The Geography of the Puranas c7.s1.12

c7.s1.12

The cult of sacrifice and hunting economy attached great importance to certain animals—both wild and domestic. 'Paśu' in the Vedic language included man among the five or seven animals fit for sacrifice. Taitt. Saṁh. (IV, 2, 10, 1-4), Vāj. Saṁh. (XIII, 47, 51) and the Atharvaveda (XI, 2, 9) mention five: man, cow, sheep, goat and horse. Atharvaveda (III, 10, 6) adds the ass and the camel to this list and in general provides categories of birds and animals in four verses (Atharvaveda, XI, 2, 24 and 25; XII, 1, 49 and 51) which lay down the pattern of classification of animals including birds, reptiles, insects and worms in later works. The Purāṇas follow this classification and add members to each category, but such additions are incidental and not deliberate. These additions are the direct result of their observation or experience of them in other regions of India.