The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c6.s3.3

c6.s3.3

The most important point in the Prajāpati-Death contest, however, is that Prajāpati's victory means the elimination of Death as a participant in the ritual; or, rather, by means of the symbolical equivalences his power can be ritually made subservient. By the same token, the rival is excluded from the ritual. In the same way as Death, he can be dealt with ritually, without his active participation. The *Jaiminīya* significantly adds as the conclusion of the story: "Now there is no ritual competition (saṃsava); what was the second sacrifice (of Death), that waned; the sacrifice is only one; Prajāpati alone is the sacrifice."⁴² Prajāpati, the cosmic man and incorporation of the classical ritual doctrine, is the prototype of the single yajamāna, who performs without the intervention of a rival party and for his sole benefit the ritual of cosmic renewal.