10. Vedic Practices and Sacrifices

The writer mentions that the people of 7^th century performed various Vedic Practices and sacrifices. He himself performed some rituals such as saṃdhyopāsanā,^[1] prayer to kuladevatā,^[2] and recited the Vedic mantras^[3] suitable for starting off a journey; the image of the Śiva was washed with milk^[4] etc. It shows the brāhmaṇa practiced some religious practices like these at that time. Yājñavalkya also mentions saṃdhyopāsanā^[5] is a nityavidhi for householders. From the description of storing the various materials such as-soma-plants, sacrificial oblations, a bundle of palāśa leaves^[6] to perform the Vedic sacrifices in the brāhmaṇas house, it deducts that performing sacrifices was a usual duty in Bāṇa’s time. Again, it is found in the Harṣacarita that the brāhmaṇas offered vaiśvadevapiṇḍa^[7] (i.e., boiled rice made for all the deities) before taking dinner. The description of the young goats, dark and variegated (śāra) playing in the courtyard^[8] of the brāhmaṇas indicates that the continuous animal sacrifices were held at that time.

Descriptions of some other Vedic sacrifices are also to be found. When king Probhākarvardhana had been in his dead-bed, some of the citizens performed various yajña for the quick cure of the king. To mention, some were such as-koṭihoma,^[9] ṣaḍāhūtihoma^[10] etc. It is also found in the Harṣacarita about nirājana yajña^[11] which was for winning a war and was performed at that time. Manu also prescribes the performance of this yajña for winning a war.^[12] It was a military and religious ceremony performed by kings and generals in the month of āśvin before they would set off to the battle field.

Other various Vedic mantras used in making offerings to various gods and as found in Harṣacarita are such as the heartfelt chanting of ādityhṛdayamantra^[13] muttered three times in a day by king Prabhākarvardhana to worship the Sun. Again, the aghamarṣaṇamantra (i.e., the purifying hymn found in the Ṛgveda, begins with “ṛtaṃ ca satyaṃ cābhīddhāttapasoadhajāyat…”^[14]) is found in the Harṣacarita, when the hermit felt light hearted, being freed from the great disease of sin that had been removed by the aghamarṣaṇa hymn.^[15]

The Saṅketa commentary refers—

śamanaṃ sarvapāpānāṃ japyaṃ triṣvaghamarṣaṇam.^[16]

Manu prescribes that through this mantra, in the morning, at noon and in the evening, one can attain freedom from all sins.^[17]

When king Prabhākarvardhana was in his dead-bed, the citizens were reciting the rudraikādaśīmantra^[18] in the temple of Śiva. They were also reciting the mahāmāyurīmantra^[19] (i.e., one of the five amulets of Buddhists) for averting calamity. The writer notes that the pañchabrahma^[20] prayer had been recited by the Goddess Sarasvatī with aṣṭapuṣpikā. Here, the word aṣṭapuṣpikā implies the eight forms of God Śiva in the form of eight flowers. These eight forms of the Śiva are mentioned in the Abhijñānaṃśakuntalam^[21] as the Earth, the Wind, the Water, the Sky, the Fire, the Sun, the Moon and the Sacrificer.

According to P. V. Kane—

“it is a prayer recited by the brāhmaṇas at the time of smearing the body with sacred ashes. The prayer is addressed to Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Tatpuruṣa, Aghora and Iśāna, which was preceded by the ceremony of properly intertwining the fingers and hands in worship.”^[22]

These mantras and rituals had been well established and practiced in the Vedic era, and were prevalent in the society contemporary to Harṣacarita.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Harṣacarita,III.p.41

[2]:

praṇamya kuladevatābhyaḥ, Ibid.,II.p.26

[3]:

prāsthānikāni sūktāni mantrapadāni…, Ibid.,II.p.25

[4]:

….virupakṣasya kṣirasnapanapuraḥsarāṃ ….. pūjāṃ paramayā bhaktyā, Ibid.

[5]:

Yājñavalkyasmṛti,I.18

[6]:

sekasukumārasomakedārikāharitāyamānapraghanāni, …śuṣyatpuroḍāśīya…… haritakuśapūlīpalāśasamindhi ….indhanagomayapiṇḍakūṭasaṅkaṭāni……agnihotradhenūnāṃ ….ajiravitardikāni…vaitānvedīśaṅkavyānāmaudumbarīṇāṃ śākhānāṃ … ...sākṣāttrayītapovanānīva…, Harṣacarita,II.p.21

[7]:

Ibid.

[8]:

…kriyatkṛṣṇaśāracchāgaśāvakaprakaṭitapaśubandhaprabandhāni….., Ibid.

[9]:

Ibid.,V.p.76

[10]:

Ibid.

[11]:

paralokavijayāya nirājyamannmiva……viceṣṭamānam, Ibid.,VI.p.98

[12]:

Manusaṃhitā,VII.182

[13]:

.. …japyaṃ sucaritaḥ pratyuṣasi madhyandine dinānte……mantramādityhṛdayam, Harṣacarita,IV.p.58

[14]:

Ṛgveda,X.190

[15]:

aghamarṣaṇamuṣitakilbiṣaviṣagadollāghalaghuṣu yatiṣu.., Harṣacarita, I. p.5

[16]:

Ibid.,p.25

[17]:

Manusaṃhitā,XI.260

[18]:

japyamānarūdraikādaśīśabdāyamānaśivagṛham, Harṣacarita,V.p.76

[19]:

pathyamānamahāmāyurīpravartyamānagṛhaśānti…, Ibid.

[20]:

pulinapṛṣṭhapratiṣṭāpitasaikataśivaliṅgā ca bhaktayā paramayā pañchabrahma…….suciramaṣṭapuṣpikāmadāt, Ibid.,I.p.8

[21]:

Abhijñānamśakuntalam, I.1

[22]:

Harṣacarita,p.187