The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c19.s7.53

c19.s7.53

51. In this respect, it may be significant that among the Nambudiris in Central Kerala, whose remarkable devotion to Vedic śrauta ritual has kept its practice alive till the present day (see above, n. 3), the great landed families do not appear, as a rule, to perform these sacrifices. A traditional explanation has it that such families have performed them in the past up to ninety-nine times; one more time would make them equal to Indra, which would be too dangerous an ambition. One might also say that they have to the extent of the humanly possible left sacrifice behind them. But they help and encourage their lesser brethren to perform śrauta sacrifices among themselves.