TITLE SUBJECT IS NOT READ UNDER THE WRITE UP well but data-frills are
shown; SO I SHall give the basis of yagna as a part; may be tomorrow he
will abuse hinduism on the basis of google when I shall write the central
point of yagna. What to do? Where Indians and Indian Brahmins do not care
about the RTA and Dharma but call it a day and great, by siding with -my
man -my clan and my party- the Hinduism is being silenced. It is a
wonder people who don't care about national pride and unite to fight are as
good as living, like a beach shell. Anyway I shall write the truth at the
appropriate time. Now to begin with :
Aśvamedha Sacrifice Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa
The Aśv amedha or the horse sacrifice is one of the most ancient and
important religious ceremonies by which the king approved his claim to
suzerainty over his neighbors. It is performed by that ruler whose
strength, power and wealth uphold such an aspirant undertaking. By
performing this sacrifice, the sacrificer extends his empire, increases his
strength and power and achieved success in new enterprises. Actually the
horse is a representative of royal power and domain (Kṣatriya) During
sacrifice, both the horse and the king have to abstain from carnal pleasure
in order to enhance their strength. Anyone who wants to secure the ‘heroic
power’ should perform this sacrifice.By performing this sacrifice, “The
brāhmaṇa becomes a mantra making ṛṣi, the military man a piercing hero, the
Vaiśya a wealthy and successful breeder and farmer, the women became pretty
and faithful, the grain ripened without previous ploughing, there was no
want of food, liquid was everywhere and so on”.
The Aśvamedha sacrifice is regarded as the king of all sacrifices
and the bull of all sacrifices. It is said that Prajāpati gave all the
sacrifices to the Gods but preserved the Aśvamedha for himself. It is a
means of obtaining all desired objects and of attaining all attainments or
success. The Aśvamedha is actually a soma sacrifice with political
significance which aims at the attainment of paramount sovereignty. It is
considered as a victory celebration rite.
The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa has identified the Aśvamedha sacrifice with
Prajāpati. Regarding the results of the Aśvamedha sacrifice the Śatapatha
Brāhmaṇa declares that–“He attains everything who performs the Aśvamedha;
it is the expiation of all crimes; it is the medicine of all”. The ruler
who is not satisfied with rājya or Sāmrājya but to attain unrivalled
paramount sovereignty should perform the Aśvamedha sacrifice. The Śatapatha
Brāhmaṇa calls it a Kṣatriya yajña. It is also mentioned that if any weak
ruler performs this sacrifice he becomes defeated. Hence, the Aśvamedha
sacrifice involved an assertion of power and political authority which a
king of undisputed supremacy should possess.
Before the actual performance of the Aśvamedha sacrifice, the
sacrificial horse which is black in the forehead, white in the back part,
and which has a mark on its forehead is let loose to roam freely over the
whole country for a year. A large number of royal attendants consisting of
various types of fighters go with the horse for its protection. It is the
duty of the attendants to protect the horse from all dangers and calamities
and bring it back uninjured to the sacrificer.
The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa gives a list of the attendants-“a hundred
royal princes clad in armour; a hundred warriors armed with swords, a
hundred sons of heralds and headman bearing quivers fitted with arrows; a
hundred sons of attendants and charioteers bearing staves-and a hundred
exhausted worn out horses amongst which, having let loose that
(sacrificial) horse they guard it. From the list of attendants of the
sacrificial horse it is clear that people from both the nobility and common
men formed the complete force to guard the sacrificial steed. This passage
is very important as it gives us a clear idea regarding the different
classes of fighters and also the names of various missiles, weapons,
armours used in that period. Actually, this large number of attendants as
noted in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa bespeaks the military power of the king.
While roaming if any one seizes the horse, it means that the person stands
in the way of sacrificer’s attaining paramount sovereignty. In such a
situation, the attendants of the horse fight with the person. If they fail
to do so, the sacrificer cannot perform the Aśvamedha sacrifice. While the
horse is roaming the sacrificer performed various homas relating to
different limbs and various functions of the horse. Till the return of the
horse, the sacrificer appoints some Brāhmiṇ and Kṣatriya lyricists who sing
song on the pious and heroic deeds of the king.
In the day time the Brāhmiṇ singers sing the glory of the king
relating charity, sacrifice and acts of piety. In the evening the Kṣatriya
singers will sing his glory relating to his deeds of valour, victory in war
and so on.
After the return of the horse the main sacrifice takes place. The chief
queen Mahiṣī anoints the body of the horse and places a hundred and one
gold coins in its mane and tail At this stage a theological discussion
known as Brahmodya (debate consisting of solution of riddles) takes place
between the superintending priest and the Hotṛ. Another such debate held
before the Sviṣṭakṛt offerings between the sacrificer (Yajamāna) and
Adhvaryu.
In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa it is quoted:
“Verily, the Aśvamedha means royal sway: it is after royal sway that the
horse strives who guards the horse. Those of them who reach the end become
(sharers) the royal sway, but those who do not reach the end are cut off
from royal sway. Wherefore let him who holds royal sway performs the horse
sacrifice”.
The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa records the name of the kings who performed the
horse yagna and they are as follows:—
The priest Indrota Daivapa Saunaka performed the Aśvamedha sacrifice for
King Janamejaya Parikṣita. The king Janamejaya bound for the Gods a black
spotted, grain eating horse, adorned with a golden ornament and with yellow
garlands. Three more kings belonging to the same dynasty viz. Bhimasena,
Ugrasena and Srautasena also performed the horse sacrifice. The Kausalya
king Para Atnara, son of king Atnara, king Purukutsa of Ikṣāku race, the
Ayogava king Maruttara Aviksita, the Pāñcāla king Kraivya, Ddhvasa
Dvaitavana, the king of the Matyas performed the horse sacrifice.
King Bharata Dauhsyanti executed the Aśvamedha sacrifice and attained the
vast territory and wide administration. Near the bank of the river Yamuna,
Bharata binds seventy-eight horses for the sacrifice and fifty five
horses near the Gangā. Thus in total he bound one hundred and thirty three
horses and subdued the whole earth. And there is no competitor against him.
There is a gāthā or laudatory verse attached to it as every king who
performed the horse sacrifice attains paramount sovereignty. One such gāthā
praising the glorious deeds of king Bharata runs thus-once the king Bharata
performed the Aśvamedha sacrifice with a thousand horses and that time
there was no king who preceded him. King Yajñatura of Sviknas, Soma
satrasaha, the Pāñcāla king also performed this sacrifice. We also get the
reference of one king who seized the sacrificial horse loosen by another
king. For example, King Satanika Satrajita seized the white sacrificial
horse of king Dhṛtarāstra in the tenth month of its roaming and performed
the horse sacrifice with that horse.
The Aitareya Brāhmaṇa records the names of various kings who ruled over in
different parts of India. These kings were consecrated with Indra’s great
consecration by their priests.
They are presented below:
• The priest Tura Kāvaṣeya consecrated king Janamejaya, son of Parikṣita
who conquered the earth and performed the Aśvamedha.
• The king Sāryāta Mānava was consecrated by the sage Chyāvana Bhārgava.
• Somaśuṣma, son of Vājaratna anointed king Satanika Satrajita.
• Parvata and Nārada consecrated the king Āmbāṣṭhya and Yudhāṃśrauṣṭi
Augrasenya.
• The king Viśvakarmā Bhauvana was anointed by the sage Kāsyapa.
• Vaisiṣṭha consecrated Sudās Paijāvana.
• Saṃvarta Angirasa consecrated Marutta Aviksita.
• The sage Udamaya Ātreya (i.e. son of Atri) anointed king Anga. The king
Anga donated golden ornaments, a hundred cores of cows and eighty eight
thousand (88,000) white horses to his sage (Udamaya Ātreya).
• The sage Dirghatama consecrated the king Bharata, son of Duṣmanta. This
Bharata king performed one hundred and thirty three (133) horse sacrifices.
These kings performed the Aśvamedha sacrifice after conquering the whole
earth. {TO BE CONTD} K RAJARAM IRS 10626
On Wed, 10 Jun 2026 at 13:05, 'gopala krishnan' via Thatha_Patty <
[email protected]> wrote:
> *ASWAMEDHA YANJA CONDUCTED BY KING YUDHISTIRA-PART 1*
>
> *Introduction*
>
> The Ashwamedha Yagna by Yudhishthira is a monumental event detailed in the
> *Ashvamedhika
> Parva* of the *Mahabharata*.
>
> It was performed *after the Kurukshetra War* to cleanse the Pandavas'
> sins, establish universal sovereignty, and bring peace and prosperity to
> the world under the guidance of Lord Krishna and sage Vyasa.
>
> *Key Events and Stages*
>
> *The Imperial Horse*:
>
> A divine white horse was consecrated and set free to roam across the earth
> for one year.
>
> *The Protector:*
>
> Arjuna was chosen by sage Vyasa to lead a powerful army to follow and
> protect the horse across various kingdoms.
>
> *Subjugation and Alliances*:
>
> Wherever the horse roamed, *the local ruler could either voluntarily
> accept Yudhishthira’s supremacy *or capture the horse, resulting in a
> battle with Arjuna. Yudhishthira instructed Arjuna to seek peace and
> alliances rather than unnecessary bloodshed, *ensuring defeated kings
> were invited to the final sacrifice*.
>
> *Acquiring Wealth:*
>
> Because the *Kuru treasury was empty due to the war*, Krishna and Vyasa
> advised the Pandavas to discover the legendary, *ancient gold hidden by
> King Marutta* in the Himalayan Mountains near Mount Meru to fund the
> massive ritual.
>
> *The Miracle of the Golden Mongoose*
>
> A famous legend from this sacrifice involves *a mongoose with one golden
> half of its body*.
>
> The mongoose arrived at the grand yagna, hoping that the immense scale
> and charity would transform the other half of its body into gold, but it
> failed to do so.
>
> The mongoose spoke, telling the attendees *that the golden luster had
> actually come from a handful of barley flour given in absolute charity by a
> poor Brahmin during a terrible famine*.
>
> The story highlighted to the Pandavas that sincere, humble devotion and
> selflessness carry far more spiritual merit than the opulence of grandiose
> rituals.
>
> *End of sacrifice*
>
> The sacrifice concluded successfully with grand feasts, widespread
> charity, and *Yudhishthira being officially recognized as the universal
> sovereign*.
>
> *Further details of Yudhisthira's aswamedha yanja*
>
> The Ashwamedha Yagna performed by Yudhishthira serves as a profound
> historical transition in the Mahabharata, highlighting how the Pandavas
> rebuilt a war-torn world through both military deterrence and deep
> spiritual reform.
>
> The extensive records in the Ashvamedhika Parva of the Mahabharata
> detail several key dimensions of the ritual.
>
> *The Selection and Launch of the Ritual*
>
> The Sacred Timing: The yagna was officially scheduled to begin on the
> full moon day of the month of Chaitra.
>
> The "Yaga Asva": The sacrificial animal chosen was a magnificent, strong,
> wild black-spotted horse.
>
> The Retinue: Arjuna spearheaded the campaign using his legendary Gandiva
> bow, but he did not go alone. He was accompanied by a massive battalion,
> scores of learned Brahmins appointed by sage Vyasa, and Vrishakethu (the
> son of Karna, whom Arjuna took under his wing after discovering his true
> lineage).
>
> *Arjuna's Major Battles and Challenges*
>
> As per Yudhishthira's explicit orders, *Arjuna was commanded to avoid
> unnecessary killing*. Because the armies he faced were often led by
> vengeful sons of kings killed during the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna primarily
> fought defensive battles, spared lives, and extended invitations to the
> yagna.
>
> Kingdom / Region-Opposing Ruler
>
> *Successors of Jayadratha* Grieving and angry over Jayadratha's death,
> the Sindhu foot-soldiers surrounded Arjuna. *Arjuna refrained from
> destroying them entirely, choosing instead to pacify the kingdom and
> reconcile with Jayadratha's family*.
>
> Pragjyotisha Vajradatta (Son of Bhagadatta)
>
> Vajradatta sought revenge for his elderly father. He fought Arjuna on a
> massive war elephant in a fierce clash lasting three days, but was
> ultimately subdued and pacified.
>
> *Manipura Babruvahana (Arjuna's own son)*
>
> Babruvahana captured the horse to fulfil his duty as a warrior, leading to
> an i*ntense duel where Arjuna was killed by an arrow. He was quickly
> resurrected using the Nagamani (snake-gem) brought by his stepmother,
> Ulupi.*
>
> *MagadhaMeghasandhi (Grandson of Jarasandha)*
>
> M*eghasandhi challenged Arjuna to test Hastinapur's might but was swiftly
> overcome.* Arjuna praised his bravery and invited him to the sacrifice.
>
> *The Modified Ritual Process*
>
> The Vedic Ashwamedha originally featured literal animal sacrifices.
> However, under the direct spiritual guidance of Lord Krishna, *the ritual
> undergone by Yudhishthira was radically reformed into a non-violent,
> symbolic offering*.
>
> The Libation of Ghee:
>
> Instead of sacrificing the horse at the end of the year, a small lock of
> hair was clipped from the horse. This hair was mixed with pure ghee and
> offered into the sacred fires of the Yagna Kunda.
>
> The Manifestation:
>
> Scriptural text notes that the Yagna Purusha (the deity personifying the
> sacrifice) *manifested directly from the flames to bless Yudhishthira and
> his empress Draupadi, *declaring the world healed and unified.
>
> *Global Reconciliation and Grand Feasts*
>
> The culmination of the yagna shifted from a show of political domination
> to a massive humanitarian event.
>
> *The Reconstruction Fund*:
>
> The immense wealth brought back from the Himalayan mining expedition *was
> fully distributed*. Yudhishthira funded the rebuilding of villages,
> provided lifetime stipends to war widows, and constructed thousands of
> traveller rest-houses.
>
> *The Gathering of Kings:*
>
> Dozens of previously hostile kings arrived in Hastinapur as honoured
> guests rather than defeated vassals. They brought jewels and gifts, but
> were greeted with equal honour, *cementing an era of mutual peace*.
>
> *Chief sage guided the Aswamedha Yanja*
>
> The chief sage who envisioned, initiated, and completely guided
> Yudhishthira’s Ashwamedha Yagna was *Sage Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa
> (popularly known as Ved Vyasa).*
>
> *The Roles of the Key Guides*
>
> While Vyasa was the supreme spiritual director, the ritual was executed
> through a distinct hierarchy of spiritual and royal guides:
>
> *Sage Vyasa (The Spiritual Architect):* He actively counselled a
> grief-stricken Yudhishthira following the Kurukshetra war. Vyasa directed
> him to perform the Ashwamedha to absolve his sins, solved the financial
> crisis by pointing him toward King Marutta's hidden golden mountain, and
> personally oversaw the final grand ritual.
>
> *Sage Dhaumya (The Royal Prie*st):
>
> As the official Kula-Guru (chief family priest) of the Pandavas, Sage
> Dhaumya took charge of the daily ritual mechanics. He chanted the
> specific Vedic hymns, consecrated the ceremonial horse, and established the
> sacred sacrificial ground (Yagna Shala).
>
> *Lord Krishna (The Ultimate Mentor):*
>
> While not a Rishi or priest, Krishna provided the structural framework.
> He reiterated core spiritual lessons to Arjuna right before the campaign
> and *advocated for reforming the ritual into a non-violent, symbolic
> offering.*
>
> His involvement can be broken down into five distinct, highly critical
> phases:
>
> *1. The Counselling and Motivation of Yudhishthira*
>
> Following the Kurukshetra War, Yudhishthira was deeply depressed and
> paralyzed by the guilt of causing massive bloodshed.
>
> The Mental Shift:
>
> Krishna, alongside Sage Vyasa, counselled Yudhishthira that mourning
> indefinitely was a disservice to the kingdom.
>
> The Blueprint for Order:
>
> Krishna explained that many kingdoms across Bharatavarsha were currently
> leaderless, unstable, or ruled by corrupt remnants of the war.
>
> *He framing the Ashwamedha Yagna not as an ego trip, but as a mandatory
> duty of Dharma Sthapana* (restoring universal righteousness and political
> order) under a single, just emperor.
>
> *2. Solving the Economic Crisis* (The King Marutta Story)
>
> When Yudhishthira agreed to the yagna, he immediately faced a dead-end: *the
> royal treasury of Hastinapur was entirely depleted from financing the
> 18-day war.*
>
> *The Divine Guide:*
>
> Krishna stepped in with financial intelligence. *He narrated the ancient
> history of King Marutta, who had accumulated an unimaginable mountain of
> gold in the Himalayas near Mount Meru during a past era.*
>
> The Mining Expedition:
>
> Guided by this specific tip, the Pandavas excavated the site, uncovered
> the massive required for the ceremony. caches of gold, and fully funded the
> grand infrastructure
>
> *3. The Anugita (Spiritual Grounding for Arjuna)*
>
> Before launching the military campaign to protect the sacrificial horse,
> Arjuna
> confessed to Krishna that the chaotic noise of the battlefield had caused
> him to forget the deep metaphysical wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita.
>
> *The Secondary Discourse of Bhagavat Geetha* Recognizing that Arjuna
> needed absolute mental clarity to exercise mercy on his campaign, Krishna
> delivered the *Anugita (Subsequent Gita*).
>
> The Core Lesson: While staying at the Indraprastha palace, Krishna used
> allegories, dialogues of ancient sages, and the nature of the soul to
> realign Arjuna’s focus toward detachment, inner yoga, and duty without
> malice.
>
> *4. Resurrecting the Future Heir (The Miracle of Parikshit)*
>
> The most direct act of divine intervention by Krishna during the yagna
> cycle occurred back at the capital.
>
> The Crisis: Ashwatthama had unleashed the devastating Brahmashira weapon
> into the womb of Uttara, targeting the unborn Parikshit (the grandson of
> Arjuna and the sole *surviving heir of the Kuru dynasty).*
>
> *The Resurrection**: Parikshit was born stillborn and completely charred
> by the energy of the weapon. Krishna used the ultimate power of his
> lifelong adherence to truth and righteousness (Satya and Dharma) to
> neutralise the radiation, breathing life back into the infant.*
>
> Saving the child ensured that the Pandavas actually had a lineage left to
> pass the kingdom down to once the Yagna unified the world.
>
> 5. Reforming the Ritual to Non-Violence
>
> Historically, Vedic Ashwamedha yagnas occasionally featured literal,
> violent animal sacrifices.
>
> *The Transmutation*: Krishna, embodying the transition toward a more
> compassionate era, steered the ritual framework away from violence.
>
> The Symbolic Offering: *Under his direct instructions, the physical horse
> was kept entirely safe, unharmed, and venerated. The sacrifice was made
> fully symbolic, using a clipping of its hair mixed with pure herbal ghee to
> feed the sacred sacrificial flames as already told*
>
> *I will continue in next posting*
>
> *Compiled from websites and Google QA and posted by R. Gopalakrishnan,
> (former ITS) on 10-06-2026*
>
>
>
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