horses were

yoloed and a race was run, when seventeen drums that were

arranged on the northern Sroni of the Vedi were simul­

taneously beaten to the west of the agnidhra shed. This

rite was undertaken by one who desired overlordship

(adhipatya) or propserity or svarajya (the position of

Indra or uncontrolled dominion). It was performed inaq <3

the autumn^ and was performed only by Brahmana/J or a/ 29Ksatriya but in no case by a Vaisya . In the case of

a Brahman a the reward aimed at must have been the attain­

ment of the position of a super-eminently learned or

pro.sperous man. In this way it is clear that the offering

was connected with attainment of high prosperity and it

was intended only by one who was in the technical sense

a gata&rl, 'who had attained prosperity', and so could

aspire to the highest things. The nature of the rite on

the one hand was that of the attainment of victory and

power by the symbolic acts of winning, of being hailed as

a victor; references to fertility are obvious also, and

the sun spell of the wheel is noteworthy. Some texts

place it above the Rajasuya, and mention that by the

latter mere kingship is conferred, by the former paramount

131lordship. But other texts make the Vajapeya for a Para­

mount lord and the Rajasuya for a universal Monarch like30Varuna . Other special forms of sacrifices for obtaining

a special rank are like the Suta, Gramani, St ha pat i, and^ 31Go-savas.

A^vamedha - The Horse Sacrifice

Aivamedha - the Horse Sacrifice - is one of the most

ancient sacrifices. Rgveda 1.162 and 163 presuppose*

the existence of horse sacrifice. The rite is described in datapaths Brahmana XIII. 1-5, Taittirlya Brahmana III. 8-9

in which several Monarchs are enumerated who had performed

the A&vamedha. The Taittiriya BrShmaoa III.8-9 identi­fies the A^vamedha with the kingdom^ and states 'he, who

being weak, offers an A^varaedha, is indeed thrown (lit.

spilt away). If the enemies (of the King) were to secure

the horse, the sacrifice would be destroyed.' The A^vamedha

is reckoned as an ahina sacrifice. A paramount sovereign

(Sarvabhauma) or a crowned king who is not a Sarvabhauma

may perform this sacrifice. A^valayana X.6.1 states that

one who desires to secure all objects, to win all victories

including one over his own senses and to attain all prospe­rity may perform A^vamedha^* The horse chosen for the

vvsacrifice must be a s^ift one, black in front, white behind

and with a dark mark. A beginning is made on the eighth

or nineth of the bright half of Phalguna or on the same

days of Jyestha or Asadha. Apastamba holds that it should

begin on the full Moon of Caitra (XX.1.4). The offerings

132are made of cakes to Savitr in various forms for three days.All the performances repeat themselves daily for a year, orsix months, or even for half a month, if the period is

34reduced. The first pressing day falls on the full-moon

of Vai4akha : there are 21 posts and 21 victims for Agniin

and Soma; on the pressing days the victims are /two sets

of eleven each. The second pressing day is the most important.

The fees are given in various forms. Adhvaryu obtains a

daughter in wedlock and also the fourth wife of the sacri-

ficer. This offering was already in a Soma-sacrifice.

We find different views regarding the meaning of the

sacrifice. From an offering to Indra, the God of warriors,

of a swift strong steed the sacrificer would derive power,

whether directly or indirectly through the fact that Indra

would thus be made strong to aid him. The slaying of the

dog is intended as the destruction of hostile powers. The

horse is the next animal to man in the scale, and is an

appropriate offering on a great occasion like the A^vamedha.

At the sacrifice the steed can be identified with Prajapati

and so prajapati comes properly into the ritual. Indra

with his steed defeats the Asuras, so the earthy king by

the horse sacrifice, uniting himself mysteriously with the

sacrificial horse and its power, defeats his enemies.

Purusamedha - The Hunan SacrificePurusamedha which is mentioned in two of the ritual35texts is based closely on the Horse sacrifice; while

there the chief victims are the horse, a Gomrga, and a

hornless goat, hare a man Is added. A Brahmai^ or a Ksatriya

is bought at the cost of a thousand cows and a hundred

animals, and he is allowed freedom for a year like the horse*

in which he can do as he wishes, save that he must remain

chaste. The offering is performed by a Brahmanaor a Ksatriya.

The nominal offering of large number of other men, isL 35 3*7mentioned by the Satapatha Brahmaria' . It is mentioned0

that a King may on this occasion give up his goods and

enter into the life of the wandering mendicant. It is

noted that the actual slaying of man did not occur. There

was merely the symbolic offering of the men who were let

free after the fire was taken around them.

Sarvamedha - Universal Sacrifice

Sarvamedha or Universal Sacrifice comes under the cate­

gory of ahina-yajnas. While in the human sacrifice there

are five pressing days, the universal sacrifice, Sarvamedha

takes ten, and it is modelled on the offering made of

himself by Brahman Svayambhu, in the beginning of things.

Its relation to human sacrifice is held to be the perfec­

tion of the former. At the human sacrifice, the offerer

gives away the kingdom with the people: at this he gives

away the arth also, leaving the royal life for the ascetic

O fliO •

From what has been stated above, it would be abundantly

clear that for the early Mimamsa the Yajna was not merely

an abstract concept to be regarded as an end only. It was,

134on the one hand, also a practical means of achieving mundane wealth and prosperity by the Sacrificer and on the other hand a mean of realization of the highest aim of life - the identification with the Ultimate Reality.

REFStENCES

2. For the treatment of agnyadheya vide Tal. Er .1.1.2-10,I. 2.1; 5at.Br. £).l and 2 etc.

6. A.P.&.S. V.1 ff; B.§.S. il.

7. Rg-Veda, x.79.4; Wlnternltz, M., A.H.O.I.L.,Calcutta, (1959) p. 78.

8. A.P.4.S. ^.26; B.4.S. 111. 1-3; K.4.S. Iv, 11; A.4.S.II. 8.6 ff.

9. (a) The word agnihetra Is derived as the rite In which 'homa* Is offered to Agnl. Tai.Br. 11.1.2.as

Jalmlnl 1.4.4 establishes that In 'Agnl hot ram juhotl Svargakamah' the word'agnihetra* Is the name of a rite.

11. vide Tal. S. 1.1.1-13. 1.6-7.II. 5-6; 4at. Br. I (S.B.E. vol, 12 pp, 1-273).

14. A.P.4.S. vl.29.2 ff; B.&.S. 111. 12.

18. (b). There Is no fixed time for £unaslrlya. It maybe performed at one's will Immediately after Sakamedha, or two, three or four days after It or one month er four months after It, vide Kat. V.11.1-2 and com. thereon.

19. 4at. Br. III. 6.4.ff, xl.7.1 ff.; Tal S. 1.3.5-11, VI, 3-4.

20. Manu lv.26 also recommends an animal sacrifice at the beginning of the ayanas. A.P.vll.8.2-3 and Baud, lv.l set out the Yajdapatras and other mate­rials required In pa^ubandha.

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13624. A.P.^.S. xviii; B.^.S. xii; K.4.S. xv; A.4.S. ix,

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26. See Macdonell and Keith, Vedic Index, ii.200.9

27. (a) Various meanings are assigned to 'Va^apeya'.

30. T.B. ii.7.6.1; v.1.1.13. See Macdonell andKeith, Vedic Index, ii. 256.

31. B.4.S. xviii. 3 ff.; Cemm. on T.B. ii, 7.

34. The forms of the rites on these days are subjectto much dispute, e.g., K.S.S. xx. 4.22; 5.1; 8.12.13; K.S.S. cx. 8.2; 9.8.

35. &.&.$, xWI.lOf.; Vait. xxx vii.10 ff.

36. 4*B*. xiii.6.

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