Chapter 4

The Aswamedha Yajna

When Sumantra told Dasarath about the need to invite RishyaSringa, Dasarath asked him for clarifications.

Sumantra told him that he had earlier astrologically consulted the ancient sage SanatKumara on the issue of progeny of Dasarath. SanathKumara predicted that there would be four sons to Dasarath, but they would not be born before RishyaSringa is brought in into the Kingdom.

This is much like the PA's of politicians and ministers consulting astrologers on the future of their masters. Since Sumantra also had not heard of RishyaSringa, he asked Sanatkumara about his importance and SanatKumara explained who RishyaSringa is and how he became the son-in-law of King of Anga.

Actually, King of Anga, Chitraartha also known as Romapada is a friend of Dasarath. And Shanta is also well known to Dasarath. But Dasarath or Sumantra himself (till he heard it from Sanatkumara) have not heard of Shanta's marriage, till then.

Sage Vibaandaka wanted to grew up his son RishyaSringa flawlessly with full focus on knowledge. To this end he grew him up in a forest in a secluded place where there was only nature all around and no other humans. It can also be said that Vibandaka was using his son for his own experimentation needs and almost grew him up as a specimen in a lab, to test the effectiveness of learning in a solitary environment.

RishyaSringa learnt all the knowledge, rituals and procedures flawlessly without any diversion. He became an expert in carrying out many yajnas. The Asvamedha Yajna, which opens up the knowledge of Universe and Putra-Kameshti Yajna, where a potent solution for increasing human fertility has to be brewed were all learnt by him effortlessly.

That he was all alone helped him to integrate more with nature and learn much more. RishyaSringa also became an expert in identifying ground water, identifying rain clouds, tracking wind patterns and cloud movements.

But he had one shortcoming. His knowledge was more theoretical. Since he never ventured out of the deep forest, he never saw any other human being. Particularly he never met any female human beings.

Sage Vibandaka talked about his son's achievements in these fields proudly to other Rishis, who spread this far and wide.

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Once, Chitaartha had a huge famine and water scarcity in Anga. Water became scarce and rains could not be predicted. His ministers have heard of RishyaSringa and his ability to identify water resources. They planned to disrupt Vibaandaka's experiments and bring his son to Anga to solve their problem.

They were also afraid of Vibaandaka who could cause havoc on them, if he found out their plan.

They hatched a plan, whereby they sent beautiful females into the deep forest to trap RishyaSringa and lure him to the taste of family life.

These females went to RishyaSringa's hamlet and started moving with him. Having never seen any female human forms, RishyaSringa thought they were some gods and worshipped them. He offered them the tubers and fruits that he eats. The comely females offered RishyaSringa some tastiest cooked foods of the land. They also played good music to attract him. Before Vibaandaka arrived, they left his place.

After few days of interactions, RishyaSringa was so enamored by the females that he trekked his way to their place on the outskirts of the forest. From there, they took him to the king.

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Chitraartha married RishyaSringa to his daughter Shantha. There he explained his problems to his son-in-law. Soon RishyaSringa applied his knowledge to solve the water problems. He advised the king and his subjects on what to sow and when to sow based on the cloud patterns and wind movements. He helped the find water from the ground thereby reducing the scarcity of water. Soon it rained and Kingdom of Anga prospered.

Vibaandaka was angry at his experimentation getting disturbed. But he consoled himself that his son has come of age and can decide things on his own.

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Sumantra told Dasarath that RishyaSringa, due to his austere ways of work, was best suited for performing asvamedha yajna and putra-kameshti yajna.

Asvamedha Yajna in particular is a long and difficult Yajna to perform. It is carried out over one year. The King has to almost become like a Brahman and undergo severe penance and perform austerities three times a day like a Brahman. The king and the queen learn the importance of AUM and Gayatri which talk about the evolution of Universe. They also learn upanishads like Brihadaranya Upanishad, which talk about the creation of earth and evolution of intelligent life forms on earth.

This means that the King should have strong people and systems to carry out his rule without least interruption. Kings who are not so strong should not carry it out at all.

Aswamedha actually means intelligence like that of Sun. Aswa indicates Sun and Medha indicate intelligence. It indicates enormous knowledge and intelligence. Aswamedha Yajna is a practice by which that huge knowledge and intelligence is learned by Kings.

Aswat indicates horse. Medhya indicates sacrifice. AswatMedhya, which is horse sacrifice had become synonymous to AswaMedha. Aswat-Medhya is the ritual carried out, while Aswamedha is the content achieved.

This symbolism was being practiced for two reasons. Earth was modeled as a horse in Brihadaranya Upanishad. Hence sacrificing Horse in the fire symbolizes the fact that Earth at some point of time will be sacrificed to sun. This was one reason. This is part of the learning carried out during that one year.

Another reason is to celebrate the end of one year of learning or achievement of Ashwamedha by the King. As the king got revitalized mentally with the knowledge achieved, physically also he and his queens need to be rejuvenated. In those times, they believed that such a physical rejuvenation or revitalization is possible from the omentum of horse.

Omentum is an apron of fat that lies over the intestines in the lower abdomen of the horse. Omentum is a remnant of the embryonic membrane and yolk sac and is extremely rich in nutrients, growth factors and other substances that facilitate blood supply and stimulate growth and healing. This omentum, when extracted and cooked was thought to increase blood flow, as well as stimulate nerves increasing vitality in human beings

But this had to be from horses that are not domesticated. Or atleast the horse need to be grazing on its own for one full year.

Modern science says that the fat cells of omentum known as adipocytes produce hormones called adipokines, excessively during fatty conditions. These hormones help the horse endure environmental harshness by inhibiting insulin, circulating more cortisol in the blood, which allows use of more glucose for brain and less for muscles, thus making them go lean. But in domesticated horses, which are continuously well fed, this mechanism gets spoilt. Hence the need for wild horses.

Also the horse sacrifice is performed in the beginning of Spring, when the naturally fed horse will be lean and healthy and has very minimal omentum. The cortisol in the blood will be already at a minimum and it will be very very minimum, if the horse is sexually aroused.

Dasarath was worried about this Yajna. It could result in huge loss if control is not kept. It could also result in infamy and death if performed wrongly. It is like standing on a razor edge sword. A small imbalance could kill oneself.

Dasarath was in particular worried about the ceremony performed during the night of eve of the Yajna, involving his queens. His entire clan could come to disgrace if that is performed badly. The horse had to be bled to death on the night of the eve of the sacrifice.

The horse had to be sexually aroused, when it is bled to death. Only then, the extraction of omentum benefits. This responsibility to arouse the horse sexually lies with his queens. His queens have to bleed the horse to death with three cuts with three knives and keep sexually arousing the horse all through the night.

This is the most difficult part of the Yajna. That was important, if useful omentum had to be extracted and cooked and if it has to really serve the purpose of revitalizing himself and his queens. The cooked omentum is thought so powerful, that even its smell would rejuvenate him.

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All this simply meant that Dasarath should travel to Anga and bring RishyaSringa with him to lead this Yajna. Also RishyaSringa can perform Putra-Kameshti Yajna in which he will prepare the potent solution that could lead to birth of progeny for Dasarath, apart from the rejuvenation received from the Aswamedha Yajna.

-TBT