Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

ON THE FICTITIOUS RITUAL IN THE VEDA Author(s): G. U. Thite Source: Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 77, No. 1/4 (1996), pp. 253257 Published by: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41702176 . Accessed: 20/01/2014 12:12
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ON THE FICTITIOUS RITUAL IN THE VEDA By G. U. Thite The Vedic textshave prescribed numerous sacrifices.It seems thatthe a dynamic, sacrificial institution was not a static phenomenon,it was rather and growingphenomenon. The Rgvedic periodappears to be the changing and codifiedprocreative was not institutionalised period in whichsacrifice The Yajurvedicperiod perly.The ritualwas comparatively simpleand short. of Vedic ritual. In thisperiodthe rituwas theclassicalperiod in the history of fires, Agnihotra,new and full-moon sacrifices, als like establishment and Vjapeya, Rjasuya, Cturmsya-sacrifices otherHaviryajas,Agnistoma, Avamedha etc. came into existence. In this period the ritual was systematically organisedand institutionalised.The next periodnamelythe Smaof Vedic vedic periodcan be describedas the decadentperiod in the history in thisperiod. ratherthanqualitatively ritual. The ritualgrewquantitatively were of ritual. Many new sacrifices in the doctrine There was less progress of the earlierexistand extensions modifications createdbut theyweremostly ing sacrifices only. a questionmay be asked ; how manyof thesesacriIn thisconnection ? In other words: Are all sacrifices fices were actually being performed ? In this realistic ? Or, is it possiblethatsome of them are merelyfictitious in the all is that not the details mentioned made to show an paper attempt are as and that details realistic some should be taken Vedic texts definitely fictitious. take thecase of thelong sacrificial sessions. In a sacrificial Let us first to the even session have undergoconsecration, priests ( See KtyS. 12. 2. sessionsand in sacrificial are considered as sacrificers 15ff. ). Even the priests sacri7f smallest in them 1. The are daksin 12. no gifts ). given ( ) KtySS ( thisand similar sacrificialsessions ficialsessionis of twelvedays. Although be perof thedurationof one yearetc. are not impossibletheyare difficult|to and more formed. Nevertheless longerthe periodthereis morethe difficulty sessionof one thousandyearsis mentionalso. A sacrificial theimpossibility ed by a Smavedic Brhmana text namely Tndya-Mahbrhmana ( 25. 18^ is an impossibility and this Iff.). It is obvious that such a performance but fictitious. session is nothing

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Armats OR1, LXXVll ( PP6 )

Thereare some sacrifices most probably of Smavedic origin called are in TMB ( 16. 12. Iff.) and JB (2. 115ff. mentioned Sdyaskra. They ) and afterwards in latertimesthe rauta-sutrasof otherVedas also deal with thesesacrifices. Thus forexampleBaudhaS (18. 20ff. ), APS ( 22. 2. 6ff. ), 5. and 22. akhS 14. 40ff. 2. 9ff. AvaS 12ff. (9. ), KtySS ( ( ), ) give of thesesacrifices. The mostimportant of thesesacrifices feature description is thatin themall the detailsof ritualare performed on one and the same is This in to other rites like consecration contrast sacrifices where the day. to Agni and Soma etc. are ( dks ), Pravargaand Upasad, animal-sacrifice the Soma-sacrificial done on the days preceding day ( Suty ). Thus at least threedays are requiredto perform the preliminary rites. But in theSdyaskra sacrifices all these details are to be performed on one and the same day dksdi sadyah sarvamkriyate( KtyS 22. 3. 27 ). all Now a question arises as follows: Is it reallypossibleto perform a periodof one day pure and simple? The experience is thesedetailswithin forthe ritualof otherSoma sacrithateven the time technically prescribed fices(like Agnistoma to carryout alt the duties withinthis ) is not sufficient is continued time. Thus eventhe morning-pressing limited upto thenoon,the first the of and the third upto quarter night upto the pressing middaypressing next day morning. Really speakingit should have come to an end by the earliereveningonly. Then ifthe rituals of all the three previous days are on the Soma-sacrificil also performed duy ( Suty ), one can imagine how muchtimeit willrequire. I thinkthatit is not possible at all. I therefore are merely concludethatthe Sdyaskra-scrifices fictitious. No one everperor will be able to perform themliterally formed themliterally. Let us note whichis mentioned in the following thatthe yena sacrifice linesbyme is also of it viz. Isu, Sariidama, a Sdyaskra. So yena and the othermodifications and Vajra also appear to be fictitious sacrifices. Thereare some peculiarVedic sacrifices of Abhicra-type. These sacriof to Sma fices also appear be vedic origin. They are mentionedin the whichbelongs to th Smayeda . Among these sacrigadvimsa-Brhmana of the same type are Isu, fices yena is very famous. The.othersacrifices are described in SadB ( 3. 8. 1-3. Samdama and Vajra. All thesesacrifices is a one-day Soma sacrifice. The othersacrifices 11. 4). yena sacrifice are of yena. But mostof thethings modifications are commonin all thesesacriare of black magical nature and are to be fices. Since all these sacrifices to kill theenemies,some very peculierthings are done in them. performed is that concerning feature of thesesacrifices The moststriking thegifts( daksin ) of them. The cows whichare to be givenshould be nine one-eyed,

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Thite : On theFictitiousRitual in the Veda

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nine lame, nine paralized and nine with defective horns ( APS 22. 4. 24). Moreover,whenthesecows are to be givenother people should prick them with thorns (APS 22. 4. 25). When we take [into considerationhow in timescows weresupposedto be sacred animalsand not to be killed, changing and thusbleedingthe cows could have it is highly doubtful whether pricking been a realisticthing. Similarlybecause yena and similar sacrificeswere condemned by the Mmmsakas ( Mmmssitra 1. 1. 2) no one would like like to performthem. The Mmams-sutra has condemned the sacrifices into form a of that not Vedic do religion. Taking yenaby saying part they musthave thatthissacrifice thiswe may conjecture consideration background been onlyan imaginary sacrifice. The same can be said in connection with theotherblack magical sacrificesviz. Isu, Samdama and Vajra which are of yenaonly. modifications called Gosava is a very The Vedic sacrifice queer sacrifice. It contains some strange practices which possiblyoriginatedin the ritual of primitive is describedin the Tandy a-Mahbrhmana (.11. 3. 1* people. This sacrifice (2.113) and Taittiriya-Brhmana (2. 7. 6. Iff). ff), Jaiminya-Brhmana has to observesome rules( vrata s ). These rulesare mentioned The sacrificer has to behave like a bull. As a partof onlyin JB ( 2. 113 ). The sacrificer he has to unitewithhis mother,sister and any woman of his thisbehaviour own Gotra (family). He should drink water bending himselflow. He he feelsit. All thesethings should answerthe nature'scall wherever appear has a distinct to be a partof animalism. Animalism bearingupon the primirituals. It withfertility is closelyconnected tiveway of thought. Animalism civilized Th of is als foundin the, way penance. practising primitive way one can very well doubt does not accept any incest. Therefore of thinking as a rauta Soma-Yaja. The thissacrifice had everbeen performed whether in JB itself. Thus indicated is these sacrifices in practicaldifficulty peforming in the sacrificer civilized of a the practicaldifficulty JB mentions societyas far as thenature'scall is considered. this sacrifice. He Accordingto JB 2. 113, Janaka desiredto perform asked the Brhmanasabout thedetailslike Daksin and Vratas of thissacrificeetc. Sudaksina, the son of Ksema, said that he would tell about the thissacrifice. Another the Vratas. Then Janaka did not perform storytold he was While Yaudheni. refers to Punyakesa at the same text-place performing the sacrificein the gatheringof people, he had the nature's call. foran old man. An was certainly he said, " This sacrifice Denudinghimself allowed to do this." old man alone an is for should man old this, perform On thebasis of all thisit is possible to conclude that the Gosava sacrifice

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Annals BORI, LXXVII ( 1996 )

mustbe onlya fictitious sacrifice. The primitiveelementsin them do not allow thissacrificeto be performed as a rauta sacrifice. When the institutionof the rauta sacrificewas establishedthe performers wereno more primitive people. In the Avamedhasacrifice to be some obscene rituals are prescribed sacrififor an the is there between .intercourse performed. Thus, example, cial horse and the chiefqueen. The chief-quecn out the having stretched genitalorgan of the horse puts it in herwomb ( B 13. 5. 2. 2, 13. 2. 8. .5 etc. ). At the timeof intercourse thereis an obscene dialogue between the priests and the wives of the sacrificer ). The ( B 13. 2. 9, Iff, TB 3. 9. 7. 1 ff Purusamedha-sacrifice is a modification of Asvamedha-sacrifice.Although in the description of thePurusamdehathereis no directmentionof theintercourseand the obscene dialouge, these things will have to be done because Purusamedha is based upon Avamedhain accordancewiththe rule about d ( archetype Prakf ) and Vikfti ). But this is only a theore( modification tical possibility.These ritualsare impossible to be performed by the civilized have originated in.theprimitive wayof thinking. people. These ritualsmight It is possible thatprimitive have similar thingsbut might performed people of the question is whether in the framework be could performed literally they the rauta sacrificial thereare references institution.Although to theperforrecordsit is highly mances of Avamedha sacrifices in historical questionable whether all the detailswereliterally and completely performed. In all possibilities the inconvenient in a and primitive part musthave been performed manneronly. Thereforeit is more logical to concludethatthe symbolical obscene ritualsin Avamedhaetc. mustbe onlyfictitious. The sacrifices like and are Purusamedha and Sarvamedha which are based upon Avamedha of it also appear to be fictitious. Moreover,humanbeings just modifications used to be murderedin the ritualof the primitive people. But it is only fictitious to say that they were ever killed in rauta ritual. In the rauta Purusamedhaeven on thefictitious level human beings are not to be killed B 15.6.2.12-13; cp. my Sacrifice in the Brhmana-texts,Pune, (cf. 25 1975, p. ff.) Some ritual performed on the Mahvrata day also seemsto be of rite. As a part of theritualson popular origin,and of the natureof fertility and a woman thisday sexual union between a man fromMagadha country of bad behaviourtakes place ( JB 2. 405 ). It is highly questionablewhether of the rauta ritual. in the frame-work such a ritecan be literally performed such thingsare possible or not in Here also the question is not whether theyare possiblein the rauta ritual. The rauta popular ritualbut whether

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ritualwas a collective,culturaleventof a fairlycivilizedpeople. Therefore we may infer thattheperformance of Mahvrataalso was neverdone literally, in the Vedic texts. althoughit is mentioned The Vrtyastoma-sarifices are also of Smavedicoriginand most proto in the bably were never actually performed. The Vrtyas are referred and are glorified Atharvaveda there ( 15thKnda). The Vrtyastoma-sacrificesare mentioned by the Brhmanas belongingto Smaveda only. Later on these sacrificesare mentionedin the rauta-Strasbelongingto other Vedas also. In theSmrtiperiod Vrtyas were consideredto be rather outcastesand probablythosepeople who werenot at all initiated at theirproper age werecalled Vrtyas. In the rauta-Strasthereis no agreement regardthe result of While in these sacrifices. ing (22.4. Ktyycma-rauta-Stra 27-28 ) it is said thatthe performance of the Vrtyastoma is usefulfor comand thusfor being purified, ing out of thestateof Vrtya-hood Apastamba in order are to be performed rauta-Sutra( 22. 5. 4 ) says thatVriya-stomas to be able to be Vrtya. The view of pastambaseems to be logicalbecause like Vrtyastoma, and an hitgni Vrtyacannot perform any Soma-sacrifice to perform sacrifice a Vrtyawho is otherwise can only qualified perform any stoma in case he wantsto be a Vrtya. The Vrtyaway of lifewas a Sariysa to the protypeof life. The ancientthinkershoweverneverpaid attention blem in the performance of Vrtyastomas. That is whyit is considered to be a meansof purification fromtheVrtyaway of life. Therefore artificithey ally and by way of an after-thought suggestedthat Vrtyastomas may be withthe help of profanefires( Vrtyat-uddhiamgraha performed , p. 42). All thesecontradictory however lead to theconclusion thatthe descriptions were never Vrtyastomas actually performed. They were only theoretical sacrifices without any practicalbase. ( For a detaileddiscussionsee mypaper in Sri Venkateswaru on Vrtya-stoma-sacrifices OrientalJournal , University. if. 63 vols. 30-31, p. ) the Vedic textsdealingwiththeVedic ritualwe haveto While studying as menbe verycautiousin accepting any ritualto be a reality. Some rituals tionedabove are likelyto be onlytheoretically but not possible, practically. It willbe too simplistic in theVedic to take for grantedeverything mentioned or historical. Justas in thecase of Purnas, in the case textsto be realistic of ritualtextsalso we have to assume thattherewere some over-enthusiastic in making exaggerations and writing fictitious authors who wereinterested be better to mke use of discretion whilereading the things. It will therefore ritualtexts. 33 [Annals [ BORIJ

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