Part 2.12 - The Gosahasra-vidhi

[Full title: Royal Ceremonies (12) Gosahasra-vidhi]

Gosahasra-vidhi is a ceremony (Atharvaveda-Parisistas 16) in which a thousand cows are given away as gifts to the Brahmanas. It is performed at a holy place like a cow-pen or near a river, lake etc. (116) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension Vedic Index 92.1. (117) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension XIX.25.1. (118) Argha is said to consist of the following objects: apah ksiram kusagram ca dadhi sarpih tandulam| yavah sidhdarthakara caiva gah prakirtitah || (119) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension XVII.1.18 (120) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension Vedic Index 19.1. (121) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension VIII.1.11.

398 Oblations of clarified butter are offered with the hymn 122 gavo... and a caru of coarse rice, boiled in the milk of the thousandth cow, is offered into the fire for Indra and Soma with gava eva surabhayah 123 Holy water brought from five rivers is placed in a pot to the west of the sacred fire and is consecrated with hiranyavarnah 124 This water 125 and is used for bathing ten cows (i.e. every hundredth cow) to the accompaniment of the mantra: sam vo gosthena then the other cows are hurriedly sprinkled. The king is 126 sprinkled to the accompaniment of imam indra vardhaya ... with the water used for bathing the thousandth cow. The body of the king is besmeared with oil as well as with perfumes and collyrium is applied to his eyes with the six 127 verses beginning with ima apah The thousandth cow and the first cow are decorated and all the cows are given water 128 129 suyavasat.... with the mantras: prajavatih ... and suyava sat They 130 are given fodder with addhi trnam aghnye An argha is 131 offered with maya gavo .... The king goes round all the (122) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension IV.21.1. (123) Vaitana Sutra 34.9. (124) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension I.33.1. (125) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension III.14.1 (126) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension IV.22.1. (127) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension IX.3.23-28. (128) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension IV.21.7. (129) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension VII.73.11; IX.13.20. (130) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension VII.73.11°; IX.13.20 (131) Atharvaveda, Saunakiya recension III.14.6. WVCE IN MEDEN

399 cows holding the tail of the thousandth cow with the mantra: bhumis tva pratigrhnatu Then the cows are distributed 132 as gifts. The principal officiating priest is given ten cows, the thousandth cow, and a pair of garments. This ceremony is said to destroy the sins committed in seven previous lives or by seven ancestors. It is stated to bring about fruit equal to that of all the danas. It is further added that the manes are propitiated by a man who performs the Asvamedha, Vrsotsarga or Gosahasradana. Such a person is freed from all sins and attains the supreme place.