HISTORY OF INDIA. Secondly, the Doubtful authenticity of the details. ceremonies. The description of the inauguration of YudhishPART II. thira is very suggestive. Most of the ceremonies are still performed at the installation of modern Rajas; installation of and indeed the Mahá Bhárata is generally regarded as an authority upon the subject. It is, however, difficult to say whether the ceremonies were actually performed in the case of Yudhishthira, or whether they are not to be treated as later interpolations, introduced for the purpose of bringing the old tradition into conformity with modern Brahmanical rites. Apparent origin The enthroning of Yudhishthira with his face towards the east, or sunrise, may probably be a relic of the old worship of the Sun. The introduction of Krishna appears mythical for reasons already stated. The touching of rice, flowers, earth, gold, silver, and jewels seems to be an assertion of sovereignty. The offering of milk, honey, and ghee is Vedic. The sacred shell is an emblem of the god Vishnu. The leaves and twigs of trees, and the pots of water from sacred rivers, appear to belong to some old fetische rites which have been adopted by the Bráhmans. The tiger's skin is a reference to the god Siva, who is generally represented as sitting or lying upon the skin in question. The offering of the homa, and the pouring of the five purifying articles produced from the cow upon the heads of the Raja and Rání, are Brahmanical rites, but of very ancient origin, being connected with the primitive worship of the cow as the giver of milk, butter, and curds. The description of the patience of Yudhishthira, his perfect tranquillity, and his profound respect for the Bráhmans, may perhaps be treated as interpolations of the Brahmanical compilers. The significance, however, of these several rites can only be fully explained by reference to the different religions, and will accord- HISTORY OF ingly be discussed hereafter.1 1 The following description of the ceremonies to be performed at the inauguration of Rajas is taken from the Agni Purána. "A Raja should appoint a family priest and astrologer, wise counsellors, and a Rání possessed of due accomplishments; at the period appointed by the astrologer or upon the death of his predecessor, he should make preparations for his coronation. The person to be crowned should be bathed with Tila (sesimum orientale) and white mustard (that is, with water in which these have been steeped), and the astrologer and Purohita should proclaim his title when he should be seated on an auspicious throne; he should then hold out hopes of prosperity to his subjects, and set prisoners at liberty. Previous to the coronation the family priest should perform the Ain-drísantí, a sacrifice made in honour of Indra to secure prosperity. The Raja should fast the day before the coronation, and on the next offer oblations upon the fire which is upon the altar, attended with the recitation of mantras sacred to Vishnu, Indra, Surya, Viswadeva, and Chandra. This ceremony tends to prolong the life, and is productive of religious merit and prosperity. The golden water-pot called Aparágita, or tending to render one invisible, which is placed on the right side of the sacrificial fire, and receives the remains of the oblations of ghee, should be worshipped with flowers and sandalpaste. Good fortune attends the Raja if the flame turn round to the right, if it appear like pure gold when heated, occasion a sound like that of a number of cars, or of the clouds; when there issues no smoke, but a fragrant vapour, and when it is of the form of a swastika (particular kind of temple, etc.); if the flame be clear and raging, without emitting any sparks; and if no cats, deer, or birds, pass between the fire and the performer of the ceremony. "The Raja should cleanse his head with earth brought from mountain-tops; his two ears with earth from the tops of white ant-hillocks, and his face with that of a Vishnu Maridapa, or a house in which that deity is worshipped. He should cleanse his neck with earth from Indra's temple; his bosom with that from the court-yard of the palace; his right hand with that raised by the tusks of elephants; his left hand with that raised by the horns of bulls; his back with the earth of a tank; his belly with that of a place where two rivers meet; his two sides with that of the two opposite sides of a river; his buttocks with that of the door of a brothel; his thighs with the earth of the spot on which the sacrifice has been performed; his knees with that of a cow-house; his legs with that of a stable; and his feet with that from the wheels of a car. "The Raja being then seated on a splendid throne, his head should be washed with Pancha Gavya (milk, curds, ghee, and the urine and dung of a cow). The four ministers of the Raja belonging to the four classes shall afterwards bathe the Raja, viz. the Brahman with ghee filled in a golden pot, standing on the east side; the Kshatriya with milk filled in a silver pot, standing on the south side; the Vaisya with curds filled in a copper pot, standing on the west side; and the Sudra with water filled in an earthen pot, standing on the north side. An eminent Brahman should then bathe the Raja and Rání with honey; a Brahman, who sings the Sama Veda, should bathe them with water and some kusa grass; and the family priest, having entrusted the preservation of the sacrificial fire to the care of a Sadasya (a bystander, who has to notice and correct mistakes), and repairing to the golden pot in which the remains of the oblations of ghee have been received, should bathe the Raja, repeating the incantations which secure the good INDIA. PART II. INDIA. PART II. HISTORY OF fortune of Rajas. The priest should then return to the altar, and a Brahman, who sings the Yajur Veda, should bathe the Raja with water in a golden pot, having a hundred holes, mixed with Survanshadi and Mahanshadi (certain classes of drugs), ghee, sandal-paste, flowers, the common citron, gems, and kusa grass. The water is to be purified by mixing it with the above articles one by one, attended with the recitation of their respective mantras from the Yajur Veda. A Brahman, who sings the Atharva Veda, should afterwards mark the head and throat of the Raja with the yellow pigment, called Gorachana. "After this a great number of Brahmans having assembled together should place a pot filled with Sarvanshadi (a class of drugs), and water brought from all the Tirtahs (places of pilgrimage), before the Raja, whilst he shall be fanned with the tails of the Bosgrunnies, and music and singing be carried on. The Raja shall behold the pot, a looking-glass, some ghee, and some other fortunate omens. He should then worship Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, and other gods; also the planets and elephants. The Purohita being seated on a bed covered with a tiger's hide, the Raja should present him with a dish of curds and honey, and have his turban bound. The turban of the Raja, seated on a bed covered with the hides of a bull, cat, elephant, lion, and tiger, should then be bound. The door-keeper is to point out to him his ministers, etc. The Raja should offer cars, goats, sheep, houses, and other gifts to his Purohita and the astrologer, and give away various other things to other Brahmans. Having gone round the sacrificial fire, made obeisance to his spiritual tutor, and touched the back of a bull, he is to present his Guru with cows and clothes. Let him then proceed along the main street on a horse or an elephant, attended by his forces, and having circumambulated the city re-enter its limits. He is to entertain all the persons present, and then dismiss them."-Wilson's MSS. in the Library of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. CHAPTER XVI. THE HORSE SACRIFICE OF RAJA YUDHISHTHIRA. INDIA. PART II. an Aswamedha by Yudhish a more importrite than WHEN Yudhishthira was established in the Raj of HISTORY OF Bhárata, he attempted the celebration of a great sacrifice known as the Aswamedha, or sacrifice of a Performance of horse. This extraordinary rite bore some resem- contemplated blance to the Rajasúya sacrifice, which he had al- thira. ready performed when he and his brethren had cleared the jungle of Khándava-prastha and founded the Raj of Indra-prastha. But whilst the Aswamed- The Aswamedha ha seems to have been an assertion of sovereignty the Rajasuya. over conquered Rajas, it was invested with an importance and significance which were wanting in the Rajasúya. Indeed the performance of an Aswamedha was a task of peculiar difficulty, whilst it was the greatest rite that a Raja could perform. By the Rajasúya a Chieftain seems to have asserted his sovereignty over a new and independent Raj. But by the Aswamedha he was popularly supposed by an ignorant and childlike people to have asserted his sovereignty over the whole earth; and by the successful performance of a hundred Aswamedhas, it was implicitly believed that a mortal Raja would overthrow the celestial Raj of Indra, and become at once the ruler of the universe and the sovereign of the gods. HISTORY OF INDIA. Idea involved in The idea involved in this imposing ceremonial PART II. was at once primitive and warlike. An ambitious Raja who desired to establish his supremacy over friends the Aswamedha. and enemies without the formality of declaring war, and without perhaps the danger of encountering a formidable confederacy, would perform an AswamedLoosening of a ha in the following fashion. He would procure a horse, and wars against the Rajas whose territory he might enter. Failure of an Aswamedha if the horse was not recovered. horse of a particular colour, and let it run loose in public with certain ceremonics; and from that day, and for an entire year, the horse would be permitted to wander into whatever territory it pleased, followed by the Raja and his whole army. The wanderings of the horse were thus left entirely to chance, whilst its entrance into a foreign Raj was virtually a challenge to the Raja of that country; for every Raja was bound either to carry away the horse and offer battle, or else to tender his submission by restoring the horse and joining his army to that of the invaders. Moreover, if the Raja who attempted the Aswamedha and followed the horse, failed in any one case to secure the restoration of the animal by the force or terror of his arms, the Aswamedha was brought to an untimely close, and the Raja who had attempted it was disgraced in the eyes of his subjects and neighbours. Grand sacrifice If, on the contrary, he succeeded in reducing to subclose of a suc- mission every Raja who carried away the horse, and thus at the end of the year brought the horse triumphantly home to his own city, the animal would be sacrificed to the gods in the presence of the whole assembly of conquered Rajas; and the Aswamedha would be brought to a close by a grand feast, at which the roasted flesh of the horse would be regarded as the imperial dish. Henceforth the performer of the Aswamedha would be held in the highest honour. and feast at the cessful Aswamedha. Renown of every Raja who performed an Aswamedha. |