Details of the Sarvamedha Sacrifice

The Sarvamedha sacrifice or All sacrifice is one of the Ahina types of Soma sacrifice, executed by one who wants to fulfill his all desires or all types of achievements. This sacrifice is also performed for the sake of gaining and winning every kind of food^[1]. The Brāhmaṇa Svayaṃbhu performed this sacrifice for the first time. He offers his own self in the creatures, and the creatures his own self in to him (Brāhmaṇa Svayaṃbhu). And thus, by offering up his own self in the creatures, and the creatures in his own self; he compassed the supremacy, sovereignty and attains the lordship over all creatures. Hence, the sacrificer by offering all sacrificial essences in the Sarvamedha sacrifice, surpass all being and attains supremacy, sovereignty and lordship^[2]

Ritual procedure of the Sarvamedha sacrifice as prescribed in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa:

The Sarvamedha sacrifice consists of ten days. In the first day Agniṣṭut Agniṣṭoma is performed for the sake of gaining and winning all the Gods, because the Agniṣṭut Agniṣṭoma is Agni and all the Gods have Agni (the sacrificial fire) for their mouth^[3].

In the second day there is Indrastut Ukthya, for the sake of gaining and winning all the Gods, for Indra is all the Gods^[4].

The third day is a Sūryastut Ukthya, for the sake of gaining and winning all the Gods, for Sūrya is all the Gods^[5].

In the fourth day, there is Vaiśvadeva, for the sake of gaining and winning all the Gods, for Viśve Devāḥ are all the Gods^[6].

In the fifth and in the sixth day there is central Aśvamedhika and central Puruṣamedhika. At this sacrifice the sacrificer seizes man and horse for the sake of gaining the sacrificial essence of the horse and man^[7].

An Āptoryāma is performed in the seventh day for the sake of gaining all kinds of soma sacrifices. At this sacrifice, the sacrificer seizes all kinds of victims both animate and inanimate. The sacrificer also offers every kind of food both the dry and the fresh in order to gain every kind of food^[8].

In the eighth day a Triṇava ṣṭoma is performed, for Triṇava is thunderbolt and by means of the thunderbolt, the sacrificer gains lordship^[9].

In the ninth day there is a Trayastriṃśa one for the sake of gaining a foot hold for the Trayastriṃśa (ṣṭoma) is a foot hold. And the tenth day is a Viśvajit Atirātra with all the Pṛṣṭhas for the sake of gaining and winning everything, for the Viśvajit Atirātra with all the Pṛṣṭhas is everything and the Sarvamedha is everything^[10].

Sacrificial fees:

The sacrificial fees as prescribed for the Sarvamedha sacrifice is alike that of the Puruṣamedha sacrifice, which are as follows-whatever there is towards the middle of the kingdom other than the property of the Brāhmaṇa, but including land and man of that of the eastern quarter belongs to the Hotṛ, the southern to the Brāhmaṇ, the western to the Adhvaryu and the northern to the Udgātṛ, and the Hotṛkas share this along with them.

The Sarvamedha sacrifice and its relation to Monarchy or kingship:

We have already discussed that in the Sarvamedha sacrifice the sacrificer offers all sacrificial essences and compass all being and attains supremacy sovereignty and lordship. This sacrifice is regarded as the supreme of all sacrifices, as by performing this sacrifice the sacrificer attain supremacy. In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa it is mentioned that the Viśvakarman Bhauvana once performed this sacrifice, and having performed this sacrifice he overpass all beings and became everything^[11]. As a matter of fact, the Sarvamedha sacrifice is an exceptional sacrifice executed by emperors who are already to ruler ship. This ceremony proves the existence of the territorial ideal of a one state.

The Sarvamedha sacrifice is a universal sacrifice and is performed for the attainment of universal sovereignty. We have already come across the reference that in the eighth day Triṇava ṣṭoma is performed for the attainment of lordship or kṣatra. Hence, by performing this sacrifice one attains universal sovereignty, as ‘sarva’ means ‘all’ and by performing this sacrifice one attains all or wins all.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa-XIII/7/1/2-“Dasākṣarā virād virādu kṛtsnamnnaṃ kṛttsnasayai vānnādyasyā varuddhyai|”

[2]:

Ibid-XIII/71/1-“Brahma vai svayaṃbhu tapo’tapyat| Tadaikṣat na vai tapasyānantyomasti hantāhambhuteṣvātmānanjuhavāni bhutāni cātmānīti tatsarveṣu bhuteṣvātmāna hutvā bhutāni cātmāni sarveṣāṃ bhutānāṃ śreṣṭyaṃ svārājjyamādhipatyam paryet tathaivaitdyajamāna sarvamedhe sarvānna medhān hutvā sarveṣāṃ bhutānāṃ śraiṣṭyaṃ svārājjyamādhipatyaṃ paryeti||”

[3]:

Ibid-XIII/7/1/3-“Tasyāgniṣṭaṭudagniṣṭoma prathmaṃ harva bhavati| Agnirvā agniṣṭudagniṣṭomo’gni mukhā||”

[4]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -XIII/7/1/4-“Indrastudukathyo ditīyaṃharbha bhavati| Indra vai sarve devā||”

[5]:

Ibid–XIII/7/1/5-“Sūryastudukthyastṛtīyaṃ harva bhavati| Sūryo vai sarve devā||”

[6]:

Ibid-XIII/7/1/6-“Vaiśvadevaśccaturthaṃ harva bhavati| Viśve vai sarve devā||”

[7]:

Ibid-XIII/7/1/7-8-“Aśvamedhikamaddhyaṃpañcamaṃ harva bhavati | Puruṣamedhimaddhyaṃ ṣaṣṭhaṃ harva bhavati||

[8]:

Ibid-XIII/7/1/9-“Āptoryāma saptaṃ harva bhavati| Sarveṣāṃ yajñakratunāmāptayai tasmin sarvān medhyānālabhate……………….tṛtiyasavane huteṣu haviṣu||”

[9]:

Ibid-XIII/7/1/10-“Triṇavaṃṣṭaṃ harva bhavati| Vajro vai triṇavo vajrena khalu vai khatraṃ spṛtantadvajreṇaiva kṣatraṃ spṛṇoti||”

[10]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–XIII/7/1/11-12-“Prathiṣṭhā vai trayastrimsa pratiṣathityai|” “Viśsajitsarvapṛṣṭatho’tirātro daśmaṃharvavati|Sarva vai Viśvajit sarva pṛṣṭatho’tirātra sarvaṃ sarvamedha sarvasyāptyai sarvasya varudhyai||

[11]:

Ibid-XIII/7/1/14-“Tena haitena viśvakarmā bhauvana ije | Teneṣṭvātyatiṣṭhat sarvāni bhutanīdaṃ sarvaṃ bhavatitiṣṭaṭhati sarvāṇi bhūtānīd sarvambhavati ya evaṃ vidvānta sarvamedhena yajate yo vaitadevaṃ veda||”