The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c6.s3.4

c6.s3.4

The outcome does not depend anymore on the others, but everything depends on the correct execution of the automatically working ritual. This has led to an excessive development of ritual "science," but nevertheless it was a breakthrough in that it set the individual free from the oppressive bonds of reciprocity which tied him to the others, the rivals. This was achieved through the symbolical and numerical equivalences. Where there was opposition, there is now equivalence. Through the knowledge of the equivalences, the yajamāna not only becomes the cosmic man Prajāpati, but also, like Prajāpati, he assimilates Death. "Death becomes his self," and thus he conquers recurring death (*punarmṛtyu*).⁴³