The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c6.s1.18

c6.s1.18

The same idea seems to underly the prescript that "he who, having accepted many gifts, feels as if he had swallowed poison (*garagīr iva manyeta*) should perform the repeated stoma (*punaḥstoma*)."³⁵ That is, he should in his turn offer a feast. It would seem that this ancient idea is still preserved in the epic, where it is said that through victory over the rival party the "material sacrifice" (*dravyamayo yajñaḥ*) is obtained and that it has to be spent again in sumptuous ceremonies such as the aśvamedha; "this is the everlasting path of fortune" (*śāśvato 'yaṁ bhūtipathaḥ*).³⁶