Written by London Swaminathan

 

Date: 1 October 2017

 

Time uploaded in London- 15-33 pm

 

Post No. 4262

Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks.

 

 

Please read my articles posted in the past few days on the same topic if you need more background information about Purushamedha and Sunaschepa anecdote

 

Pursuhamedha Yajnam, Human Sacrifice, never happened in Hindu India. Sunschepa episode in Aitareya Brahmana showed that Hindus never tolerated such barbaric acts. There were always revolutionary leaders like he great Viswamitra to revolt against such acts. Even in the Vedic literature King Harichandra only tried it and failed miserably. We have a long list of kings before Harichndra and longer list of kings after him. No such custom or actual incident is reported.

But the most interesting thing is there is a big chapter detailing this fire sacrifice. This shows that all the yajnas were symbolic and they mean actually different things. The seers themselves repeat the phrase, ‘Gods love the mystic or mysterious”. So they show that all the 179 jobs are necessary to run life successfully. The victims list makes very interesting reading. There is eve astronomer. And the first person thrown into the fire was a Brahmin!

 

This clearly shows that the message is not burning the people, but making them part of the functional society. Without them the society is not complete. Foreigners who wanted to show Hinduism in bad light tried their best to use this sacrifice, but in vain.

 

Satapata Brahmna (of Yajur Veda) and the Aitareya Brahmana (of the rig Veda) give a detailed description of the rite.

 

If you read the full list you would yourself know that it is symbolic.

Here is the list of 179 victims and to which god they were ‘’sacrificed’’ from the Taittiriya Brahmna:–

 

1.To the divinity of Brahman caste a Brahmin should be sacrificed (‘alabhate)

After this only the God and the victim are mentioned without the verb ‘sacrificed’

 

2. To the divinity of Kshatriya caste a kshatriya (king or warrior)

 

3.To the Maruts, a Vaisya (business man)

4. To the Tapas (presiding deity of penance), a Shudra
5. To the Tamas (divinity of darkness) a thief
6. To naraka (hell), a Virahana, one who blows out sacrificial fire.
7. To Papman (divinity of sin), a hermaphrodite (a eunuch.
8. To Akrayi ( divinity of commerce), an Ayogu (one who acts against the ordinances of Satras

9.To Kama (divinity of Love, a courtesan).

10. To Atikrushtha, a Magadha (the son of a Vaisya by a Kshatria woman)

(Mixed marriages were encouraged!!)

11. To Gita (divinity of Music), a Suta or a musician.

(Vedic society had great number of music lovers and singers. They were a happy group who enjoyed dance and music)

12. To Nritta (Divinity of Dancing),one who lends his wife to another ( a cuckold)

13.To Dharma (righteous behaviour), one who frequents assemblies and preaches preaches morality.

14. To Narma, the Divinity of Humour), a wit

 

15.To Narishta, a coward.

16. To Hasa ( the divinity of Laughter), a person of ambling gait.

 

(So it is not a nomadic, pastoral, uncivilised community; Foreigners contradict themselves)

 

17. To Ananda (the divinity of delight), a favourite of  women
18. To Pramada (the divinity of Joy, the son of an unmarried woman

 

19. To Medha, (the Goddess of Intelligence), a coach builder
20. To Dhairya (the divinity of Patience), a carpenter.

21To Srama (divinity of labour), the son of a  potter

22.To Maya (divinity who delights in Art), a blacksmith

23.To Rupa (the divinity of beauty), a jeweller

24.To the divinity of Prosperity, an agriculturist

25.To Saravyi (divinity of arrows), an arrow-maker

26.To Heti (Goddess of arms), a bow-maker

27.To Karma (divinity of art-work), a bow string maker

28.To Dishta, a maker of ropes

29.To Mrtyu (the divinity of death), a hunter

30.To Antaka (the divinity of murder), aperson delighting in hunting with dogs

 

31.To Sandha (Divinity of assignation), a person given to adultery

32.To Geha (the divinity of homesteads), one who live in concubinage

33.To Nirriti (the goddess of mis fortune), one who has married before his elder brother

34.To Atri (the goddess of pain), one who wishes to marry before his elder brother

35.To Aradhi (divinity who causes obstruction to enterprise), , one who has married a widow

 

36.To Pavitra (divinity of purity), a Doctor/physician

37.To Prajnana (divinity of Time), an Astronomer

38.To Niskriti (goddess of success), the wife of a goldsmith

39.To Bala (Divinity of strength), a girl who is forcibly taken and kept as a concubine for food and raiment, but no pay

40.To Vrana (the Divinity of colours), one who works for the sake of another, not for himself.

 

My comments:–

 

Max Mullers and Caldwells and Marxists looked like Pukka Idiots before this list. They described this list silly, ridiculous, childish, and from nomads, pastoral, migrants.

But all these items show they were high ranking thinkers, they have doctors, astronomers, engineers and agriculturists in the list. They knew if they publish this list which belongs to 1000 BCE or before they will become the laughing stock. So they did not make the list very popular. Anyone who reads between the lines will know how thoughtful they were about the society, the works and the professionals. There is even a person “one who works for the sake of another, not for himself”, may be a social worker!

 

to be continued…………..