Details of the Aśvamedha Sacrifice

The Aśv amedha or the horse sacrifice is one of the most ancient and important religious ceremonies by which the king approved his claim to suzerainty over his neighbors. It is performed by that ruler whose strength, power and wealth uphold such an aspirant undertaking. By performing this sacrifice, the sacrificer extends his empire, increases his strength and power and achieved success in new enterprises. Actually the horse is a representative of royal power and domain (Kṣatriya)^[1]. During sacrifice, both the horse and the king have to abstain from carnal pleasure in order to enhance their strength^[2]. Anyone who wants to secure the ‘heroic power’ should perform this sacrifice.

By performing this sacrifice, “

The brāhmaṇa becomes a mantra making ṛṣi, the military man a piercing hero, the Vaiśya a wealthy and successful breeder and farmer, the women became pretty and faithful, the grain ripened without previous ploughing, there was no want of food, liquid was everywhere and so on”^[3].

The Aśvamedha sacrifice is regarded as the king of all sacrifices^[4] and the bull of all sacrifices^[5]. It is said that Prajāpati gave all the sacrifices to the Gods but preserved the Aśvamedha for himself. It is a means of obtaining all desired objects and of attaining all attainments or success.^[6] The Aśvamedha is actually a soma sacrifice with political significance which aims at the attainment of paramount sovereignty. It is considered as a victory celebration rite^[7]. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa has identified the Aśvamedha sacrifice with Prajāpati^[8]. Regarding the results of the Aśvamedha sacrifice the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa declares that–“He attains everything who performs the Aśvamedha; it is the expiation of all crimes; it is the medicine of all”^[9]. The ruler who is not satisfied with rājya or Sāmrājya but to attain unrivalled paramount sovereignty should perform the Aśvamedha sacrifice. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa calls it a Kṣatriya yajña^[10]. It is also mentioned that if any weak ruler performs this sacrifice he becomes defeated^[11]. Hence, the Aśvamedha sacrifice involved an assertion of power and political authority which a king of undisputed supremacy should possess.

Before the actual performance of the Aśvamedha sacrifice, the sacrificial horse which is black in the forehead, white in the back part, and which has a mark on its forehead is let loose to roam freely over the whole country for a year. A large number of royal attendants consisting of various types of fighters go with the horse for its protection. It is the duty of the attendants to protect the horse from all dangers and calamities and bring it back uninjured to the sacrificer. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa gives a list of the attendants-“a hundred royal princes clad in armour; a hundred warriors armed with swords, a hundred sons of heralds and headman bearing quivers fitted with arrows; a hundred sons of attendants and charioteers bearing staves-and a hundred exhausted worn out horses amongst which, having let loose that (sacrificial) horse they guard it^[12]. From the list of attendants of the sacrificial horse it is clear that people from both the nobility and common men formed the complete force to guard the sacrificial steed. This passage is very important as it gives us a clear idea regarding the different classes of fighters and also the names of various missiles, weapons, armours used in that period. Actually, this large number of attendants as noted in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa bespeaks the military power of the king. While roaming if any one seizes the horse, it means that the person stands in the way of sacrificer’s attaining paramount sovereignty. In such a situation, the attendants of the horse fight with the person. If they become fail to do so, the sacrificer cannot perform the Aśvamedha sacrifice. While the horse is roaming the sacrificer performed various homas relating to different limbs and various functions of the horse. Till the return of the horse, the sacrificer appoints some Brāhmiṇ and Kṣatriya lyricists who sing song on the pious and heroic deeds of the king^[13]. In the day time the Brāhmiṇ singers sing the glory of the king relating charity, sacrifice and acts of piety. In the evening the Kṣatriya singers will sing his glory relating to his deeds of valour, victory in war and so on.

After the return of the horse the main sacrifice takes place. The chief queen Mahiṣī anoints the body of the horse and places a hundred and one gold coins in its mane and tail At this stage a theological discussion known as Brahmodya (debate consisting of solution of riddles) takes place between the superintending priest and the Hotṛ^[14]. Another such debate held before the Sviṣṭakṛt offerings between the sacrificer (Yajamāna) and Adhvaryu.

In the Aśvamedha sacrifice queens play an important role. Not only the chief queen called (Mahisī) but all the queens of the monarch with their full retinue and implements have to take active part in this ceremony. In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, it is mentioned that ‘the four wives of the king come with four hundred female attendants and a young maiden to wash the feet of the horse^[15].

Each of the four queens is followed by a hundred female attendants as presented below:

• The chief queen known as Mahisī is attended by hundred princeses (Rājaputrī) of royal family^[16].

• Vāvāta or the favorite queen served with a hundred females of royal descent (Rājanya)^[17].

• Parivṛktā, the childless discarded or neglected wife of the king is served with daughters of heralds (suta) and head man of villages (Grāmanī) consisting of hundred in all^[18].

• The fourth wife of the king known as Pālāgali, who is inferior to the other three queens in social rank is attendant by a hundred females who are the daughters of chamberlain and charioteers^[19].

From this passage we can learn the constitutional status and dignity of the queens in the Vedic age.

In the presence of the four queens the sacrificial horse is laid on a blanket soaked in butter and its head is kept towards the east and legs facing the north and after that the horse is choked to death. Besides slaughtering of the horse, there is a very peculiar rite performed in this sacrifice. The chief queen Mahisī lies down by the side of the dead horse. Then the chief queen and horse are covered in a blanket and the chief queen (Mahisī) try to unite with the horse. The Hotṛ abuses the crowned queen in ‘obscene’ language and she returns the ‘obscene’ along with her attendant princess. This rite is performed with the intention of facilitating the birth of a virtuous and vigorous son as indicated in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa^[20]. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa also records an unknown dialogue between the priests and other wives of the sacrificer^[21].

Then the dead horse is dissected and various limbs of its body is extracted for oblation. The blood of the horse is kept in vessel for Sviṣṭakṛt offerings. The different organs of the horse are offered in the Āhavanīya fire along with butter. These offerings follow the Sviṣṭakṛt homa where the horses’ blood is offered as oblation and this homa again follows the usual Patni-Samyāja ceremony. On the following day a soma sacrifice having the Atirātra saṃsthā is performed followed by a paśu yāga.

Aśvamedha sacrifice ends with the concluding ablution ceremony known as Avabhṛtha rite. There is a peculiar ceremony including in this Avabhṛtha rite known as Jumbaka offering. The offering is made on the head of “the ‘white-spotted, bald-headed man with protruding teeth and reddish brown eyes”^[22] which is Varuṇa’s form. By this offering the sacrificer redeems himself from Varuṇa’s noose. In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa^[23] it is mentioned that by performing the Aśvamedha sacrifice one can redeem all sins. It may be mentioned here that in Vedic Period Indra with his horse in the form of thunderbolt defeats the asuras, especially the Vṛtra. Hence, the horse in the sacrifice gives the power to the earthy king to slay his foes.

In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa it is quoted:

“Verily, the Aśvamedha means royal sway: it is after royal sway that horse strives who guards the horse. Those of them who reach the end become (sharers) the royal sway, but those who do not reach the end are cut off from royal sway. Wherefore let him who holds royal sway performs the horse sacrifice”^[24].

The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa^[25] records the name of the kings who performed the horse sacrifice and they are as follows:—

The priest Indrota Daivapa Saunaka performed the Aśvamedha sacrifice for King Janamejaya Parikṣita. The king Janamejaya bound for the Gods a black spotted, grain eating horse, adorned with a golden ornament and with yellow garlands. Three more kings belonging to the same dynasty viz. Bhimasena, Ugrasena and Srautasena also performed the horse sacrifice. The Kausalya king Para Atnara, son of king Atnara, king Purukutsa of Ikṣāku race, the Ayogava king Maruttara Aviksita, the Pāñcāla king Kraivya, Ddhvasa Dvaitavana, the king of the Matyas performed the horse sacrifice.

King Bharata Dauhsyanti executed the Aśvamedha sacrifice and attained the vast territory and wide administration. Near the bank of the river Yamuna, Bharata binds seventy-eight (78) horses for the sacrifice and fifty five (55) horses near the Gangā. Thus in total he bound one hundred and thirty three horses and subdued the whole earth. And there is no competitor against him. There is a gāthā or laudatory verse attached to it as every king who performed the horse sacrifice attains paramount sovereignty. One such gāthā praising the glorious deeds of king Bharata runs thus-once the king Bharata performed the Aśvamedha sacrifice with a thousand horses and that time there was no king who preceded him. King Yajñatura of Sviknas, Soma satrasaha, the Pāñcāla king also performed this sacrifice. We also get the reference of one king who seized the sacrificial horse loosen by other king. For example, King Satanika Satrajita seized the white sacrificial horse of king Dhṛtarāstra in the tenth month of its roaming and performed the horse sacrifice with that horse.

The Aitareya Brāhmaṇa^[26] records the names of various kings who ruled over in different parts of India. These kings were consecrated with Indra’s great consecration by their priests.

They are presented below:

• The priest Tura Kāvaṣeya consecrated king Janamejaya, son of Parikṣita who conquered the earth and performed the Aśvamedha.

• The king Sāryāta Mānava was consecrated by the sage Chyāvana Bhārgava.

• Somaśuṣma, son of Vājaratna anointed king Satanika Satrajita.

• Parvata and Nārada consecrated the king Āmbāṣṭhya and Yudhāṃśrauṣṭi Augrasenya.

• The king Viśvakarmā Bhauvana was anointed by the sage Kāsyapa.

• Vaisiṣṭha consecrated Sudās Paijāvana.

• Saṃvarta Angirasa consecrated Marutta Aviksita.

• The sage Udamaya Ātreya (i.e. son of Atri) anointed king Anga. The king Anga donated golden ornaments, a hundred cores of cows and eighty eight thousand (88,000) white horses to his sage (Udamaya Ātreya).

• The sage Dirghatama consecrated the king Bharata, son of Duṣmanta. This Bharata king performed one hundred and thirty three (133) horse sacrifices.

These kings performed the Aśvamedha sacrifice after conquering the whole earth.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–XIII/2/2/15-“kṣatraṃ vā aśva|”

[2]:

Gonda, J, Ancient Indian Kingship from the religious point of view, E.J.BRILL, 1966, Page-111

[3]:

Ibid, Page-112

[4]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–XIII/2/2/1 “Rājā vā eṣa yajñanām yadaśvamedhaḥ|”

[5]:

Ibid-XIII/1/2/2-“Bṛṣabha eṣa yajñanām yadaśvamedhaḥ|”

[6]:

Ibid-“XIII/4/1/1 “Sarvān kāmān āpnotsarvā vyaṣṭīrvyāśtruta sarvānnaha vai kāmānāpnoti sarvā……….yo aśvamedhena yajate|”

[7]:

Keith. A.B, RPVU (Vol-II), Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1989,Page-344

[8]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–XIII/2/2/13, 13/4/1/15-“Prajāpatiraśvamedhaḥ|”

[9]:

Ibid–XIII/3/1/1-“yo’śvamedhena yajate sarva eva bhavati sarvasya vā eṣā prāyascittiḥ sarvasya bhesajāṃ|”

[10]:

Ibid XIII/4/1/2-“Kṣatriya yajña vā eṣa yadaśvamedha iti|”

[11]:

Ibid-XIII/1/6/3-“Tasmād rāstryaśvamedhena yajet parā vā eṣa sicyate yo,balośvamedhena yajate|”

[12]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -XIII/4/2/5-“Tasyaite purostād raksitara upaklptā bhavanti: Rājaputrāh kavacinaḥ sataṃ rājanyā…………………..yasminnenamapisṛjya rakṣanti|”

[13]:

Ibid–XIII/1/5/1–“Vināśmai vādyate brāhmaṇau|”

[14]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -XIII/2/6/9-“Hotā ca Brahmā ca brahmodya vadat|”

[15]:

Ibid -XIII/5/2/1-“Patnyaḥ pānnejanairudāyanti catasraścca jāyāḥ kumārī pañcamī catvāri ca satāni anucāriṇāṃ|”

[16]:

Ibid-XIII/5/2/5-“Tasyai sataṃ rājaputryo anucaryo bhavanti|”

[17]:

-XIII/5/2/6-“Tasyai sataṃ rājanya anucaryo bhavanti|”

[18]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -XIII/5/2/7-“Tasyai sataṃ sūtagrāmanya dhuhitāro’nucāryo bhavanti|”

[19]:

Ibid -XIII/5/2/8–“Tasyai sataṃ kṣatrasamgrahitṛnān duhitāro’nucāryo bhavanti|”

[20]:

Ibid -XIII/1/9/9, Vāj.Saṃ-XXIII/22-31-“Āyasya yajamānaṣya viro jāyatāmiti|”

[21]:

-XIII/2/9

[22]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–XIII/3/6/5-“Varuṇa vai Jumbaka sāksādeva Varuṇamvayajate sukklasya…………..varuṇaṃvayajate||”

[23]:

-XIII/3/1/1-“Sarvampāpmānantarati brahmahatyāṃ yo’śvamedhena yajate|”

[24]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–XIII/1/6/3-“Rāṣṭraṃ vā aśvamedhaṃ | Rāṣṭra ete vyavacchante ye aśva rakṣanti teṣām………………….tasmād rāstryaśvamedhena yajate||”

[25]:

Ibid -XIII/5/4

[26]:

Aitareya-brāhmaṇa–VIII/39