CHAPTER-1
AI^VAMEDHA : A SYMBOLIC SACRIFICE
The Brahadaranyaka Upanisad begins with the description of
the horse of asvamedhci sacrifice. This sacrifice as described in the
Upanisad is thoroughly a symbolic one. Why the Upanisad begins
with the symbol of a sacrifice becomes intelligible if only one keeps in
mind that the Upanisad is not an independent treatise; it is integrally
connected with the earlier portions, which thus combined together
form the great tfatapatha Brahmana. It is thus the extension of the
same trend of thought, activity and experience from the Vedic times
with the remarkable shifting of emphasis on one side or the other.
What is the soul to the body is the Upanisad to the Brdhmar\a, One is
the esoteric where as the other is the exoteric. Thus, the Upanisads are
helpful for the understanding of the Vedic wisdom as a whole in its
various phases and dimensions.
The Sacrificial Horse
“Om, The dawn verily is the head of the sacrificial horse. The
sun is his eye, the wind his breath, his widely open mouth is the
universal fire (agni vaisvanara) and year is the self atman of the horse
sacrificial (according to Sankara this word atman here means the
body). Heaven is his back, the atmosphere (middle region) is his belly,
the earth is his footing, the quarters are his sides, the intermediate
28
quarters are his ribs, the seasons are his limbs, the months and half
months are his joints, the days and nights are his feet, the stars are his
bones, the clouds are his flesh, the food in his stomach is the sand, the
rivers his veins, the mountains his lungs and heart, the herbs and trees
are his hair. The rising day is his front half and the setting day is his
hinder portion. When he stretches himself it is lightning, when he
shakes it thunders, when he urinates it rains. Speech, indeed, is his
voice.”
“The day is the mahiman ( a gold vessel) before the horse. Its
origin is the eastern ocean. The night appears as the mahiman (a silver
vessel) behind the horse. Its origin is the western ocean. These are the
mahimans (greatness) that appear in the two sides of the horse. As a
haya (horse) it carried the gods, as a vajin (horse) it carried the
gandharvas as arvcm (horse) it carried the demons, and as asva it
carried the men. The sea samudra is verily its tie (or friend), the sea is
also its origin.” 1
This is the grand description of the asva that symbolises the
entire universe. Here, the seer has employed a gigantic imagery with
an unending stretch of imagination combined with strength and
suggestion to represent the whole ranges of existence under an all-
subsuming symbol of a horse. This “Horse”( with capital’H’ in Sri
Aurobindo’s work), as Sri Aurobindo describes, fills the regions with
its being, occupies Time, gallops through space, bears on its speed
men, gods and titans. It is the Horse of the Worlds - and yet the Horse
sacrificial. 2 The principles of time, space and energy, as it is
described, are involved within the ‘Horse’. The dawn (usas) which
symbolises the beginning of awareness and creation is said to be his
head. The cosmic principles such as the sun, wind, fire, heaven and the
29
earth etc., representing various spheres of existence are its limbs.
Year, day and night, etc., representing time are within him. Activities
as shaking, stretching, running, etc. representing energy are involved
within it. The gods, angels, demons and humans, which suggestively
also include other living beings are entirely dependent on it. This is
the great ‘Cosmic Horse’ that sustains and subsumes all whatever is
and can be.
Samudra is said to be the bandhu and yoni of this asva. This
word primarily signifies the sea. It may here signify the vast unbound
✓
Reality from where this horse has come into existence. Sankara
relying upon etymology renders it as paramatmanfromwhere all
beings come into existence (samutpadya dravanti bhutani asmin). The
' /
word bandhu here means bandhana (as rendered by Sankara) or tie or
tie-posts which is befitting for a horse. Brahman, the unbound Reality
is the tie-post of this horse. It is as well its origin. Thus, this horse
seems to signify the manifest form (Prajapati) of the unmanifest
Brahman.
The word asva is derived from the root as which means to
pervade, to grasp or to eat. Thus, the Nirukta derives the word as that
‘who treads the path or eats too much’ (ahrute adhvdnam, mahasano
■5
bhavatlti va). The first meaning fits with this cosmic horse since it
gallops unendingly. The second meaning coincides with the word
aditi, an epithet of Prajapati (in the feminine, to be explained shortly
in this chapter).
However, four possible meaning of the word asva are there.
Firstly it may mean the ordinary horse sacrificed at the alter; secondly
it may mean the ‘Cosmic Horse’ which is one with Prajapati. Thirdly
30
it may signify the individual (limited jTva), who is to be sacrificed in
the unlimited in a symbolic way. Fourthly it may symbolise the sun,
the symbol of horse in the Vedic literature. The first meaning, viz., the
animal, horse to be sacrificed, does not fit to the present context, since
this asvamedha, far from being actual, is a symbolic one, though it
may fit to the performance of the gross sacrifice. But the other three
meanings are quite befitting for the present context.
The Gross and the Symbolic Sacrifice
What was the origin of asvamedha is quite difficult to state with
certainty. It may date back from Rgvedic or even Pre-Vedic period.
Probably it was in practice, in some form or other, in the Rgvedic
time. It is highly probable that the symbolic and esoteric meaning of
this sacrifice was well prevalent at the time of Rgveda (RV) and by no
means was a fancy of the seers of the Upanisad, This is obvious from
the fact that the word “ Yajna” or sacrifice, even in the time of RV, had
a highly symbolic meaning, as it is evident from such hymns as the
Purusa Sukta (RV, 10. 90) where the process of creation is described
as a grand sacrifice.
The asva of RV had a highly symbolic meaning. Im a glowing
description, the seer praises the horse as one given by Yama, yoked by
Trita, first ridden by lndra, held in its rein by Gandharva and
manufactured out of Surya (the sun) by the Fasus4 Explaining a verse
(RV. 1.163.10) Yaska says that a mantra in praise of Aditya can very
well be used for asva as the latter is manufactured out of the sun.5 In
the asya vamiya hymn of RV Samhita the sun is described as a
mighty horse having seven names, carrying a chariot having only one
31
wheel - the chariot which all the worlds rest upon.6 In the iatapatha
Brahmana which elaborately deals with the actual horse sacrifice, the
sacrificial horse is viewed as the sun. The horse is to be left
unobstructed as he is the sun itself. The Brahmana questions, how can
anybody make him return since he is indomitable like the sun. The
Brhadaranyaka, following this line of interpretation, identifies the
very sacrifice itself with the sun.8 From this discussion it is clear that
asvamedha has its origin in the Vedic sun-worship. However, this
sun-worship was not simply a religious act; a highly symbolic
structure with much depth and subtlety had been woven around this.
Whether we accept'the inner spiritual meaning or the gross liturgical
meaning, the solar symbolism pf asvamedha, as it is suggested by the
Vedic seers, is a sine qua non.
This unobstructed movement of the sun and its symbolic
representation as the mighty horse in the Vedic hymns must have
suggested the idea of horse-sacrifice implying the sovereignty of the
performer of the sacrifice. This is the reason why the horse is left to go
round for an entire year and is sacrificed at the end.9 The end of a year
is thus has a symbolic affinity with the offering of the horse at the end,
who is rightly described as having “year” (samvatsara) as his atman
(self or body). With addition to this, the actual sacrifice of the horse
might have also started with man’s greed for the horse’s flesh, a
practice which might have been borrowed from the pre-Vedic periods,
as Prof. S.P. Singh suggested 10 Since it is associated with the idea of
sovereignty, the actual horse-sacrifice in its gross form was being
performed by the sovereigns only and others as the Brahmins and the
sages used to practise it in its symbolic form. Sankara, while
commenting on BU (BU, 1.1.1) says that the imposition of the view of
32
time (kala), regions iloka) and gods (devata) on the sacrificial horse is
to turn it into Prajdpati, since Prajdpati embodies the whole ranges of
existence including time and the gods. This is just like transforming an
idol into Visnu and other deities.11 In the introduction {Sambandha-
bhasya) he says that by either the knowledge of asvamedha or by its
performance one can get its result. He says that those who are not
entitled to perform the sacrifice, since the kings (ksatriya) are only
entitled to perform it, can get its result by knowing it only. Here,
knowing means upasana or meditation. He refers to a line of the
TaittirTya Sambita which alternatively enjoins the knowledge and
performance of the sacrifice.12 Suresvara, explaining the BU, 1.1.1.,
says that when there is the actual horse, his limbs are to be viewed as
time, etc; but in the case where there is no such horse, one has to
imagine himself as the horse . Thus, one has to identify himself with
the cosmic Prajdpati, which alone, independent of any actual
sacrifice, can produce the desired result, i.e. achieving identity with
Cosmic Soul. Suresvara says, “He who knows this that the performer
of the sacrifice, the horse, fire which is to be enkindled, the result of
the sacrifice known as arka, and Death (who is Prajdpati himself) are
one and the same Prajdpati, even though without performing
asvamedha he gets identity with him, knowing as such ‘ I am Death,
the Soul of the sacrifice.”14 Thus, according to the BU, asvamedha is
a sort of meditation (upasana) through which the meditator has to
identify himself with the Cosmic, Prajdpati expressed in the symbol
of a horse and contemplate on him.
33
Creation of Fire
After describing the asva the BU proceeds to delineate the
process through which the sacrificial fire came into existence. For this,
it employs a long complicated symbolism with complexity of words
that always tend to escape any intelligible meaning in the logical
plane. In a symbolic and mythical way it explains the process of
creation, which, like any such trans-rational principle, can only be
grasped intuitively. The first cause of the whole universe is here
termed as ‘Death’, which is again identified with ‘Hunger’. How this
Death or Hunger brought this whole universe into existence is
depicted as a cosmic sacrifice, asvamedha. This chapter follows as a
necessary corollary to the first, which combined with the. former
expresses the mystic significance of this sacrifice.
“In the beginning there was nothing whatsoever. All this was
only covered by Death or Hunger, for Hunger is Death. He created the
mind, thinking ‘May I have a self. He went on worshipping. While
worshipping, from him was produced water. He thought ‘while
worshipping, water (ka) was produced, therefore, the fire (of the
sacrifice) is called arka (arc+ka) This is why arka is called as such.
He gets happiness (ka) who, thus, knows the meaning of arka”. 15
“Death” here signifies the state or the principle that was before
the creation. Creation is a process from the unmanifest to the manifest.
Since death is the ultimate end of all, the Primeval Being before
creation is termed as Death. It is the state of dissolution of all beings,
the unfathomable beyond, lying outside the reach of experience and
reasoning. It is the state which the nasadiya sukta (R.VX.129)
describes as different from both sat and asat, neither real nor unreal,
34
free from both light and darkness. It is the stillness free from all sorts
of movements, a depth which has no end.
This Death is again termed as ‘Hunger’ (asanaya). Hunger is
the tendency that devours everything, puts an end to all. So it is rightly
termed as Hunger. This is also an urge to fulfill, to manifest, for which
the unmanifest ‘Reality’ is properly called Hunger. Thus, these two
appellations “Death” and “Hunger” have the utmost force of
suggestion to signify the unfathomable beyond, which though
incomprehensible is the basis of the manifest world.
According to Sankara, these two words Death and Hunger
signify Hiranyagarbha, the Cosmic-Soul, where all the things of the
world rest in an unmanifest seed form. Since hunger is the
characteristic of the buddhi (mind) Hiranyagarbha who is the first
‘Cosmic Mental’ stage is here signified by this word.16 He, with much
logical subtlety, has refuted the nihilistic theory that only void was
there at first (which need not be discussed in this context). Suresvara,
the writer of Vartika while explaining these words variously, makes it
clear that the same Paramesvara who is described as samudra and the
source of all beings is the same as Death. Brahman which is of the
nature of only knowledge, when endowed with ajhana, becomes
“Death” for any such thing which has a beginning (Janimat or karya),
since all the effects {karya) are dissolved there at last. 17 It is to be
borne in mind that Brahman endowed with ajhana or maya is said to
be the cause of the world, though as it is, it is free from all such
contacts. The impersonal Brahman is thus personified and is termed
Isvara, which, being the source and the end of the world is termed as
Death. Sure&vara also gives maya as an alternative meaning of the
35
word Death, Even then there is no contradiction, as maya is not
independent of Brahman.
Death, designated otherwise as Hunger, created mind and
started worshipping with a view to creating fire which is invariably
needed for sacrifice. This worship of Death resembles tapas of the
Bhavavrtta hymn seen by the seer Aghamarsana of RV, 10. 190.1.
How it was that Death who is God Himself started worshipping?
Whom did he worship? Suresvara says that ‘seeing his own glory’
(vibhuti) is here described as worship in the part of the Lord. From
worship (arcana) was produced water (ka), from which the name arka
is derived. This is why the sacrificial fire which is the result of this
process of worship is known as arka. Here, the word ka which is the
name of water, according to Sankara and Suresvara, stands for all
other mahabhutas, since the creation of water implies that of other
elements subtler than it in conformity with the other Upanisadie
statements (vide, T.U., 2.1 ). The delineation of the process of
creation, according to Suresvara, is secondary (gauna) as the chief
intention is to achieve right knowledge, for which the process of
creation is differently depicted in different Upanisads. He who knows
the secrets of arka gets ka or happiness. The result of such a type of
upasana, based on the apparent similarity of both the words ka
meaning water and ka meaning happiness, is stated here.
/
After stating the origination of water (according to Sankara,
Anandagiri and Suresvara, the non-quintupHeated elements) the
Upanisad proceeds to describe the origination of sacrificial fire. The
froth of water being solidified became earth. Earth being produced, as
it happened, Death was tired. From his body, came out the essence as
illumination (tejorasa). This became fire. This fire is not to be
36
.4
confused with the elemental fire. It is Virat, the first manifest principle
of creation consisting of the entire universe. This Virat is conditioned
by the gross cosmic body, thus termed as agni vaisvanara. The
difference between the stage of Hirnyagarbha and Virat is that the
former is conditioned by the collectivity of the subtle universe, where
as the latter is conditioned by the gross universe. With the creation of
Virat, Prajapati created the sun and the air. Thus, Agni, Aditya and
Vayu form the triad. All these three are the aspects of the same Virat.
This Virat is here designated as Prana. Though this Virat consists of
all the elements, He is designated as Agni probably because of the pre
dominance of fire. Another necessity of this designation is that the
sacrificial fire is to be viewed as identical with him. This is done
through a symbolic parallelism, which is, as such, a chief
characteristic of the Vedic Language.
As the asva (sacrificial horse) is described earlier as pervading
the whole universe, so also Virat is described as subsuming the entire
ranges of existence. The description follows: “His head is the east, his
arms are that and that (here mean the north-east and the south-east).
And His back is the west, his hip-bones are the north-west and the
south-west, His sides are south and north, His back is heaven, His
belly the sky and his chest this earth. He rests on water (the elements
forming the whole universe). He who knows him as resting (pratistha)
on water (the elements) gets glory (pratitisthati) everywhere.” This is
the result of knowing and worshipping the sacrificial fire as the
cosmic-bodied Virat.19 From the above description we come to the
conclusion that the sacrificial fire as well as the sacrificial horse is
regarded as identical with Prajapati, the great Lord of the universe.
With this attitude the sacrificer has to perform this mystic sacrifice.
37
This is a sort of upasana through which the upasaka (worshipper)
casting off his bodily limitations becomes identified with the ‘Cosmic
Fire’ (Virat) and the Lord of creation Prajapati.
Creation of Time
After depicting the Cosmic Fire, in identity with which the
sacrificial fire is to be viewed/ the rsi goes on describing the
origination of time (samvatsara) since time and space are the basis of
all phenomenal transactions. Among these, space is understood within.
the concept of Virat, which is all-pervasive. So, the origination of time
is to be explained.
This ‘Hunger’, this ‘Death’, desired to have a second self or
body (dvitiya ma atma jayeya). Here the word atman, according to
Sankara, means body. Desiring thus, he brought about the union of
speech (vac) with mind (manas). Thereby he conceived time
(samvatsara). The seed (rgt&s) from which the entire creation sprang
up was nothing other than the totality ofjnana, karma and bhavana of
Prajapati This union of mind and speech symbolically means his
contemplation of trayi vidya (Veda), since the word Veda signifies the
eternal knowledge that contains the schematics of the whole universe
in a seed form. Thus he conceived time. Though the act of conception
is peculiar to women only, Prajapati is said to have conceived.' This is
plausible in view of the fact that this is only a symbolic conception.
On the other hand, this first principle of all creation, i.e. Prajapati
though free from all genders, can, as well be conceived in the
feminine, as it is seen from his name Aditi (occuring in the feminine
gender).
38
Sankara takes the word samvatsara (year) to mean time (leala)
at first. Time is an abstract concept. It means that the concept of time
then only came to be. He further identifies it with Virat, since the
latter pervades everything including time. Thus, this creation of time
may even mean the creation of Virat. So, samvatsara also
symbolically expresses Virat. Then, why after the creation of Virat
e
the creation of samvatsara is stated in the Sruti ? The fact is that the
previous passage states the creation of Virat as such, and the present
passage states how was limitation came into existence. So, the present
passage, in addition to the previous one, describes the sankalpa of
Prajapati that made this creation possible. So. Anandagiri, following
Suresvara, says that the passage which describes the creation of
samvatsara only states explicitly the vyapara (activity') that made this
creation possible, since without the intermediate activity (avantara-
vyapara) agency (kartrtva) is not possible. Thus, according to
t - ,
Sankara, Anandagiri and Suresvara, samvatsara or time is the same as
Virat. Otherwise, with the creation of the sun in the previous passage
inclusively with Virat, there was no need to separately state the
creation of time, since time is nothing but a phenomenal appearance
due to the sun. 22 So, the ‘Cosmic Fire’ and ‘Time’ (year) symbolising
the sun are but the expressions of the same ‘Cosmic Being’, ‘ Virat*.
That is why this samvatsara is taken to be the atman (body) of the
horse described earlier.
This is the meaning of the passages of BU referred to above as
t i
interpreted by Sankara. Independent of Sankara’s interpretation, in
their plain meaning, the principles created in succession are apah
(water), pxihivl (earthy agni (fire), aditya (the sun), vayu (air) and
samvatsara (year). And these principles constitute the body of the
39
Cosmic Being. But this list of succession contradicts other statements
of iruti which describes the order of creation of elements as
beginning with akasa and ending with earth.23 It cannot also explain
how agni is created after water and earth. It is also unlikely to describe
the elemental fire as the Cosmic Being pervading the entire quarters of
the universe. So, it seems plausible.to accept Sankara’s interpretation,
according to which, the word apah stands for all the unquintuplicated
elemnts (apanclkrtabhuta) and agni described as all-pervasive is the
same as Virat. The latter principles such as dditya (the sun), vdyu
(the air) and samvatsara including agni stand for the all-pervasive
Virat. This Virat is designated as the ‘Cosmic Fire’ Since he contains
all of them and is the source of all illumination (jnana) and energy
(karma).24 So, this creation of time is the same as the creation of fire,
since both of them symbolise the all-pervasive ‘Cosmic Being’ that
contains all existence, time and energy within him in different levels
with least importance to their succession.
Prajapati as Aditi, the All-devourer
After explaining in detail the birth of the Cosmic Being, the
Virat which is the first creation of Prajapati, the Upanisad proceeds
to describe the creation of other things of the world. Hunger, as it is
implied by the name, tried to devour this son, his first product. And
out of fear, the baby cried with a sound ‘bhan’, and this sound became
speech. Then, Death thought, if he would kill the babe he would get
only a little amount of food. So, he, through the union of vak and
40
mind, created all whatever is there - rks, yajus, samans, chandas,
sacrifices, praja (gods, men, etc.) and the animals. And whatever he
created, he resolved to eat. Because he eats everything therefore he is
known as Aditi (derived from the root ad). This derivation does not
conform to what is given as its meaning in the Nirakta, 4.22 ‘aditir
aduia devamata). He who knows (worships) him as such becomes the
eater of all, since all the things of the world verily become food {anna)
for him (the worshipper).
This depiction of Prajapati as Aditi is one of the finest passages
of the Upanisad. Alike the Vedic hymns (K.V. 1. 89.10, AV. 7.6.1., VS,
25.23) depicting Aditi, this passage is remarkable for its depth of
feeling and height of realization. Prajapati not only creates the whole
universe, he also consumes it all. He is both the eater (attr) and that
which is eaten {anna). Suresvana says, as the creator, he (in the
masculine for Prajapati, for Aditi it should be ‘she’ in the feminine)
creates always and as the eater, he devours them.26 This description of
Aditi resounds the famous mantra of the Taittiriya Brahmana where
the same principle is conceived both as anna and annada (eater) - “I
am the first bom of rta, bom before the gods, the nucleus of
immortality. He who gives me protects me. I am anna (food) and I
devour him who eats food.”27 This mantra also occurs in the TU
where the seer gets delight in his knowledge that he is both the food
• OH
and its eater for which he sings a saman expressing this realization.
It is to be noted that Aditi is not only conceived as the food and
its eater, she is the feminine expression of Prajapati the Great Mother
of gods 29 She is the daughter as well as the mother of Daksa.30 Yaska
trying to solve this riddle says that they are of the same origin, or,
41
being gods they, are of reciprocal birth, having mutually common
characteristics.31 The point is that both Daksa and Aditi, these two
words, express the same Prajapati. The first word, i.e. Daksa may
mean the all capable omnipotent principle as the etymology implies,
and Aditi may mean the vast unbound reality that absorbs him.
Anyhow, it is only the manner of conception that matters. The same
principle is variously described as Prajapati, Hiranyagarbha,
Sutratman, Viral, Daksa, Aditi, Death and Hunger. In fact, Aditi is the
vast unbound Reality that pervades the whole ranges of existence - the
heaven, the middle region, etc., and she is the mother, father, son,
visve deva, the five principles, whatever is bom and birth itself.
From such discussion it is clear why Aditi is said be the eater .of all in
the BU.
He who knows Prajapati as Aditi, the all-devourer, becomes
one with him. So, all that exists becomes his food. He becomes
sarvatman like Prajapati. This is the result of the upasana of
Prajapati as Aditi. ,
Prajapati Becoming Asva
After explaining the significance of the word Aditi the seer now
begins to explain how Prajapati came to be designated as asva and
asvamedha. Though from the very beginning asva is described as one
with Prajapati, how he came to be known as asva is not stated. The
Upanisad, in order to show the derivation of these two words, goes on
42
describing the cosmic sacrifice: “He desired ‘Let me sacrifice with a
more profound sacrifice’. He became tired. He practised tapas. Thus,
from him who was tired and was practising tapas came out glory and
vigour (yaso vrryam). The prana (life-energy) is verily glory and
vigour. When the prana departed his body began to swell (asvat). His
mind (attention) was in his body. He then desired ‘May this body of
mine become fit for sacrifice {medhya) so that I may be embodied
through this’. Then he became as'va, since it swelled {asvat). That
became fit for sacrifice {medhya). This is what is meant by
asvamedha.”
“He who knows this indeed knows the horse-sacrifice. Letting it
free he contemplated on it. After a year he sacrificed it (the horse) to
himself, and offered other animals to the gods. Therefore, the priests,
sacrifice the consecrated horse belonging to Prajapati even now.”34
When prana departed from Prajapati’s body it swelled {asvat);
thus this body without prana is termed as as'va. Here, the derivation
does not conform to the derivation given in the Nirukta (2.27) {asnute
adhvanam). But it fits the present context. The Vedic Language with
its flexibility and multi-dimensional character intends to bring out the
meaning befitting to the context. The real importance, in the
Upanisadic context, is not to find out from which verbal root a word
has been derived, rather it is to find out how much the derivation can
explain the basic intention of the system. Therefore, different
derivations of even the same word is given by the sages, for which
Sayana while commenting on the first verse of RV gives many
alternative derivations of the word agni. This is true in the case of
43
most of the Vedic words. It is necessary that the contextual meaning,
in addition to the derivation, must be kept in mind. So, asva as
explained here as the swollen body of Prajapati well fits the present
context, the intention being the fact that body without prana is not
medhya or fit for sacrifice. It is to be made medhya or sanctified.
Prajapati intent up on his body made it medhya by becoming
himself again asva, which means by entering it again. By this recovery
or re-possession, the desecrated body again became sacred {medhya).
This is what is meant by asvamedha. The significance of this
symbolism is that body without the soul is amedhya. Its sanctity
consists in so far as it is possessed by Prajapati, the soul of all
creation. After consecrating his body, the ‘Cosmic Horse’, Prajapati
sacrificed it to him. In view of this, thq yajnikas (priests of sacrifice)
do even now sacrifice the sanctified horse to Prajapati.
But a person who wants to get identity with Prajapati
{Prajapatyatmabhava) has to perform the esoteric sacrifice, thereby
sacrificing his body to Prajapati as die asva, thus, consecrating his
body with the re-possession of the Cosmic. Here sacrificing the body
means sacrificing the limited body-consciousness (dehatma-bhava);
and becoming aware of his identity with the Cosmic Self
(prajapatyatma-bhava) is what is meant by the re-entering of
Prajapati. After projecting himself as the asva, a wise man, realises
thus - “I, consisting of all gods, thus consecrated, am sacrificed to the
deity (Prajapati) who is verily myself.”37 Thus, the updsaka, through
the performance of asvamedha, sacrificing his microcosmic
limitations, becomejone with the macrocosmic Prajapati.
44
Savita as the consummation of the Cosmic Sacrifice
After describing the inner significance of asvamedha, the
Upanisad proceeds to unfold the mystery of the cosmic sacrifice, its
consummation. Thus runs the text: “He is verily the asvamedha who
is blazing younder (the sun). His body or soul (here atman according
to Sankara, means body) is the year. This fire is arka. All these
regions or worlds (loka) are his body. So these two (fire and the sun)
are arka and asvamedha respectively. These two again are but the
same, one God {Prajapati), Death. He (who knows or worships thus)
conquers further death, death cannot capture him, death becomes his
self, and he becomes one with the gods.”37
This is one of the most sublime and mystical passages of the
BU. Here, the sun itself is described as the asvamedha. He (in the
masculine personified as a deity) illumines the whole world with his
light. He is the outcome of the cosmic sacrifice of Prajapati,
therefore, he is described as the sacrifice itself. Here the act and its
result are viewed as identical. So, Savita is described as asvamedha
itself. Time or year is his body as apart from the sun time has no
•3 o
separate being. This is conspicuous when year (time) is described as
the atman . {body) of the sacrificial horse.39
Fire which is the means {sadhana) of performing sacrifice is
known as arka. Since the result of the sacrifice is accomplished
through the means {sadhana) of fire, he (personified in the masculine)
is to be viewed as the sacrifice itself. This sacrificial fire has the three
worlds as his body as it is stated earlier (BU, 1.2.3), since it is, indeed,
the Cosmic Fire, Virat. Thus, the sacrifice, the fire which is the
45
sadhana (means) of the sacrifice, and the sun which is the sadhya
(result) of the sacrifice are but one, as sacrifice is a process including
both the sadhya and the sadhana (sadhya-sadhana-laksana). So, both
arka (fire) and asvamedha (the sun) are the same one God, Prajdpati,
who himself is the cosmic sacrifice. It is to be noted that the sun is
viewed as the result of the ‘Cosmic Sacrifice’ since it sustains and
preserves the creation of Prajdpati No living being can possibly exist
without the sun. So, it is worthwhile to describe it as the result of the
‘Cosmic Sacrifice’. It is understandable then why the actual horse of
the gross sacrifice is compared with the sun in the Satapatha Brahmans
(XIII.4.2.16),
Both these fire and the sun viewed as the expression of
Prajdpati are one. After dissolution they again become one God, the
Death. It is noteworthy that Anandagiri, while discussing the question
whether the term ‘the sun’ only indicates the material sun or the sun in
which the devatatman (deity) is immanent, makes it clear that the sun
involving immanently God is really the intention of the text.40 It is to
be noted that Prajdpati is said to be immanent in all. Thus, all sorts of
worship are but his worship.
One who knows this or does the upasana of Prajdpati (death)
as such, becomes free from death, since he becomes one with Death.
He further becomes one with the gods as all the gods are, indeed, the
manifestation of one God. Prajdpati Suresvara beautifully puts it:
“Death who is described as possessed of hunger and devourer of all, is
the Self of the knower (he who knows this secret) - the Self that is
free from old age and death. Thus, this bodily death never affects him
since he is Death itself. Dying once, for all (being released from this
46
body) he becomes free from all bondages in the form of Prana (asu-
dehena)”. Prana here means Prajapati. Such a wise man performing
upasana as described here, becomes the undifferentiated Self of all
the gods who are differentiated such as Agni, Varuna, Indra, etc.”41 It
is noteworthy that all the gods are the manifestation of Prajapati and
it is Prajapati who animates them all. Therefore, the knower (the
worshipper) having got identity with him, becomes the Self of all the
gods. Being one with ‘Death’ he becomes free from death. It reminds
one of the Katha Upanisad where Brahman is described as the eater
of death, for whom death (mrtytl) is but a vyanjana (upasecana).42
This age-old truth of conquering death is again reverberated in the
famous Forty Verses on Existence of a great modem Indian seer,
Ramana Maharshi : “Those people, who have intense fear of death
seek as their refuge only the feet of the great Lord (Siva Mrtyuhjaya)
who is without death and birth. Those who are dead to themselves
(free from their limited ego), along with their, adjuncts, will they
harbour thought of death? They are deathless!” (rendering of the
original Tamil verse by T.M.P. Mahadevan)43
Thus, ahamedha is a symbolic sacrifice wherein the sacrificer,
the horse, the fire to be enkindled, and the result thereof which is the
sun symbolising all life, are to be viewed as one Prajapati, ‘Death’ or
‘Hunger’, the all-encomapassing Reality that creates everything out of
itself and dissolves them all within. It is the same as the sarvamedha
yajha depicted in the Satapatha Brahmana, only in a different form,
wherein Prajapati sacrificed himself in all and all in himself, thus,
becoming all whatsoever.44 The worshipper, discovering his identity
with Prajapati alike becomes the Self of all which is the
consummation of life and the sacrifice as Well.”
47
REFERENCE
1. B.U, 1.1.1
2. The Upanisads, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, P.400
3. Nirukta, 2.27
4. R.V., 1.63.2
yamei^dattam trita enamayunag indra enam prathamo adhyatisihat I
gandharvo asya rasandmagrbhnat suradasvam vasavo niratista ll
5. Nirukta, 4.13
6. R.V., 1.164.2
7. Sat. Br., XIII. 4.2.16
8. B.U., 1.2.7
esa ha va asvamedha ya esa tapati
9. Upanisadic Symbolism, P.320
10. Ibid, P.334
11. Sankara’s Comm. On B.U., 1.1.1., P.41 Gita Press Ed.
12. Taittiriya Samhita quoted by Sahkara in his Comm. On B. U., P.37
13. B.U.B.V., 1.1.4
14. Ibid, 1.1.5-6
kartaram asvam agnim ca cityam sarvam prajapatim I
asvamedha-phalam carkam vetti mrtyum yathoditam ll
akartapy asvamedhasya brahmanasceha buddhimdn l
kratvalma mrtyurasmTri iadatmyam so ‘dhigacchati ll
15. B.U., 1.2.1
16. Ibid, P.65
17. B.U.B.V., 1.2.8
18. Ibid, 1.2.46
19. B.U., 1.2.3
20. ® Sankara’s comm, on B.U., P.74,77 Also see B.U.B.V., 1.2.73-76
21. See Anandgari’s
/
Nyayanirnaya on Sankara’s B.U. comm., P.23-24
Also B.U.B.V., il.2.69
22. See the arguments of Nyayanirnaya on B.U., P.24
23. T.U.,2.1
24. B.U.B.V., 1.2.154-157
25. B.U., 1.2.5
26. B.U.B.V., 1.2.193
27. T.B., 2.8.8.1
aham asmi prathamajfi rlasya purvam devebhyo' mrlasya nabhih l
yo ma dadMi sa ideva mavdaham atmam annam adaniam admi ll
28. T.U .,3.10.6
29. R.V., X. 72.5
lam deva anvajdyanta, etc.
48
30. Ibid, X.72.4
31. Nirukta, 11.23
32. Upanisadic Symbolism, P.332
33. R.V., 1.89.10
aditir dyaur aditir antariksam, etc.
34. B.U., 1.2.6-7
35. R.V., 1.1.1
36. Sankara’s comm, on B.U., PP 83-84
37. B.U., 1.2.7
38. Sankara’s Comm, on B.U., P.84
Also see B.U.B.V., 1.2. 221-223
39. B.U., 1.1.1
40. See Anandagiri’s tika on B.U.B.V., 1.2.222-223
41. B.U.B.V, 1.2.225-227
42. K.U., 1.2.25
43. Ramana Maharshi and his Philosophy of Existence, P.28
44. Sat.Br.,Xm. 7.1.1.
Also see Nirukta, 10.27
49
