The start of Aswamedha

Introduction

The horse sacrifice was considered to be the culmination of the establishment of supremacy by a monarch. It tested the wealth, powers and other resources of the king to their limit. The horse was to roam around freely, without getting challenged by any hostile king on the way. That meant that the monarch had to establish himself as the unquestioned emperor over all the lands in the entire vicinity. It also demanded abundance of wealth, needed to entertain all the invited and uninvited guests and for the gifts to be offered to the performing priests, participating Brahmins and to all the guests in general. It also involved lot of man power and organizational resources for conducting the ceremonies successfully.

It has several aspects. The successful completion of expedition with the horse is only a pre-requisite. The religious part is the actual sacrifice. The word, literally, meant killing of the animals and offering the meat to the fire god, ultimately meant to reach various deities like Indra, Varuna and so on. This, the killing aspect, has been contested ever since of scriptures came into existence. This issue is raised later at the end of the sacrifice.

The Scriptures, called the Brahmanas (braahmaNa), that describe various sacrifices are part of the Vedas. The basic texts of the Vedas (Samhitas) are also extensively used.

Not many had accomplished the task even among all the famous kings. Rama of Ramayana fame had successfully conducted one. It was said that Bali was also one among the elite few.

The auspicious start

The news of Arjuna’s successful victory parade had reached Hastinapura. Then, on the auspicious twelfth day (dwaadaSi) of the month of Magha (maagha), on the day of the star Pushyavasu, Yudhishthira asked Bhima to get the platform and the complex of huts (yaagaSaala) built. Bhima, accordingly, organized a team of artisans and masons well versed in the field and went about the task under the supervision of expert Brahmins. The hutments (Saala) were as per the exact measurements prescribed in the scriptures. It had the central platform, several entrances and passages in between.

Within the huts were erected various poles (yoopa), made of the bark of prescribed trees, like Bilva. Several were made of gold as well. They were meant for tying up the animals for the sacrifice.

All around the hutments were the temporary houses for the visiting kings and Brahmins. The ones for the royal guests were as luxurious as palaces, in accordance to their ranks. Various dining places were also built to suit the convenience of the guests. It is said that stores overflowed with all sorts of food materials in abundance.

Yudhishthira went around the place to satitisfy himself that everything was in order.

Soon, the guests started arriving. The Pandavas received them with all cordiality and lead them to the houses earmarked for them. They were offered delicious food and exquisite drinks to their satisfaction. It is said that cooked rice appeared as ‘mountains’, curd as rivers and ghee as deep moats. The guests enjoyed themselves with all merriment .The noises made by them rose to the sky as great roar from the seas.

Before the sacrifice started, scholars got into debates on the scriptures and other fields of sciences to demonstrate their deep knowledge. Valuable gifts were offered to the winners.

Expert drummers beat on the great drums (dundubhi) to herald the commencement of the great horse sacrifice. The sound of the drums reached far and wide. The sound attracted large crowds to witness the rituals and the great festivities that accompanied it.

The arrival of Krishna

Krishna had returned to Dwaraka when Arjuna had started on his victory march. He now arrived, lead by Balarama, and leading various Yadava chiefs like Satyaki, Samba (saamba), Gada and Kritavarma. Yudhishthira received them with great warmth. Krishna conveyed the message that his man from Dwaraka had met Arjuna on his return from expedition. Arjuna had sent word to Yudhishthra about the success of his mission and that the king could proceed with all the arrangements for the sacrifice. Arjuna had also sent message that his son, Babhruvahana ,the king of Manipur, was also expected to arrive soon.

The return of Arjuna

Soon, a messenger sent by Arjuna reached the palace. The hero of Pandavas was scheduled to reach Hastinapura in a day or two. All the Pandavas were highly excited hearing the news. Then, on the second day there was a great uproar at the gates of the palce. Arjuna had arrived leading the successful horse in front. He bowed in front of all elders, including Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, Kunti, Vidura, Yudhishthira and Bhima, and embraced his younger brothers and friend, Krishna. It was a tumultuous welcome that was given to Arjuna on his return from another of his successful, but, difficult expeditions.