Dichotomic interpretation of the Vājapeya Sacrifice

The Vājapeya sacrifice is said to be designed on the procedure of another sacrifice known as Śoḍāṣin and it is a form of the Jyotiṣṭoma sacrifice. The Vājapeya is one of the principal ceremonies of royal inauguration which bestows upon the sacrificer a superior kind of monarchy known as Sāmrājya. Unlike other somas acrifice, it has some striking features indicating political character. The Rājasūya confers upon the sacrificer Rājya and that of Vājapeya confers the Sāmrājya. It is the ceremony which partakes of both religious and royal character. Some important features of the Vājapeya sacrifice are as follows:

• According to the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa^[1], he who offers the Vājapeya wins food, since ‘Vājapeya’ is the same as ‘anna-peya’ (food and drink). In fact the numerous lines of the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa clearly suggest that the Vājapeya ceremony is a simple magical performance to obtain food and drink. Some references from the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa are quoted below which show the relation of the Vājapeya with foods are as follows:

“In the Vājapeya he, (the sacrificer) seizes a spotted sterile cow for the victorious Maruts; for the spotted sterile cow is this earth: whatever food, rooted or rooted or rootless is here established on her, thereby she is a spotted cow. Now he who offers the Vājapeya wins food, for Vājapeya doubtless means the same as annapeya (food and drink); and the Maruts are the peasants, and the peasants are food (for the nobles)”^[2].

“He takes out material for wild rice of seventeen plates for Bṛhaspati; for he who offers the Vājapeya wins food,-Vājapeya being doubtless the same as anna-peya: thus whatever food he has thereby won, that he now prepares for him”^[3].

“He touches the wheat: wheat is food, and he who offers the Vājapeya, wins food, for Vājapeya is the same as annapeya: thus whatever food he has thereby won, therewith now that he has gone to that supreme goal, he puts himself in contact and possesses himself of it,—therefore he touches the wheat”^[4]

But in the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa^[5] it is mentioned that Vājapeya is the ceremony through which the Gods wish to obtain strength (Vājaṃ) and by drinking the ‘drink of strength’ one becomes strong (Vājin). The Vājapeya is performed by both the Brāhmiṇs and by the Kṣatriyas. It stands for the temporal power or lordship of the Kṣatriyas and the spiritual lordship of the Brāhmaṇas.

• In the Vājapeya ceremony we have come across the most popular rites known as Aji dhāvana or Chariot race. The interesting feature of this race is that by performing this rite, the sacrificer is made victorious. In this race a post is fixed at the farthest limit with the measurement of seventeen arrows. Among the other competitors, the sacrificer has to reach first to the post. As a matter of fact, this race has some linkage with the ancient system of distribution is evident from the Vājapeya legend of the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa which runs thus—“The Gods went on making offering unto one another. Prajāpati gave himself up to them: thus the sacrifice became theirs; and indeed the sacrifice is the food of the Gods. They then spake, “To which of us shall this belong?” They did not agree together saying, ‘To me! To me!’ Not being agreed, they said, ‘Let us run a race for it: whichever of us shall win, to him it shall belong!-‘So be it!’. So, they ran a race for it”^[6]. Thus in the Vedic period the chariot race was done for the selection of their kings, but in the later Vedic period this race is used just as a matter of formality, as we find that the king is deliberately made to win the race. According to Oldenberg, the purpose of the chariot race is to win the sacrificer by magic the swiftness of the victorious steeds as strength^[7].

Besides this, the chariot race may be considered as a means of wealth. As in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa it is recorded that the Adhvaryu takes down the chariot and utters the mantras saying–“Thou art Indra’s thunderbolt, a winner of wealth, for chariot is indeed a winner of wealth;-may this one win wealth by thee! Wealth means food, may this one gain food by thee”^[8]. In this sacrifice, the number seventeen (17) is marked at various levels such as-17 days, 17 lauds, 17 cups of Soma, 17 pieces of cloth to envelope the sacrificial pole, use of 17 chariots and so on. In the Chariot race we have also noticed that at the time of the race 17 drums are beaten to make auspicious sound. As Prajāpati is seventeen fold and by beating those drums the sacrificer wins Prajāpati^[9]. The sound of the drum is regarded as the highest kind of sounds and the sacrificer wins the highest of speech by beating those drums. So, it can be said that the Chariot race of the Vājapeya sacrifice has both political as well as ritualistic significance.

• In the Vājapeya sacrifice the sacrificer with his wife climbs on a chariot wheel, which is the symbol of the sun and it is installed on the top of a long pole. This act is a magic device to secure the preferment of the sacrificer. While ascending to the pole the sacrificer addresses his wife–‘come wife ascend we the sky’^[10]. While ascending the post, the sacrificer says–“we have become Prajāpati’s children, for he who offers the Vājapeya indeed becomes Prajāpati’s child”^[11]. According to Sannyāsī Gyānshruti, this is the couple’s symbolic walk to heaven^[12]. Before descending from the post the priest of the people (four chief priests) and the Vaiśyas touch the sacrificer with bags of salt earth in

Aśvattha leaves or in Aśvattha boxes, clearly as a means of securing fertility^[13]. In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa it is recorded that-“they 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 anna-peya: thus whatever food he thereby has gained, there with now that he has gone to the supreme goal, he puts himself in contact, and makes it his own-therefore they throw bags of salt up to him”^[14].

Moreover, the same Brāhmaṇa also mentions that after descending from the post the sacrificer makes first steps upon a piece of Gold. As Gold is immortal life, he thus takes his stand on the immortal life^[15]. Then the Adhvaryu brings a throne seat for him made of udumbara wood and spreads the goat-skin upon it and says-“This is thy kingship! Whereby, he (Adhvaryu) endows him (sacrificer) with royal power. He then makes him sit down, saying, thou art the ruler, the ruling lord! Whereby he makes him the ruler, ruling over those subjects of his-Thou art firm and stead fast! Whereby he makes him firm and stead fast in this world,-Thee for tilling-Thee for peaceful dwelling! -Thee for wealth-Thee for thrift! Whereby he means to say, (here I sit) thee for the welfare of the people.”^[16]

The Vājapeya is more explicit than the Rājasūya as it has direct references and relation with the king. The rituals are also in total conformity with its royal character. The denomination ‘Vājapeya’ itself records the aspiration for strength of the king. Peaceful dwelling, wealth and thrift connotes for ideal kingship.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–V/1/3/3 and V/1/5/25-“Annapeyaṃ ha vai nāmaitad yad vājapeyaṃ; annaṃ vā eṣa ujjayati yo vājapeyena yajate|”

[2]:

Ibid–V/1/3/3-“Atha marudbhya ujjeṣebhya | Vaśāṃ pṛsnimālabhata iyaṃ vai vsā pṛśniryadidama syāṃ muliṃ cā’mulaṃ cā’nnādyaṃ pratiṣṭitaṃ teneyaṃ………...ca vaśāsyat||”

[3]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -V/1/4/12-“Atha bārhaspatyaṃ caruṃ naivāra saptasaśaśarāvaṃ nirvapati | Annaṃ vā eṣa ujjayati yo vājapeyena yajate’nnapeya ha vai nāmaitad vājapeyaṃ tadyadevaitadnnamudjaiṣīttadevā’smā’etat karoti ||”

[4]:

Ibid-V/2/1/13-“Annaṃ vai godhumā annaṃ vā eṣaujjayati yo vājapeyena yajae’nnapeyaṃ ha vai nāmaitadvājapeyaṃ tadyadevaitadnnamudjaiṣīttenaivaitadetāṃ gatiṃ gatvā saṃspṛsate tadātmankurute tasmātgodhūmānupaspṛśati||”

[5]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa–I/3/2/3-“Sa evaṃ vidvān vājapeyena yajate| Gacchati svārajjyaṃ…………………….yovai somaṃ vājapeyaṃ veda|”

[6]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–V/1/1/2-3–“Atha devā| Annyo’nyasminneva juhvataśccerustebhya prajāpatirātmānāṃ pradadau yajño haiṣāmāsa yajño hi devānāmnnaṃ||” “Te hocu|Kasya na idaṃ bhaviṣyati te mama mametyeva na sampādayān ca kruste hā’sampādyocurājimevā’sminnajāmahai sa yo na ujjyeṣyati tasya na idaṃ bhaviṣyatīti tatheti tasminnā’jimājanta||”

[7]:

Oldenberg, Hermann, Religion of the Veda, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 2004, Page-250.

[8]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–V/1/4/3-“Indrasya vajro’sīti vajjā vai ratha indro vai yajamānastasmādāhendrasya vajro’sīti vāja sā’iti vājasā hi ratha…………….vaitadāha|”

[9]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–V/1/5/6-“Saptadasa vai prajāpatistad prajāpatimujjayati|”

[10]:

Ibid–V/2/1/10-“Jāyā ehi svo rohāveti|”

[11]:

Ibid-V/2/1/11-“Sa rohati | Prajāpate prajā abhumeti prajāpaterhyeṣa prajā bhavati yo vājapeyena yajate||”

[12]:

Sannyasi, Gyanshruti, Yajña a comprehensive survey, Yog Publications trust, Bihar, 2006, Page-171.

[13]:

Chakraborty, Haripada, Vedic India-Political and Legal Institutions in Vedic Literature, Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar, Kolkata, 1981, Page-209.

[14]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa–V/2/1/16-“Athainamuṣaputairnudasyanti|Paśavo vā uṣā annaṃ vai paśaso’nnaṃ…..putairnudasyanti ||”

[15]:

Ibid–V/2/1/20-“Atha hiraṇyambhyavarohati |Amṛtamāyurhiraṇyaṃ tadaṃṛt āyuṣī pratitiṣṭati||

[16]:

Ibid-V/2/1/25-“Sa āstṛṇāti | Iyaṃ te rādi’ti rājjyamevā’sminnetad dadhāthyathainamāsādayati| Yantā’si yamana.........................sādhave tvetye vaitadāha||”