The Sacrifices of Rajasuya, Vajapeya and Ashvamedha (study)
by Aparna Dhar | 2016 | 61,606 words
This page relates 鈥楽ummary of the Gavamayana sacrifice鈥� of the study dealing with the Sacrifices such as Rajasuya, Vajapeya and Ashvamedha including their ritualistic and monarchial strata with reference to the Shatapatha-Brahmana. These Brahmanas represent a category of ancient Sanskrit texts dealing with ancient Vedic rituals and ceremonies based on the Vedas.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Summary of the 骋补惫腻尘补测补苍补 sacrifice
[Full title: A Brief note on the sacrifices of the 艢atapatha Br膩hma峁嘺 (8): 骋补惫腻尘补测补苍补]
The 骋补惫腻尘补测补苍补 is a sessional sacrifice. It is the model for all Satra type of sacrifices. The word 鈥�骋补惫腻尘补测补苍补鈥� literally means the course or way of the cows i.e. the rays or days. The word 鈥榗ows鈥� means the 膧诲颈迟测补鈥檚 months or days and night[1]. For the execution of the 骋补惫腻尘补测补苍补 sacrifice needs 361 days i.e. near about a whole year. It is divided in to three parts. In the first part it covers 180 days. In the second part it consists of one day known as 痴颈峁惫补苍迟 days. In the third or in the last part it consists of 180 days. The last part is just reverse order of the first part. In the first part it starts with 础迟颈谤腻迟谤补 and ends with 厂惫补谤补蝉腻尘补苍 where as in the last part it starts with 厂惫补谤补蝉腻尘补苍 and ends with 础迟颈谤腻迟谤补.
A table is presented below to clear this idea:
[First six months]
| Names of sacrifices | Number of days |
| 础迟颈谤腻迟谤补 | 1 |
| Ukthya having caturvi峁僺a 峁ａ弓oma | 1 |
| 4 Abhiplabasadaha (4x6) 1 笔峁涐梗峁环测补-sadaha (1x6) |
24 (repeated 5 times) 30x5=150 6 |
| 3 Abhiplabasadaha (3x6) | 18 |
| 1 笔峁涐梗峁环测补-sadaha | 6 |
| Abhijit | 1 |
| 3 厂惫补谤补蝉腻尘补苍 | 3 |
| Total | 180 |
Last six months
| Names of sacrifices | Number of days |
| 痴颈峁惫补苍迟 day; also called 贰办补惫颈峁僺补丑补 | 1 |
| 3 厂惫补谤补蝉腻尘补苍 | 3 |
| Visvajit | 1 |
| 1 笔峁涐梗峁环测补 | 6 |
| 3 Abhiplava (3x6) | 18 |
| 1 笔峁涐梗峁环测补 and 4 Abhiplava repeated four times | 120 |
| 3 Abhiplava (3x6) | 18 |
| 1 骋辞峁ａ弓辞尘补 and 1 膧测耻峁ａ弓辞尘补 | 2 |
| 顿补蝉补谤腻迟谤补 | 10 |
| 惭补丑腻产谤补迟补 | 1 |
| 础迟颈谤腻迟谤补 | 1 |
| Total | 181 |
Grand Total180+181=361
Thus the 骋补惫腻尘补测补苍补 is a satra sacrifice and requires a year for its completion. The ceremonies performed in both the six months are same only with little variation that they are reverse order of the first half.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Mehra, B.S, 艢谤补耻迟补 sacrifice in the Atharvaveda, Sanjay Prakashan, Delhi, 1994, Page no-196.