The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c6.s2.4

c6.s2.4

At any rate, it would seem that here lies the crucial point where the development of ritual thought started. The problem before the ancient ritualists was to break through the vicious circle of mutual dependence. They had to find a way permanently to overcome death and secure the continuity of life. The solution that presented itself to them was to short-circuit the bilateral pattern of exchange and reversal by cutting out the other, the rival party. The elimination of the rival brought the cosmic cycle of life and death in one hand; thus the single yajamāna was enabled to deal ritually with death without incurring the risk involved in the ambivalent cooperation with the others.