Vedic influence on the Sun-worship in the Puranas
by Goswami Mitali | 2018 | 68,171 words
This page relates ‘Vishnu and the Sacrifice’ of the study on the Vedic influence of Sun-worship in the Puranas, conducted by Goswami Mitali in 2018. The tradition of observing Agnihotra sacrifice and the Sandhya, etc., is frequently observed among the Hindus. Another important innovation of the Sun-worship in the Puranas is the installation of the images of the Sun in the temples.—This section belongs to the series “Salient Traits of the Solar Divinities in the Veda”.
Part 23 - Viṣṇu and the Sacrifice
Viṣṇu is identified with the sacrifice in the Vedas.[1]
He is mentioned as the germ of the sacrifice:
tamu stotāraḥ pūrvyaṃ yathā vida ṛtasya garbhaṃ januṣā pipartana.[2]
In his interpretation on the respective passage Sāyaṇācārya states thus:
he stotāraḥ tamu tameva viṣṇuṃ pūrvyaṃ pūrvyārham anādisaṃsiddham ṛtasya garbha yajñasya garbhabhūtaṃ yajñātmanotpannamityarthaḥ/[3]
He is worshipped to come to the institutor of the rite and assist the celebration of the sacrifice.[4] In the Śatapathabrāhmaṇa, both Viṣṇu and sacrifice are mentioned as identical.[5] Lord Viṣṇu had obtained the three regions with his three strides. With the first step, he gained the earth, with the second, the aerial expanse, and with the last step, he gained the sky.[6] The sacrifice also possesses the same parvading power, and thus, both of they stand as identical. Again, Viṣṇu is worshipped to bestow heat on the sacrifice.[7]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 1.156.3
[3]:
Ibid.
[4]:
[5]:
cf., yajño vai viṣṇuḥ/ Śatapathabrāhmaṇa, 1.1.2.13
[6]:
Ibid.