Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c8.44

c8.44

Even where animals were sacrificed, only a few select parts of the animals were offered as oblations, but not their blood which was given away to demons. Eventually, the sacrifice of animals was replaced by the offering of *Puroḍāśa*, a cake of *vrīhi* or *yava* (rice or barley) and the *Paśu-Yāga* by what was called *Ishti-Yāga*. Similarly, there was a third kind of Vedic or Śrauta sacrifice called *Soma-Yāga* where the juice of the Soma plant symbolized and took the place of the blood of animals, just as *Purodāśa* stood for their flesh.¹