History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c53.s1.16

v3.c53.s1.16

In the Āśvamedhika parva of the Mahābhārata Aśvamedha is described at some length. It is probable that in the epic only the popular elements and a few of the religious rites were emphasized. In chap. 71. 16 Vyāsa tells Yudhiṣṭhira that the Aśvamedha purifies a person of all sins.²⁶⁷⁵ The dīkṣā took place on the full moon of Caitra (72. 4). The sphya, kūrcas and utensils were made of or inlaid with gold (72. 9–10.). The greatest warrior of the day, Arjuna, was appointed to guard the horse during its rambles for a year, and he was asked to avoid battle and carnage as far as possible (72. 23–24). The horse was kṛṣṇasāra (marked with dark spots, 73. 8). Arjuna was accompanied by a pupil of Yājñavalkya and many learned brāhmaṇas (73. 18) for the performance of propitiatory rites (śānti). No indication is given as to the number of soldiers that accompanied Arjuna. The horse is said to have wandered over the whole of India from east to south, then west to north. After many fights with opponents Arjuna meets death at the hands of his son Babhruvāhana, king of Maṇipura, whom he upbraided for meek submission, but is brought back to life by his wife Ulūpī, the Nāga princess (chap. 80). Arjuna spares the lives of the opponents whom he vanquishes and invites them to the sacrifice. The description of the sacrifice follows the general outline given above. But there is hardly any detailed or graphic description of the special features of Aśvamedha and one rather carries the impression that the author does not depict what he has seen but only what he has heard or read. The pravargya (88. 21) and the pressing of soma are mentioned (88. 22). There were six yūpas of bilva, 6 of khadira, two of devadāru and one of śleṣmātaka (88. 27-28). Bull's heads and aquatic animals were built into the fire altar (88. 34). Draupadī was made to lie by the dead horse (89. 2-3). There are several points of difference. The altar is shaped like a Garuḍa (88. 32), the bricks were of gold, and 300 animals were sacrificed. It is said that the vapā of the horse was offered (89. 3), while Āp. (XX. 18. 11) emphatically states that there is no vapā in the case of the horse. Great emphasis is laid on the huge masses of food distributed to all, on the drinking bouts and singing parties and the feeding of the poor and helpless (88. 23, 89. 39-43). Crores of niṣkas were donated to brāhmaṇas and the whole earth to Vyāsa (89. 8-10) who returned it to Yudhiṣṭhira for gold to be given to him and to brāhmaṇas. The Bālakāṇḍa of Rāmāyaṇa (chap. 13-14) contains a more graphic description of the Aśvamedha performed by Daśaratha for securing sons. It expressly refers to the Kalpasūtra (tryaho'śvamedhaḥ saṁkhyātaḥ kalpasūtreṇa brāhmaṇaiḥ).