History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c53.s1.2

v3.c53.s1.2

This rite is described in the Śat. Br. XIII. 1-5, Tai. Br. III. 8-9, in which several ancient monarchs are enumerated who performed the Aśvamedha. The Tai. Br. III. 8. 9 identifies the Aśvamedha with the kingdom²⁶⁶⁶ and states 'he, who being weak, offers an Aśvamedha, is indeed thrown away (lit. spilt away). If the enemies (of the king) were to secure the horse, the sacrifice would be destroyed'. The sūtras closely follow the Brāhmaṇas. The Aśvamedha is deemed in the sūtras to be an *ahīna* of three pressing days (Āśv. X. 8. 1, com. on Kāt. XX. 1. 1., Śāṅ. XVI. 1. 2). A paramount sovereign (*sārvabhauma*) or a crowned king who is not a sārvabhauma may perform this sacrifice (Āp. XX. 1. 1, Lāṭ. IX. 10. 17). Āśv. X. 6. 1 states (probably following the Ait. Br. about the Mahābhiṣeka in Rājasūya) that one who desires to secure all objects, to win all victories (including one over his own senses) and to attain all prosperity may perform Aśvamedha.²⁶⁶⁷ A beginning is made on the 8th or 9th of the bright half of Phālguna or on the same days of Jyeṣṭha or Aṣāḍha according to some (Kāt. XX. 1. 2-3, Lāṭ. IX. 9. 6-7). Āp. holds that it should be begun on the Full Moon of Caitra (XX. 1. 4). Rice from four vessels, four *añjalis* and four handfuls is cooked (it is called *brahmaudana*); it is smeared with ghee and given to the four principal priests who are also given one thousand cows each and gold weighing one hundred berries (Kāt. XX. 1. 4-6, Lāṭ. IX. 9. 8). Two *iṣṭis* are performed, the first for Agni Mūrdhanvan and the 2nd for Pūṣan (Āśv. X. 6. 2-5, Kāt. XX. 1. 25). The yajamāna cuts off his hair, pares his nails, brushes the teeth, bathes, puts on new garments, wears a golden ornament (*niṣka*), observes silence. Vide Tai. Br. III. 8. 1 and Āp. XX. 4. 9-14 for these. His four queens well-decked and wearing niṣkas come near the king, the crowned queen accompanied by princesses, the 2nd queen (*vāvāta*, the favourite one) accompanied by daughters of kṣatriyas, the third (*parivṛkti*, the discarded one) accompanied by daughters of sūtas and village headmen and the fourth (*pālāgalī*, of low origin) accompanied by daughters of kṣattṛs (chamberlains) and saṁgrahītṛs.²⁶⁶⁸ The yajamāna enters the fire-hall and sits to the west of the gārhapatya facing the north.