Details of the Vājapeya Sacrifice

A complete soma yāga consists of seven forms of samsthās viz. Agniṣṭoma, Atyagniṣṭoma, Ukthya, Sodāsi, Atirātra, Aptoryam and Vājapeya. Thus the last form of samsthās is Vājapeya. Among the seven forms of samsthās, the Vājapeya is one of the sacrifice conveying high political significance. It is however, normally performed as an independent rite. The word ‘Vājapeya’ is explaining by different scholars in different ways. According to the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa the word ‘Vāja’ means food^[1] and ‘Peya’ means ‘drink’ which is derived from the root √ pa (to drink). The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa holds the view that the Vājapeya is same as annapeya (food and drink). He who offers the Vājapeya wins food^[2]. The Vājapeya is that ceremony by which the gods also obtain strength (vājam) and by ‘drink of strength’ i.e. soma by drinking (pitvā) one becomes strong (vājin).

It is very difficult to enunciate the exact nature of the Vājapeya sacrifice. One becomes king by performing the Rājasūya sacrifice and by performing the Vājapeya one becomes Samrāt.

According to the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa—

“by offering the Rājasūya one becomes king, and by the Vājapeya (he becomes) emperor (Samrāt); and the office of the king is the lower, and that of emperor the higher: a king might indeed wish to become emperor, for the office of the king is the lower, and that of emperor the higher, but the emperor would not wish to became king, for the office of the king is the lower, and that of emperor the higher”^[3].

The same statement is again repeated in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa—

“He first offers those of the Rājasūya, then those of the Vājapeya, for by performing the Rājasūya one becomes king (rājā) and by the Vājapeya (Samrāt), and the position of the king is obtained first, and there after that of emperor; hence after performing the Vājapeya, one could not perform the Rājasūya, it would be a descent, just as if one who is emperor were to become king”^[4].

So from the above statement it is clear that the Vājapeya is greater than Rājasūya. The Kātyāyana Śrauta Sūtra^[5] also makes the statement that the Rājasūya may be performed by the king who has not performed the Vājapeya. But both the authority i.e. the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa and the Kātyayana Śrauta Sūtra remain silent on the point about the performance of the Rājasūya and Vājapeya to be preceded or followed by each other.

The Rājasūya is a sacrifice for the Kṣatriyas where as the Vājapeya is meant for both the Brāhmaṇas and the Kṣatriyas. According to the Āśvalāyana Śrauta Sūtra-“a king may perform the Rājasūya after performing the Vājapeya, and a Brahmin, the Bṛhaspatisava”^[6]. Bṛhaspatisava is a sacrifice similar to the Rājasūya with a little variation that the Rājasūya is for the Kṣatriyas where as the Bṛhaspatisava is meant for the Brāhmaṇas. The Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa lays down the fact that the Vājapeya is Samrātsava and Rājasūya is Varuṇasava^[7]. The former is meant for the consecration to the position of Samrāt, while the latter is for the consecration to the universal sovereignty of Varuṇa. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa also makes the statement, “that the Varuṇasava is nothing but the Rājasūya”^[8]. Thus from the above discussion it is clear that the conception of imperial state (Samratsava) is distinguished from that of single monarchy.

The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa identifies the Vājapeya with the Bṛhaspatisava and makes the statement that the Vājapeya itself is the consecration of Bṛhaspati-“what is called Bṛhaspatisava is the same as Vājapeya”^[9]. The Vājapeya sacrifice is performed for the attainment of temporal power or lordship of a Kṣatriya and also for the spiritual power or lordship of a Brāhmaṇa. The Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa mentions that the Indra attains svarājya (self rule) and lordship (Jyaiṣṭhya) of the Gods by performing the Vājapeya; and among human beings he who performs the Vājapeya attains svarājya and becomes the chief of equals^[10].

The numerous rites are performed in the Vājapeya sacrifice, such as:—the Aji dhāvana or the Chariot race, the rohā or mounting a post and the repetition of the number seventeen.

Chariot race:

The chariot race takes place at the mid-day pressing of the final day. A sacrificer who is a Brāhmiṇ or a Kṣatriya has to participate in a race of 17 chariots and he is allowed to win the race. The chariot itself is conceived as Indra’s thunderbolt which is seized by the pole and turned from left to right addressed to Aditi, the great Mother. Four horses are anointed and yoked to the chariot. Then wild rice cooked and served in seventeen plates which the horses are made to smell. The Vājināṃ sāman is sung which says: -“The fiery steeds have gathered fiery mettle, the impulse of the god Savitṛ; win ye the heaven, O coursers!”^[11] The purpose of this rite is to secure the sacrificer the swiftness of the victorious steeds as strength. The chariot race starts with the beat of drums and war cries were raised. In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa it is recorded that the seventeen drums were placed on the sacrificial altar and the priests had to beat those drums simultaneously^[12]. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa also gives the reason as to why the seventeen drums were beaten–“he who offers the Vājapeya wins Prajāpati, but Prajāpati is speech, and that doubtless is the supreme speech which is the outcome of seventeen drums: he thus wins the supreme speech, the supreme Prajāpati. Seventeen there are, because Prajāpati is seventeen fold: he thus wins Prajāpati”^[13]. The numerical seventeen reminds us of the ‘Saptadaśa Sāmidheni’ which is a indicator of kindling of fire. The four horses which are decorated to the sacrificer’s chariot are sprinkled with the holy waters and rice pap is prepared for Bṛhaspati, the winner of the race of this kind. The sacrificer (rājanya) shoots an arrow to fix the goal of the race. The post is fixed at the farthest limit of the race-course at the end of the measurement of seventeen arrows. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa explains thus: “As to why a rājanya shoots, he, the rājanya is most manifestly of Prajāpati: hence while being one he rules over many”^[14]. During the race, the Adhvaryu utters mantra s^[15] addressed to the horses of the sacrificer’s chariot. After that a Vaiśya or a Rājanya, standing on one of those race-running chariots made to exchange a cup of honey with one cup of surā given by the Adhvaryu. The Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa^[16] and the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa^[17] gives the reason behind this—“that the priests thus imbibes the sacrificer with truth, prosperity and strikes the Vaiśya with untruth, misery and darkness”. Then the (priests) presents to the Brāhmaṇa in golden vessel a cup of honey. By offering this honey (in to a golden vessel) to the Brāhmaṇa, he imbibes himself with immortal life. As in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa gold is compared with immortal life^[18]. From the above discussion it can be said that the Brāhmaṇa texts provides enough idea of divinity of the king which become more developed in the later period.

In the chariot race other competitors with the sacrificer run up to the post round and turn and come back in such a way that the sacrificer becomes first to reach the altar. Actually, “this race like the cow raid and a dice play in other inauguration ceremonies represents a test for recognizing the ruler’s superiority in valour and physical prowess and a means of enabling him to prove himself the fittest man for kingship, as well as magical devices to achieve the defeat of his adversaries in prowess, sagacity and so on”^[19]. Indeed this ceremony of chariot race was practiced in the remote antiquity and in the later times the Vedic Indians adopted this practice.

Therefore, the Vedic Aryans utilize the chariot race originally for the selection of their king, but in later time, this race continued as a matter of formality. As in the Chariot race it is seen that the king was deliberately made to win the race.

Mounting the Post:

The sacrificer with his wife climbs upon a chariot wheel, which is a symbol of the sun and it is fixed on the top of long pole. While ascending the sacrificer addresses his wife, “come wife, ascend we the sky!”^[20]. The sacrificer addresses his wife, as wife is one half of his own self. Hence as long as he does not obtain her he is not regenerated and he is incomplete. But as soon as he (sacrificer) obtains her, he is regenerated and then he becomes complete. After certain libation a ladder is placed against the sacrificial post and the sacrificer in front of his wife mounts until his head overtops the post. Being ascending the sacrificer uses the formula:—“We have become Prajāpati’s children; for he who offers the Vājapeya indeed becomes Prajāpati’s child^[21]. He then touches the wheat (top-piece) with, ‘we have gone to the light, O ye gods! For he who offers the Vājapeya, indeed goes to the light^[22]. And as to why he touches the wheat: wheat is food, and he who offers the Vājapeya wins food, for Vājapeya is the same as annapeya (food and drink): thus whatever food he has thereby won, there with now that he has gone to the supreme goal, he puts himself in contact and possesses himself of it-therefore he touches the wheat^[23]. Then he rises by the measure of his head over the post, with “we have become immortal, whereby he wins the world of the gods”^[24].

After that the sacrificer “throw up to him bags of salt; for salt means cattle, and cattle is food, and he who offers the Vājapeya wins food, for Vājapeya is the same as annapeya: thus whatever food, he thereby gained, therewith now that he has gone to the supreme goal, he puts himself in contact and make it his own-therefore they throw bags of salt^[25] up to him”^[26]. Then the priests touch the sacrificer with bags of salt earth in Aśvattha leaves^[27]. This act is done as a mark of securing fertility^[28]. The sacrificer descends on a piece of gold and steps upon a piece of skin spread out by the priests. A throne, made of udumbara wood, is placed for him in front of the Havirdhāna (cart shed) behind the Āhavanīya fire. The priest placing him on the throne says—“Thou art the ruler, the ruling lord! Whereby he makes him the ruler, ruling over these subjects of his–Thou art firm and steadfast! Whereby he makes him firm and steadfast in this world;—Thee for the tilling!—The for peaceful dwelling! Thee for wealth! Thee for thrift!’ whereby he means to say (here I seat) thee for the welfare (of the people),”^[29]. Being seated on the throne the sacrificer offers seven vāja-prasavaniya oblations. Seventeen kinds of food are brought in a vassal made of udumbara wood by which the oblations are made. Hymns from the Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā^[30] are uttered in praise of Soma, Agni, Aryamāna, Bṛhaspati, Indra, Viṣnu, Pusan, Aśvins, Savitṛ and Vāk (sacrificer). The sacrificer then is made to sit on a black antelope skin, with his face to east and with a small gold and silver plate is placed on either side of him. Having got himself anointed in that position, he utters the formulas of the Ujjiti Victory oblations and says: “with the word of one syllable Agni the breath: may I win that; with the (metre) of seventeen syllables Prajāpati won the seventeen fold stoma: may I win that”^[31].

Repetition of number seventeen:

One of the major characters of the Vājapeya sacrifice is that the number seventeen is predominant. For instance, the 17 animals are sacrificed, 17 objects are distributed as fees, and it lasts for 17 days also^[32] This number is mystically connected with Prajāpati, the lord of creation, who is productiveness itself, who created the sacrifice as a counterpart of himself, who is identical with the sun, and from whom the goddess Śri is said to have arisen. So, the king who has performed this rite aspires to the highest excellence of identity like Prajāpati^[33].

So, after observing the various rituals attached with the Vājapeya ceremony it is clear that these rituals actually highlights the character of the Vedic kingship and the divinity of the king. As the ordeals like cow raid, chariot race are executed to test the physical power of the elected king.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–IX/3/4/1-“Annaṃ vai vājo|”

[2]:

Ibid -V/1/3/3-“Annapeyaṃ ha vai nāmaitad yad vājapeyaṃ|”
Ibid-V/1/5/25-“Yo vājapeyena yajet annapeya ha vai nāmaitad vājapeyaṃ|”

[3]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–V/1/1/13-“Raja vai rajasuyeneṣṭvā bhavanti samrād vājapeyena | Avaraṃ hi rājyaṃ paraṃ hi sāmrājyaṃ| Kāmayate vai rājā samrād-bhavitum na samrāt Kāmayate rājā bhavitum||”

[4]:

Ibid-IX/3/4/8-“Sa vai rājasuyasya purvāni juhoti| Atha Vājapeyesya rājā vai rajasuyeneṣṭvā bhavanti samrād vājapeyena rājyamu vā agneatha sāmrājyaṃ tasmād vājapeyeneṣṭvā na rājasūyena yajate pratyavorah sa yathā samrāt san rājā syāt tadṛk tat||”

[5]:

Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra-XV/1/1/2

[6]:

Āśvalāyana-śrauta-sūtra–IX/9//19-“Vājapeyeneṣṭṭvā rājā rājasūyena yajet brāhamaṇo bṛhaśpatisavena|”

[7]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa–II/7/6/1-“Yo vai Vājapeyaḥ sa samrātsavaḥ yo rājasūyaḥ sa varuṇasavaḥ|”

[8]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–V/3/4/12-“Varuṇasava vā eṣa Rājasūyaṃ|”

[9]:

Ibid -V/2/1/19-“Bṛhaspatisava vā eṣa yad vājapeyaṃ|”

[10]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa -I/3/2/2-3–“(Indra) so’agram devatānāṃ paryaiti agacchat svarājyam; atisthāntaṣmai jyaisthyayā iti|” “ye evaṃ vidvān vājapeyena yajate gacchati svarājyaṃ; agraṃ samānānāṃ Paryeti tiṣṭhante asmai jyaiṣṭhyāya|”

[11]:

Samaveda-I/435-“Āvirmaryā ā vājaṃ vājino agmaṇ devasya savituḥ savaṃ| Sargaṃ arvanto jayata||”

[12]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -V/1/5/6-“Atha saptasaśa dundubhinanu vedyanta|”

[13]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–V/1/5/6–“Yo vājapeyena yajate vāgvai prajāpatireṣa vai paramā vāgyā saptadasānām dundubhināṃ paramāmevaitadvācam paramaṃ prajāpatiṃujjayati saptadasa bhavanti saptadaso vai prajāpatistad prajāpatiṃujjayati|”

[14]:

Ibid -V/1/5/14-“Eṣa vai Prajāpate pratakṣatamāṃ yadrājanyastasmādeka …………prajāpatimujjayati|”

[15]:

Ṛgveda -IV/40/3-4, VII/38/7-8

[16]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa I/3/3/7—“Vājasṛdbhyaḥ surāgrahān haranti|
Anṛtenaiva viśaṃ saṃsṛjanti|
Hiranyapātraṃ madhoḥ purṇaṃ dadāti|
Madvyo’sānītī|
Ekadhā brahmaṇ upaharati|
Ekadhaiva yajamāna āyustejo dadhāti||”

[17]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–V/1/5/28-“Somo’nṛtam papmā tama surā satyamevaitadcachaidriyam jyotiryomāne dadhātyanṛtena pāpmanā tamasā|”

[18]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -V/2/1/20-“Amṛtaṃāyurhiraṇyaṃ|”

[19]:

Gonda, J, Ancient Indian Kingship from the religious point of view, E.J.BRILL, 1966, Page-85.

[20]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–V/2/1/10 -“Jāya ehi svo rohāveti rohābetyāha jāyā|”

[21]:

Ibid -V/2/1/11-“Sa rohati | Prajāpate prajā…………………yajate|”

[22]:

Ibid-V/2/1/12-“Atha go dhumānupaspṛsati………………vājapeyena yajate|”

[23]:

Ibid -V/2/1/13-“Ananaṃ vai godhuamā annaṃ vā……….pṛsati|”

[24]:

Ibid-V/2/1/14-“Atha sirsnā upamatyujjihite……………….no ujjayati|”

[25]:

Williams, Monier, Sanskrit English Dictonary, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi-2002, Page-223 (The term used for salt is ‘Uṣapuṭa’. Sir Monior Williams takes the term ‘ūṣa’ for salt.)

[26]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -V/2/1/16-“Athainamuṣaputairnudsyanti| pasabo vā uṣā annaṃ vai pasavo’nnaṃ…………………….dasyanti|”

[27]:

Ibid -V/2/1/17–“Aśvattheṣu palāṣesu panaddhā bhavanti|”

[28]:

Cahakroborty, Haripada, Vedic India political and legal institutions in Vedic literature, Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar, 1981, Page-209.

[29]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -V/2/1/25-“Sa’āstṛṇāti | Iya te rādi’ti rājjyamevā…………….sādhave ttvettyevaitadāha”

[30]:

Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā-IX/23-29

[31]:

Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā–V/2/2/17-“Agnirekākṣareṇa prāṇamudajayattamujjyeṣaṃ Prajāpati sapadasāsareṇa saptadasaṃ stomamudjayattamujjeṣaniti|”

[32]:

Saraswati, Swamini Atmaprajnananda, Nomenclature of the Vedas, by, D.k.Print world, 2012, Page-222.

[33]:

Gonda, J, Ancient Indian Kingship from the religious point of view,, E.J.BRILL, 1966, Page-84.