The Aśvamedha
Author | : Subhash Kak |
Publisher | : Motilal Banarsidass Publishe |
Total Pages | : 88 |
Release | : 2002 |
ISBN-10 | : 8120818776 |
ISBN-13 | : 9788120818774 |
Rating | : 4/5 (76 Downloads) |
Download or read book The Aśvamedha written by Subhash Kak and published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. This book was released on 2002 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the ASVAMEDHA rite and its symbolism to explain distinctive aspects of the Vedic sacrifice system. Several questions related to the Asvamedha are posed and answered in the context of Vedic epistemology. This rite has three important functions: (i) it presents and equivalence of the naksatra year to the heaven, implying that it is rite that celebrates the rebirth of the Sun; (ii) it is symbolic of the conquest of Time by the king, in whose name the rite is performed; and (iii) it is celebration of social harmony achieved by the transcendence of the fundamental conflicts between various sources of power. Numbers from another Vedic rite, the Agnicayana; help in the understanding of several of its details.