Vice Chancellor, Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed University),

Pune

THE THEORY OF THE SACRIFICE IN THE YAJURVEDA

Authors(s): N. J. Shende
Source: Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute, Vol. 18, TARAPOREWALA
MEMORIAL VOLUME (January 1957), pp. 17-21
Published by: Vice Chancellor, Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute
(Deemed University), Pune
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 THE THEORY OF THE SACRIFICE IN THE YAJURVEDA

By
N. J. Shende, Bombay.

The sacrifice is an old Indo-Iranian, though not Indo-Germanic institution.

Some of the old sacrifices go back, in some form or other in the common Indo-
Iranian period. During the period of the Samhit of the RV, this institution
gradually occupied a very important place in the cultural life of the Aryans. In
the period of the sacrificial literature (the YV and SV), it reached its climax.
The principles involved in the theory of sacrifice supplied a basis to the philosophi-
cal thoughts in the Aranyakas and Upanisads. My object in this paper is to put
forth a general outline of the theory of sacrifice as observed in the YV.

Thorough knowledge of the sacrifice is essential to secure the heavenly world.

If any person attempts to perform a sacrifice without its knowledge, hunger,
thirst, eyil- doers and fiends harras him, even as evil spirits harras foolish men
wandering in the wild forest (SB 12.2.3.12). Thus the acts in the performance of
sacrifice are to be done with full knowledge. The various powers are secured by the
performance of the sacrifices. He who performs Agnihotra eats food in the evening
and in the morning when he comes to the heaven; for, that much is the sustenence
in that sacrifice. The performer of Darsapr amsa sacrifice eats food every
half month; and of the Caturmasya sacrifice, every four months. Finally the
builder of the fire altar in the Cayana sacrifice eats food for hundred years at his
pleasure or abstains from it. Thus, forever he does not eat ; for, hundred years
form an unending and ever-lasting immortality. This immortal life, which is
secured by the performance of a sacrifice is devoid of hunger, the primary
instinct of man (SB 10.1.5.4).

The knowledge of the sacrifice is secured from the three Vedas. In fact,
this three-fold science is the sacrifice (SB 1. 1.4.3). The vedic metres form the
sacrifice (TS 2.4.11). The sacrifice is speech (SB 3.1.4.14). Thus the Vedic lore
brings forth the Yaja and is equal to it.

The sacrifice pervades all beings. All tribes (vis) form the sacrifice. The
origin of all beings is from the sacrifice, hence they are pervaded by the sacrifice
(SB 8.7.3.21). The sacrifice is the self of all beings and gods (SB 14.3.2.1). It
sustains all (visvatodhra, SB 9.2.3.27). It has the one and the highest aim,
the heaven (SB 8.7.4.6). Its blessings are everflowing (SB 8.6.1.19). It is the
happiness (SB 7.3.1.34). It is the devotion (SB. 12.8.1.2). Like the gods it is
invisible. Its influence is felt everywhere; but it is not seen. It is all pervading
(SB 3.1.3.25). It is the navel of the world (SB 13.5.2.21).
T.M.V.-2.

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18 N. J. SHENDE

It is identified with Visu, Prajpati and other great deities. It is Visu

(SB 1.1.2.13). Visu is the lord of the sacrifice (VS 8.22). He is the sun,
inspiring and urging all. He is the sacrifice. Thus the sacrifice inspires and
urges all. It is Prajpati, the lord of the beings and the year. During the course
of the year, production of life completes one turn. The sacrifice is the cause of the
completing of one cycle of the year and the growth of plants and life. It is thus
Prajpati (SB. 11.1.1.1). It is his counter-part (SB 11.1.8.3). It is also Soma.
When the priests press Soma, they kill him, and when they offer him in the
sacrifice they cause him to be born. He is born again, though sacrificed. He
is born moving (Yanjyate). Hence he is called Yaja, but they call Yaja.
Thus the Soma is sacrifice. The Soma stands for the immortal drink. Hence the
sacrifice too is the cause of becoming immortal (SB 3.9.4.23). Agni is the womb
of the sacrifice. When the priests perform a sacrifice they kill it, even as they
kill Soma, when they crush it with mortar and pestle. The juice of Soma forming
the seed of the sacrifice, is poured in Agni, who produces the sacrifice again. The
sacrifice is Vayu, which though one, becomes tenfold when he enters the body of
a man. The sacrifice is the Pra or the vital breath of a person. The Yaja
thus creates, controls and pervades the universe and the man (SB. 11.1.2.3-4).
It is the man. It is for this reason that when he performs (spreads) it, it is made
exactly of the same extent as the man (SB. 1.3.2.1).

It is also identified with tortoise; for, the sacrificial cake assumed its form
when the gods secured the heaven (SB. 1.6.2.3). It is the sacrificial cake,
puroda (VS 1.23).

The head of the sacrifice (Yajasya sirak) is the sun in the sky. The sacrifice
being Visu, its head is the head of Visu. SB (14.1.1.1-33) narrates an interesting
story about this. The gods including Visu, Indra and others were performing
a sacrificial session at Kuruksetra for becoming more glorious, more excellent and
eaters of more food. The gods thought that, who so ever of them through austerity,
fervour, sacrifice and oblation would first encompass the end of the sacrifice should
be the most excellent of them all. Visu performed that feat. So he be-
came the most excellent of the gods. He virtually became the sacrifice
and was unable to control the pride of his glory. Taking his bow with
three arrows, he stepped out, resting his head on the end of the bow. All gods
stood around him, being unable to attack him. Indra at this time saw some ants
moving about. He asked them to gnaw the bowstring of the bow of Visu.
The end of the bow, which was gnawed by the ants struck Visu and cut off his
head, which went in the sky as the sun. The head is the most important part
of the body. The sun thus is the most important part of the sacrifice, as all life
depends on him.

The sacrificial cake is the head of the sacrifice. This cake is made of rice
and barley. Thus there is no killing of the victims in the sacrifice. SB tells an

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 THE THEORY OF THE SACRIFICE IN THE YAJURVEDA 19

interesting account of the evolution of the material offered in the sacrifice. At

first the gods offered man as a victim. After offering, the sacrificial essence
went out of him. It entered the horse. Then it entered into a bull, sheep and
goat one after another. After this the sacrificial essence entered the earth.
The gods searched for it by digging. They found it in the form of rice and barley.
At the end, SB remarks that there is as much efficacy in all those sacrificial animals
used as victims as this oblation has for him who knows this (SB 1.2.3.6-7), It
will be noticed that at the time of SB alternatives for the killing of victims in the
sacrifice were thought of. The purodsa of rice and barley was equivalent to the
offering of a horse, bull, goat or sheep killed in the sacrifice. Even in the most
glorious period of the sacrifice such thoughts as these mentioned above speak of
the spirit of the time. The doctrine of non-killing is not foreign to SB. This
was quite natural taking into account the general humanitarian tendencies of
the civilized man. The killing in the sacrifice was thus spurned, as far as possible.

The sacrifice is power. The priest claims that as he is sharpened by the

Brahman, he can smash all enemies and haters of the sacrificer (VS 11.81-82).

The sacrificer (Yajamna) is the sacrifice itself (TS. 1.7.5). He is the lord of
the sacrifice (SB. 1.1.2.12). He is to be benefited by the performance of the
sacrifice. It is thus fruitful to see how the sacrificer secures the ideal of his life.
When he begins to perform a sacrifice he becomes a divine being. He becomes
Agni himself (SB 6.3.3.21). He is intended to be born in the heavenly world
(SB 7.3.1.12). He is identified with Prajpati, the Purusa, who performed the
primeval sacrifice. In this sacrifice, Time in the form of the year, consisting of
the three seasons takes part. Thus the worldly creation is due to the constant
performance of the universal sacrifice. The offering of the limbs of the Purusa
in the sacrifice from which the whole world emerges forms the microcosmic
representation of the ever-proceeding destruction and creation of the life and
matter in the universe. The lord of the creation is variously named in the Brhma-
as, as Visvakarman. Hiranyagarbha, Purusa, Ka, Vivvasu Gandharva or
Brahmaaspati. This last name formed the basis of the philosophical discussions
after the period of the Brhmaas. This Universal spirit became the cause of
all existence, and the higher philosophical entity i.e., the Brahman (SB 3.1.4.15).
The sacrificer is born afresh, when he offers a sacrifice. He gets a new body. He
becomes a divine being. The sacrifice becomes his body and delivers him from
death. The offerings in the sacrifice lead him to the next world after death(SB
11.2.1.1. ; 11.2.2.5-6). This body after death is made up of the Rc, the Yajus,
the Smans and offerings, He is freed from the mortal body and sins (SB 11.2.6.13).

A person secures from the performance of the sacrifice, food, progeny, fame,
lustre, strength, excellent body, long life, supremacy, truth, faith, joy, rta, immortal
life, absence of diseases, happiness, bliss, pleasing things, milk, honey, ghee,
eating and drinking together, success in agriculture, gold, silver, steel, brass, iron,

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20 N. J. SHENDE

lead, tin, various pulses, grams, and finally the attainment of powerful sense
organs, mind, self, and the Brahman (VS 18.1-29). All gods bestow gifts on him
(TS 1.2.3). He becomes a deified being (TB 2.2.6.4).

The sacrifice thus, became the immortal, omnipotent and omnipresent spirit.
The sacrificer is identified with it. His attainment of the bright body in the world
after his death makes him a liberated being. He is delivered of his previous body
and the sins. It will be seen thus that the YV raised the principle of sacrifice
to the status of the universal creator, destroyer and all pervading Brahman.
From this position the next stage was the Upanisadic Brahman.

The sacrifice became the highest deity. Naturally all things, connected with
its performance became divinities. The altar (dhisa) is a Goddess (TS 1.1.2)
and is Tutha, the all knowing Brahman (VS 5.31). Aj, a she-goat used for purchas-
ing the Soma has the body of penance, and has the complexion of Prajpati.
Gyatri took Aj with her to bring Soma from the gods (VS 4.26 ; TS 1.2.7). The
victims killed in the sacrifice became deities (VS 6.14). A branch of pala tree,
used for driving off the calves from the cows, whose milk was required for the
sacrificial offering, is a deity (TS 1.1.1 ; VS 1.1). It is the Brahman (SB 1.3.3-19).
All implements of the sacrifice such as sruc, sruva, juhu etc., are charged with the
divine power (TS 1.1.10). Ghee falling down in the fire from the ladle is the truth
(TS 1.6.1). The blades of darbha grass used as strainers (pavitras) are Visu
(SB 1.1.3.1). They are the essence of the sacrifice (TS 1.1.2). They are the steeds
of the Maruts (TS 1.1.13). The caldron used for heating milk in the pravargya
rite belongs toMtarivan (SB 1.7.1.11). The grains of rice used for offering are the
body of Agni (SB 1.1.4.8). The cups used for offering oblations are the self-
existing deities (VS 7.3.29). On the two pillars at the eastern gate of the pendal
for keeping offerings, a pole is fixed for suspending a garland of darbha grass
from it. It is called the forehead of Visu. The whole pendal is for Visu (VS
5.21). The sacrificial post (Ypa) is the symbolical ladder for reaching the
heaven. The sacrificer and his wife mount this post. The sacrificer prays that
his life should be filled with vigour, vitality, and full powers of senses. He says,
'We have become the progeny of Prajpati. We have reached the heaven. We
have become immortal" (VS 9.21). The cows used in the sacrifice deserve worship
(VS 3.20). The black ointment used by the sacrificer for his eyes is the pupil of
the eye of Vrtra (TS 1.2.1). When Vrtra was killed his eye was transformed into
a mountain (SB 3.1.3.12). The skin of the black antilope is the skin of Aditi
(TS 1.1.5). The sacrificer takes it as his seat as it symbolises sacrifice. Sacrifice
once escaped from the control of gods and becoming a black antelope wandered
about. The gods found it out. They stripped it of its skin and brought the skin
along with them to be used in the sacrifice. The black and white strips are the
res and smans. The brown and yellow ones are the Yajus (SB 1.1.4.1-2 ; VS 4.0).
This skin is asked to ascend to the eye of the sun and pupil of the eye of Agni,
so that it may see through them, It is shining like these two deities and is borne

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 THE THEORY OF THE SACRIFICE IN THE YAJURVEDA 21

by Etasas, the horses of the sun (VS 4.32). The girdle worn by the sacrificer
belongs to Angirasas. Its knot belongs to Soma (VS 4.10). The black horn used
by him for scratching his body is the birth place of Indra (TS 1.2.2 ; VS 4.10).

The garment of the sacrificer is divine. The woof of this cloth belongs to
Agni and the warp to Vyu, the thrums to the Fathers and the closly woven part
at both end (pragraha) to the snakes and the threads to all-gods, and the meshes
to the asterisms. Thus all deities are concerned therein. SB further explains
the origin of the garment of a man. Originally, man put on the skin, which now
the cow puts on. It was given to the cow by the gods out of sympathy for it.
They gave a man the garment to replace his skin (SB 3.1.2.13-18). The garment
is the body of consecration and penance (VS 4-2). It causes happiness to Visu
(VS 4.10). The staff of the divine Udumbara tree is taken by the sacrificer (TS
1.2.2). The priestly fees (daki) becomes a bird and takes him to the heaven
(TB 2.2.5.6). Gold which is used as daki belongs to all-gods (VS 4.18). The
enclosures of the altar (paridhis) are the Gandharva Visvvasu (TS 1.1.11). The
cart containing the offerings is well joined by the gods (TS 1.1.4). Its axle is
presided over by a deity (TS 1.2.13). The two ends of the axle are well known
among the gods (VS 5.17). The cart is the divine sacrifice (SB 1.1.2.7). The pole
of the cart is agreeable to the gods and belongs to them (SB 1.1.2-12.). The chariot
used in the Vjapeya sacrifice is the thunderbolt of Indra (TS 1.1.7; VS 9.1).

It will be noticed from the description of the sacrifice, sacrificer, and objects
connected with the sacrifice that the sacrifice was raised to the status of the all
pervading and omnipotent spirit, which is named as the Brahman. The evolution
in the material for offerings gives us clearly the ideal before the thinkers of this
time. It is quite reasonable to imagine that this idea of sacrifice itself resulted
into the doctrine of the Brahman and tman in the Upanisadic period, without
any revolt or revolution, but just by the process of evolution.

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