The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c6.s1.11

c6.s1.11

Although in the classical system the rival is rigorously excluded from the ritual, we may assume that he was an essential participant in the preclassical ritual. His participation as the antagonist of the yajamāna still shines through in the identification of the sticks (*paridhi*) which are put on three sides of the sacrificial fire. The middle (eastern) one is identified with sacrifice (*yajña*), while the southern and the northern ones are identified with the yajamāna and the rival (*bhrātṛvya*) respectively: the yajamāna and the rival each on one side of and linked together by the sacrifice.²¹ In this way, it becomes understandable that we occasionally still find that the dakṣiṇā is to be given to the rival, recalling the exchanges of food and gifts between gods and asuras. Such is the case in the *sādyaskra* ritual.²²