The Agnistoma Somayaga in the Shukla Yajurveda
by Madan Haloi | 2018 | 109,416 words
This page relates ‘Somasamstha (5): Vajapeya’ of the study on the Agnistoma Somayaga as described in the Shukla Yajurveda (dealing with Vedic Rituals). The Agnistoma sacrifice (lit. “praise of Agni”) connects god with men and is performed in the spring season. It is the model of all the Soma sacrifices and forms a large and complicated ceremony preceded by four preliminary ritualistic days. This thesis deals with all the details involved in the Agnistoma sacrifice.
Somasaṃsthā (5): Vājapeya
[Full title: Forms (Saṃsthās) of Somayāga (5): Vājapeya]
The Vājapeyasaṃsthā is fifth according to Kātyāyana of the seven Somasaṃsthās.The name appears from the last stotra i.e., Vājapeya used here. It is closely connected with the Ṣoḍaśisaṃsthā. Because, the Vājapeyasaṃsthā follows the same rites up to the ṣoḍaśistotra, ṣoḍaśiśastra and the ṣoḍaśī cup of the third pressing of the Ṣoḍaśisaṃsthā. After the ṣoḍaśistotra, it adds the vājapeyastotra and the vājapeyaśastra[1]. As stated in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, the word vāja means vīrya or bala i.e., strength.[2] Accordingly, the word vājapeya means drink of strength.
The Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa too explains the word vājapeya as follows—
Sāyaṇa, while commenting on this shows the derivation of the word in two ways. He states that vāja means food of the gods and the food is not other than the soma juice and this is called Vājapeya because in it soma is drunk. Again, by this saṃsthā, the gods wanted to attain vāja i.e., sacrificial fruit anna and thus the rite where vāja i.e.,anna is to be attained (peya) is called Vājapeya.This is another derivation of the word vājapeya[4]. Thus it seems that the first derivation has been shown from the root pā i.e., to drink and the latter from the root āp to attain. Again in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, the word vājapeya is used as a synonymous of the word annapeya[5]. Sāyaṇa states that here the word vāja refers to anna.[6]
The Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa directly connects the Vājapeya rite with the Soma i.e., Soma sacrifice[7]. Though, it is included in the list of seven Somasaṃsthās, yet, it bears some special features.The Adhikāriṇs of this saṃsthā are only the Brāhmaṇa and Kṣatriya.[8] As per legend the sacrifice was first performed by the god Bṛhaspati and then by Indra.Of these gods, Bṛhaspati represents the Brāhmaṇas and Indra represents the Kṣatriyas. Hence, the right to perform the sacrifice was gained only by the Brāhmaṇas and the Kṣatriyas among the human beings[9]. As stated by Kātyāyana, the sacrifice is performed in autumn. Moreover, he states that the Vājapeyasaṃsthā contains seventeen Dīkṣās[10]. If it is so, then with the addition of three upasad days and one soma-pressing day, the saṃsthā lasts for twenty one days.On the other hand, it has also been said that the saṃsthā contains thirteen Dīkṣās. In this case with the addition of three upasad days and one soma pressing day, it needs seventeen days.[11]
The number seventeen is very common in all the rites of the saṃsthā[12]. Besides the seventeen Stotras and seventeen Śastras, it has seventeen soma cups and seventeen surā cups.The Adhvaryu takes the seventeen soma cups and the Neṣṭṛ takes the surā cups for Prajāpati[13]. Whenever the Adhvaryu takes the first soma cup thereafter the Neṣṭṛ too draws the first surā cup and thus they draw the seventeen soma cups and surā cups alternately by mutually co-ordinating their acts.[14] Kātyāyana too supports this view[15] while Āpastamba opines that the Pratiprasthātṛ draws the surā cups[16]. The Adhvaryu dedicates a multi-coloured sterile cow to Maruts.Again, seventeen he goats are dedicated to Prajāpati[17]. The Yūpas used for binding the animals are seventeen in number the length of each of them is not more than seventeen cubits[18].Moreover, beating of the seventeen drums during the chariot race[19], use of golden necklaces by the priests during the rite called Somābhiṣava[20] etc. are other features of this saṃsthā. The Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra, adds here that the sacrificer and his wife should decorate themselves with golden necklaces[21]. Apart from this, the saṃsthā includes in it the offering of animals of the Agniṣṭoma, Ukthya, Ṣoḍaśī and Atirātra Saṃsthās . Thus, by these offerings of animals all the Saṃsthās are included in the Vājapeyasaṃsthā.[22]
The ritualistic texts connect a chariot race with the Vājapeyasaṃsthā and it is performed during the mādhyandina soma pressing[23]. For this race, seventeen chariots are made ready. Of these sixteen are yoked with four horses The sacrificer’s chariot is yoked with three horses and the fourth being unyoked follows the chariot of the sacrificer.[24] The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa compares it with human being. The sacrificer’s chariot is yoked with three horses because, the number three belongs to the gods[25].The sacrificer rides his chariot uttering a Yajurvedic formula[26].
The formula is—
devasyāhaṃ savituḥ save satyaprasavaso bṛhaspatervājajito vājaṃ jeṣam/[27].
One chariot is occupied by either a Rājanya or a Vaiśya[28]. Kātyāyana states that it is for gaining the surā cups[29]. But, it has also been said thatall the participant of the chariot race are entitled to attain the surā cups[30]. The final point of the chariot race is marked at the spot where the last arrow of seventeen arrows finally reaches.
The sacrificer wins the race[31] and he gives away his chariot to the Adhvaryu after a fourth horse is yoked to the chariot—
taṃ yatra dāsyan bhavati -taṃ caturthaṃ upayujya dadāti[32] /
Kātyāyana too states as follows—
caturthaṃ yuktvādhvaryave dadāti /
Moreover, he states that the other chariots are given to the sixteen priests[33]. Offering of a caru of wild rice made up of seventeen platters (sravas) to Bṛhaspati[34], ritual connected with the māhendragraha[35], declaration by the Adhvaryu that the sacrificer has become an emperor[36] etc. are also performed in this saṃsthā. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa describes the significance of the chariot race, singing of sāman by the Brahmā priest and the ascending of the sacrificer on the sacrificial post. There it is said that by the chariot race, the earth is won, the Brahmā priest sings the sāman climbing on a wheel of the cart and by this, the middle region i.e., the antarikṣa loka is won and by ascending the sacrificial post, the sacrificer wins heaven[37]. It is said that by performing the Vājapeya sacrifice, one becomes a samrāṭ[38]. According to Sāyaṇa, he controls the whole world[39]. As stated in the KātyāyanaŚrautasūtra, in the Vājapeyasaṃsthā, seventeen hundred cows, cloths, seventeen hundred she goats and seventeen hundred ewes are given to the priests as sacrificial fees. Apart from these, seventeen hundred female slaves, seventeen elephants, seventeen carriages and seventeen Mahānasas are given as sacrificial fees.[40]
Thus, the Vājapeya Saṃsthā contains seventeen Stotras, seventeen Śastras, four Stomas viz.,
Here, Hotṛ recites the last i.e. the Vājapeyaśastra. The seventeenth soma libation that accompanies the stotrais made by camasa as there is no offering of cup after the ṣoḍaśī.[41]
Karka makes it clear thus—
ṣoḍaśigrahayāgānte stotraṃ camasaireva bhavati/ grahaṃna bhavatyevakārakaraṇāt/[42]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Cinnasvamishastri , Pattabhiramashastri(ed.), op.cit., p.73
[2]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 3.3.4.7
[3]:
Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa , 1.3.2.3.
[4]:
[5]:
cf., annapeyaṃ ha vai nāmaitad yadvājapeyam / Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.3.3.
[6]:
cf.,vājaśabdo’nnavācī/ Sāyaṇa on Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.3.3.
[8]:
cf., sa vā eṣabrāhmaṇasyaiva yajñaḥ / … atho rājanyasya … / Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.1. 11; Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, 1.3.2.3; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14.1.1
[9]:
Ibid., Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.1. 11.
[10]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14.1. 1, 10
[13]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.2. 11
[14]:
Sāyaṇa on Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.2. 11
[15]:
cf., saptadaśāparān/neṣṭācatāvataḥsaurān/vyatyāsaṃgrahaṇam/ Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14. 2. 2-4
[16]:
Āpastamba Śrautasūtra , 18.2. 5
[17]:
Ibid., 5.1.3.3,7; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14. 2. 12
[18]:
Āpastamba Śrautasūtra , 18. 1. 8
[19]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.5. 6
[21]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14. 1. 23 -24
[22]:
cf.,brahmavādino vadanti / nāgniṣṭomo nokthyaḥ / na ṣoḍaśī nātirātraḥ atha kasmādvājapeye sarve yajñakratavo’varudhyanta iti / paśubhiriti brūyāt iti / Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, 1.3.4.1
[23]:
cf.,mādhyandine savaneājiṃ dhāvanti / Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.4.1
[25]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.4.11; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14. 3. 9
[26]:
cf., atha yaṃ yajuṣā yunakti -taṃ yajamāna ātisthati … / Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.5.17; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14.3.18
[27]:
Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā , 9.13
[28]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.5.28
[29]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14.3.20; Sāyaṇa on Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5.1.5.28
[30]:
Chitrabhanu Sen, op.cit., p. 105
[31]:
cf.,sunvanjayati/ Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14. 4.6
[32]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5. 1. 4. 11
[33]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14. 4. 13 -14
[34]:
Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5. 1. 4.12
[35]:
Ibid., 5. 2.2. 21; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14.4.44
[36]:
Ibid., 5. 2.2. 15; Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14.4.43
[37]:
Ibid., 5. 1. 5.1
[38]:
cf.,… samrādvājapeyena/ Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa , 5. 1.1.13
[39]:
[40]:
Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14.2. 27–29
[41]:
Ibid., 14.4.47
[42]:
Karka on Kātyāyana Śrautasūtra , 14.4. 47