INDIA. PART II. interpretations al. have fallen into disuse; and during the successive HISTORY OF ages of Buddhism and Brahmanical revival, it must have been virtually abolished as altogether opposed to the enlightened ideas of more civilized times. But still the institution lived in oral tradition, and was so deeply rooted in the memories and minds of the Hindús, that it even yet finds expression in the Mahá Bhárata and Rámáyana, and is frequently referred to in the other sacred books of the Hindús. An interpretation, however, has been generally Brahmanical placed upon the ceremonial, which was wholly un- of the ceremoniknown in primitive times, and which will form the subject of future discussion. In the Mahá Bhárata the Aswamedha is said to have been performed as an atonement for sin; in the Rámáyana it is said to have been performed for the purpose of obtaining a son; whilst in both poems, and in the Puránas generally, the sacrifice is said to have been frequently effected by ancient Bráhman sages for the acquisition of religious merit, and for the attainment of a supernatural power which should render them superior even to the gods.3 interpolations in the tradition of of Yudhish The description of the Aswamedha of Raja Yud- Brahmanical hishthira, as it appears in the Mahá Bhárata, con- the Aswamedha tains distinct references to the old primitive custom thira. of loosening the horse, and fighting every Raja who opposed its progress, which has already been described. At the same time it is loaded with Brahmanical details and mythical references which are entirely at variance with this original idea. These Objections 3 In the Yajur-Veda, which is much later than the Rig-Veda, the sacrifice was performed without any slaughter, the animals being tied to the posts whilst the invocations were being chaunted, and then let loose without injury.-Colebrooke on the Vedas. A legend is preserved in the Maha Bhárata of a similar bloodless Aswamedha having been performed by the sage Vrihaspatí. against eliminating the interpolations. INDIA. PART II. HISTORY OF interpolations however are too closely interwoven with what appears to be the original and authentic tradition, to be altogether eliminated; and moreover are more suggestive and amusing than the ordinary run of Brahmanical additions. Accordingly the legend will be exhibited as it stands in the Mahá Bhárata, although in a greatly abridged form; Three stages in the whole being divided into three distinct narraance of an Aswa- tives, corresponding to the three stages in the performance of an Aswamedha, viz.— the perform medha. 1st, The capture of the horse. 3rd, The sacrifice of the horse. The narrative of the capture, or, in other words, 1st, Narrative of the stealing of the horse, may now be related as follows: the capture of the horse. Melancholy of him to perform Vyása counsels an Aswamedha for the atone ment of his sins. Now after Yudhishthira had been established in the Raj, he again began to grieve very bitterly over the men who had been slain on his account in the great war; and the MaháKrishua advises raja and Krishna tried to arouse him from his sorrow, and sacrifices. Krishna counselled him to perform sacrifices, and to entertain many guests, by which means he might cast aside his melancholy. After this Krishna returned to Dwáraká, when the sage Vyása appeared to Yudhishthira, and advised him to perform an Aswamedha as an atonement for all his sins; and Vyása told him of a place where he might procure abundant treasure for the ceremony; for that in former times when a Raja of Ayodhya had performed the same sacrifice, he had given so much treasure to the Brahmans that they could not carry it all away, and accordingly stored a large quantity in a certain spot in the side of the Himalaya mounYudhishthira's tain, where it still remained. But Raja Yudhishthira refused objections to for many days to send for the treasure, because it belonged to the Brahmans; until at length the sage Vyása explained to him that fire, water, earth, and riches belonged to no one, and might be kept by any one who found them. So after taking a treasure belonging to the Bráhmans. INDIA. PART II. much discourse Raja Yudhishthira determined to perform HISTORY OF the Aswamedha sacrifice, and to send for the treasure of the Brahmans which had been stored in the Himálaya mountain. horse. loosening. inscription. Now it was the rule at Aswamedhas that the horse which Rule of the Aswamedha. was to be sacrificed should be of a pure white colour like Colour of the the moon, with a yellow tail and a black right ear; or the horse might be all of a black colour. The horse was to be Night of the let loose on the fourteenth day after the entrance of the sun into Aries, being the night of the full moon in the month of Choitro; and it was to run loose for a whole year, with a Gold plate with gold plate on its forehead; and on the gold plate was to be inscribed the name of the Raja to whom it belonged, and a proclamation that an army was following the horse, and that all who stopped the horse, or who led him away, would be compelled to accompany the army until the end of the year, and then would be called upon to attend the Aswamedha sacrifice. And Vyása, the sage, also told Yudhishthira that the sacrifice was a very difficult one, inasmuch as no Raja could perform it who had not obtained a perfect control over all his passions. Moreover, Vyása commanded the Raja Necessity for that he must not sleep a single night out of his city through- trol his passions out the entire year; and that he must always sleep on the year. ground, with his wife by his side, and a naked sword between them; and that he must never once put his hand upon her, or the whole merit of the sacrifice would be turned to guilt. Vyása also informed the Raja that a horse bearing all the requisite marks would be found at a very distant city named Badravati. the Raja to con for an entire Bhima offers to Badravati to horse for the go to the city of bring away a Aswamedha. den appearance at the gate of Hastinapur., the palace at When Vyása had thus spoken, Bhíma offered to go to the city of Badravati and bring away the horse; and Yudhishthira gave him permission, but wished that Krishna had been present to counsel him in the matter. Whilst they Krishna's sudwere speaking together word was brought that Krishna was standing at the gate of the palace; saying, that he would not enter a house at the request of a doorkeeper, but only at the invitation of the owner. So Yudhishthira and his Krishna brought brethren went out and saluted Krishna, and brought him and his brethinto the palace, and told him of the Aswamedha sacrifice ren. into the palace INDIA. PART II. Krishna jealous that Bhima should be sent to fetch the horse instead of Arjuna. Krishna's objections to Bhima on the score of his fondness for eating, and his marriage to an Asura wife. HISTORY OF that they were about to perform. Now when Krishna heard that Bhíma had been chosen to go to Badravati, rather than Arjuna, he was somewhat jealous, for Arjuna was his friend and near kinsman. And Krishna said:-"Why send Bhíma to bring away the horse? Surely such a mission is too great for him I am aware that he understands everything connected with eating; but a man can have but a foolish head who is always thinking of his stomach: I know also that he has married a woman of the Asuras, and she will certainly deprive him of any sense he may have remaining: Moreover, it is the rule that if a man marries a woman of inferior rank, or gives himself up to the love of women, or lives in the house of his father-in-law, he may not take any part in the performance of an Aswamedha: Arjuna, on the other hand, is fitted in every way for high deeds." Bhíma replied :— "You say, O Krishna, that he who has a large stomach, and is ever intent upon eating, is without understanding; but who can have a wider stomach than yours in which the whole creation finds a place? You also say that a great eater has no brains; who eats more than you, who devour all the Refers to Krish- rivers, all the demons, and all mankind? Then you object to the daughter that I have the daughter of an Asura living in my house, but Bhima retorts that Krishna's stomach contains the universe. na's marriage of a Bear. Mollifies to Badravati to horse. you have married the daughter of Jámbavat who is a Bear; and is the daughter of a Bear to be preferred to the daughter of an Asura? As to my giving myself up to the love of women, is it not known unto all men that you are in no wise better than me? But let this pass: We are all anxious for your aid in the performance of this Aswamedha; and all my own hopes rest upon you alone." At these words Krishna was mollified, and he gave his Bhima proceeds consent that Bhíma should go to Badravati. And Bhíma bring away the set out with two other warriors, and defeated the Raja of Badravati and brought away the horse. And the Raja resolved to accompany Bhíma to Hastinápur, and attend the Aswamedha of Yudhishthira, and to carry with him all his family and treasures. Now this Raja had a mother who was very old, and she was called his great mother, because she had been his father's head wife; and he was very anxious INDIA. PART II. Obstinate re mother of the Raja to leave the Palace. to take her with him. And the Raja said to her, that as she HISTORY OF was now approaching the end of her days, it would be most proper for her to proceed to the river Ganges and bathe there, and to behold the many holy Rishis and devotees fusal of the old who had taken up their abode there. But his old mother replied: "What is this Ganges water that you are talking about? Have I not a hundred better springs here? I will never quit this house; for if I stir, all the goods and chattels here will be eaten up: My maids and servants will be every day plundering milk, and grain, and butter, and causing me grievous damage; so that when I return I shall find half my property wasted and stolen." And the Raja's mother was very obstinate, and notwithstanding all that could be said, nothing would persuade her to leave the city of Badravati and proceed to Hastinapur. So the Minister advised the old lady carried away by force. Raja to carry her by force, and accordingly a litter was prepared, and the old Rání was placed upon it, and she was carried away, crying very loudly, along with the whole camp to the city of Hastinapur. And when they came nigh unto the city, Bhíma went forward to inform his brother Yudhishthira, who thereupon came out to meet the Raja of Badravati, accompanied by Krishna and all his Chieftains; and Yudhishthira then conducted the Raja and all his party with great ceremony into Hastinápur. Krishna returns to Dwaraká until the night of the loosening of the horse. Now according to the rule of the Aswamedha the horse could not be loosened until the night of the full moon in the month of Choitro. And Krishna returned to his own city, and dwelt there; for there remained many months before the horse could be loosened and the preliminary rites be commenced. And when it only wanted one month to the Trick played by ceremony, Raja Yudhishthira sent Bhíma to Dwáraká to invite Krishna to attend the sacrifice. And Bhíma set off for Dwaraka with all speed, and after some days he reached the city in the evening, and proceeded to the palace of The month Choitro generally corresponds to the latter half of the month of March and the first half of the month of April. The full moon in the month of Choitro would thus often correspond to the full moon at Easter; and this coincidence has given rise to wild conjectures. Krishna upon |