Hindu Administrative Institutions c7.s6.8

c7.s6.8

The *aśvamedha* is reckoned to be the best of sacrifices.² Both the epics bear testimony to the *aśvamedha* sacrifice in practice. King Daśaratha performed it for the birth of a son, and Yudhiṣṭhira to purge himself clean of all sin that could have come to him from the great carnage at Kurukṣetra.³ The *aśvamedha* sacrifice is elaborately described in the thirteenth *kāṇḍa* of the *Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa*. It would appear that the sacrificial horse is let loose to wander through various parts of the empire, but only under a powerful escort. The object of its performance is clearly set forth in the opening lines of this *kāṇḍa*. 'Thereby the gods redeem all sin, yea, even the slaying of a Brahman they thereby redeem; and he who performs the *aśvamedha* redeems all sin, he redeems even the slaying of a Brahman.'⁴ In this one smells an ethical flavour. The great epic shows that it follows tradition exclusively when it declares 'The *aśvamedha* purges one of all evil deeds and acts. By its performance you would undoubtedly be delivered from all sins.¹ The celebration of a world-conquest was often marked by the performance of this sacrifice. The *Atharva Veda*, besides the *Rig Veda Samhita* to which we have already referred, makes mention of the four *yajñas* which can be performed by the Kṣatriyas. These are categorically the *rājasūya*, the *aśvamedha*, the *puruṣamedha* and the *sārvamedha*. These are also found mentioned in the *Mahābhārata*. Here² Vyāsa instructs Yudhiṣṭhira that these four are deserving of performance by a king who aspires to achieve glory here and hereafter. Of these the *puruṣamedha* was not in actual practice though Dr. Hillebrandt takes the opposite view.³ There is no other legend than that of Sunaśchepa described in the *Aitareya Brāhmaṇa*. The *sārvamedha* is again a ritual for universal sovereignty. The consecrated king performs it when he becomes an emperor. It is a ten days' sacrifice, once performed by Viśvakarma Bhuvana with the officiating Ṛtvik Kāśyapa. The constitutional import of this sacrifice seems to be very important. Here we have for the first time the realization of the concept of India as a political and territorial unit.⁴ Here we have the ‘sole ruler’ of all earth bounded by the ocean.⁵