Asvamedha Yajna

One of the most confusing aspects of yagna to the modernist is horse sacrifice,(ashwamedha yagna) cow sacrifice
(go medha yagna) and human sacrifice( purusha medha yagna). When seen from superficial point of view[a fact or an
opinion?]
and the western indologist point of view[citation needed], it sounds that the followers of sanatana dharma brutally
killed animals in the name of yagna. But understanding these yagna's for the Rishis gives complete understanding
[clarification needed]
and freed from confusion.
In Taittiriya Brahmana's Ashwamedha prashna, Ashwamedha is the Yajna that helps Rashtramshwamedhah,
(nation-building). This kind of Yajna calls for great atma-samarpana[citation needed]. The horse of the Yagna symbolises
every aspect of the King, his prosperity, his power. It is this aspect of Rajatva (kinghood) that helps the Rashtra to
prosper. Thus, it is this dedication of the King and the citizens that make RashtraVardhana (nation-building)
possible[citation needed].
The "Ashwo vai prajapatih" (Horse Yajna) is done with the motive of bringing all people together.[citation needed]
"सनघघरनयय सहयजतय ! इमगमघ जनतगमघ सनगघरहनननत ||"
"sanghranyeshvayajate ! imagam janatagam sangrahnaniti ||
The Yajnas rooted in the Vedas have profound meaning at all levels (collective, social, personal) and in all aspects
ranging from naimittika Karma to Nitya Karma till Mukti[a fact or an opinion?]. The Yajurveda terms the fight we
undertake for our protection as Dharmic war.[citation needed]Kurukshetra becomes the field of yajna and devatas made
Vishnu into the Yajna[citation needed]. From that Vishnu’s left hand, the bow appears and from the right, arrows. The
Taittiriya aranyaka says this[citation needed]
This is the kshatra Yajna (Kshatriya sacrifice). The bow itself became AUM, the atma became shara (arrow),
Brahman was the destination and when the arrow (atma) becomes one in consciousness of devotion then Moksha
(liberation) is experienced. This is elaborated in the Mundaka Shruti.
It is undeniable fact that no civilization has flourished without the power of warrior class, of course when warrior
class become only brutal then they are less than terrorist.[a fact or an opinion?]. Warrior is not one who knows how to take
someone else's life alone, that is last resort he applied for protection of his country or culture[a fact or an opinion?]. But
kshatriya means who is meant to protect[citation needed].
Kshata means pain or danger and tra and one who frees[citation needed]. Therefore kshatriya means one who frees others
from difficulty. Sri Rama told mother Sita in Ramayana about how is bow stands up hearing the plea of
afflicted[clarification needed]. Therefore, horse sacrifice denotes and symbolizes the dedication of kshatriya or a dharmik
king or a soldier for a dharmik cause[a fact or an opinion?]. Horse and kshatriya are synonymous[citation needed], they symbolize
power and prepared for protection. Protection does not happen without soldiers sacrificing their life and protection
does not happen without using weapon judiciously[a fact or an opinion?]. All the devatas in the Dharmik tradition told
weapons whether be it Shiva or Vishnu, even Devis are not exceptions to this rule[a fact or an opinion?][citation needed].
Abrahamic faith may claim that Jesus did not use weapons, he forgave all but it is not secret that christianity
spread with sword and strength[clarification needed][a fact or an opinion?].
We will find lot of explanation in Mahabharata and Ramayana about different horse sacrifices.
The Yagna being smaller than the smallest and greater than greatest is all-pervading and incomparable[a fact or an
opinion?]
. Even the relationship between man and woman has been described as Yajna[citation needed]. In the modern world,
the relationship between men and women has been reduced to physical attraction[a fact or an opinion?]. Therefore to see
the relationship between man and woman as the Yajna principle, it is important to have a Vedic Darshan
(perspective)[a fact or an opinion?]. From the perspective of Sruti, everything is pure and is Yajna[a fact or an opinion?]. One who
opposes the principle of Yajna is adharmic as they oppose the process of creation, maintenance and destruction as
described in the Vedas[a fact or an opinion?]. Gita enunciates the Sattvic person’s vision from the Vedic perspective.
"बघरहररनमघ बघरह हनवहघ |
बघरहगनन बघरहन हहतमघ बघरहह व तय नघ गनतवय बघरह कमर समनधन || (Gita 4-24)"
"brahmarpanam brahma havih |"
"brahmagnau brahmana hutam brahmaiva ten gantavya brahma karma samadhina || (Gita 4-24)"
Brahman is offering, brahman is oblation, brahman is the havissu (the sanctified Prasadam). Brahman is Agni, the
performer is the Purusha and the results reach the Brahman, this process is termed brahma karma samadhi of
Karmayoga. This is how the Yagna becomes the foundation for Vedanta Darshan.

No scope of errors

Alternate meaning; Ashva means kala or time and medha means purified[citation needed]. The performer of ashvamedha
yajna get purified of all sins committed in any past life[citation needed]. The ashvamedha yajna was a double-edged
sword, in that it could deliver great results and ensure an elevated life for the performer, but it could also prove
disastrous if there were to be single lapse. [1] It was believed that brahma rakshasas attacked and destroyed the
performer as soon as that single error was committed. [1] Brahma raksasas were brahmanas in their previous birth
reborn as demon for sins they had committed in their past lives. [2] Whenever such sacrifices took place, brahma
raksasas would start hovering over the sacrificial arena waiting for a single mistake. [3]

List of performers

There appeared many great kings who performed Ashvamedha Yajna. A few of the them are listed below:
Monarch Dynasty Source
Dynasty of King Raghu ऋषयशघरङ र घ गग रह रसकरतय कमर चकघ ररररनघ वजररभभभ
Maharaja Dasaratha
(Raghuvamsa) अशवमय धय महभयजय रभजजऽसय सह महभतमनभ [4]
अशवमय धशतह नरषटघ वभ तथभ बहहसह वररकहभ
Dynasty of King Raghu
Lord Ramachandra गवभग कजटटयह तग रततवभ नवदरघभयज नवनधरपवरकमघ असग खयय यग धनग
(Raghuvamsa)
रततवभ बघरभहरय भयज महभयशभभ[5]
चरमय रभशवमय धयन यजमभनय यजह षरनतमघ
Maharaja Prthu Dynasty of Kashyapa
वह नयय यजरशह ग सरधरननरजवभह नतरजनहतभ [6]
हतयभ बनलसमभ करषरय रघरहघरभर इव सरघगगहभ
King Purandra (Indra) Dynasty of Kashyapa
आहतर रजऽशवमय धभनभग वर दभनभग रयह ररभसकभ [7]
Somadatta, Son of Dynasty of Dista(son of करशभशवभतसजमरतजऽभपदजऽशवमय धहनरडसरनतमघ
Krshashva Vaivasvata Manu) इषटघ वभ रह ररमभरभगयभग गनतग यजगय शवरभनशघरतभमघ [8]
Dynasty of Nabhaga (son of ईजय ऽशवमय धहरनधयजममशवरग महभनवभपतयजरनचतभङघ गरनकरह भ
Maharaja Ambarish
Vaivasvata Manu) ततह वनर सषठभनसतगनतमभनरनभधरनवनयनभसघरजतमसन सरसवतममघ [9]
Dynasty of Ikshvaku (son of सजऽशवमय धहरयजत सवरवयरसह रभतमकमघ औवजररनरषटयजगय न
Maharaja Sagar
Vaivasvata Manu) हनरमभतमभनममशवरमघ तसयजतसर षटग रशह ग यजय जहभरभशवग रह रनररभ [10]
Ushanaa, Son of तय रभग तह रटघ रघरधभनभनभग रर थहशघरवस आतमजभ
Dynsaty of Yadu
Dharma धमजर नभमजशनभ तसय हयमय धशतसय यभटघ [11]
यभजनयतवभशवमय धहसतग नतघरनभरतमकलरकहभ
Maharaja Yudhisthir Kuru dynasty
तदशभ रभवनग नरकह शतमनयजनरवभतनजतघ [12]
हतयभ बनलसमभ करषरय रघरहघरभर इव सरघगगहभ
Maharaja Parikshit Kuru dynasty
आहतर रजऽशवमय धभनभग वर दभनभग रयह ररभसकभ [7]
Janamejaya (son of कभलरय यग रह रजधभय तह रग तह रगमय धरभटघ
Kuru dynasty
Pariksit) समनतभतरर नथवमग सवभरग नजतवभ यकयनत चभधवरह भ [13]

References

1 - Valmiki Ramayana (valmikiramayan.net) Baala Kanda, Sarga 12, verse 15-19

2 - Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa (Bhagavata-Gita-Mahatmyam) Padma Purana (The Glories of the Bhagavad-gītā)
Chapter 8
3 - Shubha Vilas (Ramayana, The Game of Life) Book 1 : Roar with courage page 34-36
4 - Valmiki Ramayana [1] Baala Kand, sarga 14 verse 2
5 - Valmiki Ramayana [2] Baala Kand, sarga 1 verse 94-95
6 - Bhaktivedanta Vedabase Bhagavata Purana 4.19.11
7 - Bhaktivedanta Vedabase Bhagavata Purana 1.12.25
8 - Bhaktivedanta Vedabase Bhagavata Purana 9.2.35-36
9 - Bhaktivedanta Vedabase Bhagavata Purana 9.4.22
10 - Bhaktivedanta Vedabase Bhagavata Purana 9.8.7
11 - Bhaktivedanta Vedabase Bhagavata Purana 9.23.33
12 - Bhaktivedanta Vedabase Bhagavata Purana 1.8.6
13 - Bhaktivedanta Vedabase Bhagavata Purana 9.22.37