What is Ashwamedha yajna? (Horse pratha)

 Namaskaar

Another stereotypical claim that exists in the realm of Hinduism is the Aswamedha Yajna(yagya)

Claim:

Harivamsa Purana, Bhavishya Parva 3.5.11-13 "After the passage of some time, king Janamejaya, who offers plenty of tributes (in sacrifices) observed the horse sacrifice as ordained. Devi Vapushtama, the daughter of the king of Kashi, went and slept with the slain horse, according to the ritual as prescribed. Seeing the queen with beautiful limbs, Vsava (Indra) desired her. Entering the body of the dead horse, Indra had intercourse with the queen."

Refute:

The first and foremost mistake here is to interpret the verse 'संविवेशोपगम्याध विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा' as sleeping near dead horse. Well that's not the case. Nilakantha Chaturdhara ji wrote in his commentary संज्ञप्तं मारितं संविवेश तत्समीपे उपविष्टा। - Maharani Vapushtama came to the slained horse and sat near it. The term upavishta means to sit.

If Ashwamedha yajna involved queen having sexual intercourse with the horse, then why did Maharaja Janmajeya become angry when Indra committed adultery with Vapushtama (Urvashi's illusion)? He was anyway worshipping Indra through that yajna. And Ashwa becomes the personification of the deity whom you worship during Ashwamedha. Shri Rama worshipped Bhagavan Rudra रोचयन्ति स्म तं यज्ञं रुद्रस्याराधनं प्रति।। Maharaja Vasu worshipped Bhagavan Mahavishnu through Ashwamedha प्रतीस्ततोऽस्य भगवान् देवदेवः पुरातनः ।।

Similarly, Janmajeya was worshipping Indra but he censured his act saying, "From now onwards, no kshatriya will worship Indradev through Ashwamedha/Vajimedha yajna अद्यप्रभृति देवेन्द्रमजितेन्द्रियमस्थिरम्। क्षत्रिया वाजिमेधेन न यक्ष्यन्तीति।। Maharshi Vishwasu told Janmajeya that Indradeva entered the horse to instigate anger within him - ऐश्वर्येणाश्वमाविश्य देवेन्द्रेणासि रोषितः । Further, he said परामृष्टाप्यसंसक्ता नोपदुष्यन्ति योषितः ।। Chaste women don't lose their chastity by being forcibly touched by other men.

All this explanation was simply unnecessary if bestiality was a part of Ashwamedha yajna.

Claim 2:

तौ सह चतुरः पदः सम् प्र सारयावहै। वृषा वा रेतोधा रेतो दधातु । उत् सक्थ्योर् गृदं धेह्य अजिम् उदञ्जिग्म् अन्व् अज । (तैत्तिरीयसंहिता /काण्डम् ७/प्रपाठकः ४)

ता ऽ उभौ चतुरः पदः सम्प्र सारयाव स्वर्गे लोके प्रोणुवाथां वृषा वाजी रेतोधा रेतो दधातु । उत्सवथ्या ऽ अव गुदं धेहि सम् अजिं चारया वृषन् । (शुक्लयजुर्वेदः /अध्यायः २३)

चतुरः पदः संप्रसारयावहा इति तामध्वर्युरनुमन्त्रयते वृषा वाँ रेतोधा रेतो दधात्विति प्रतिपद्य य श्रासां कृष्णे लक्ष्मणि सर्दिगृदं परावधौदित्यातो ऽयैषा पत्नी गर्हते। (बौधायन श्रौतसूत्र १५/२९)

सञ्ज्ञपयन्ति निरायत्याश्वस्य शिश्नं महिष्युपस्थे निधत्ते वृषा वाजी रेतोधा रेतो दधात्विति मिथुनस्यैव सर्वत्वाय। तयोः शयानयोः अश्वं यजमानोऽभिमेथत्युत्सक्थ्या अव गुदं धेहीति तं न कश्चन प्रत्यभिमेथति नेद्यजमानं प्रतिप्रतिः कश्चिदसदिति ।। (शतपथब्राह्मणम्/काण्डम् १३/अध्यायः ५/ ब्राह्मण २)

We needn't mention any further references because it's the same in all of them as Krishna and Shukla Yajurveda mantras form the base of this yajna. So the claim is that Mahishi or the first wife of the king places horse's phallus into her generative organ. Let's

demystify the actual meaning of these mantras.

Refute:

In वाल्मीकिरामायण गोविंदराजविर्चित भूषणव्याख्या १।१४।३२, it's clearly written - अत्र सूत्रम् "अम्बे अम्बाल्यम्बिके" इति जपन्ती महिष्यश्वमुपसङ्गम्य 'गणानां त्वा गणपतिं हवामहे' इत्यभिमन्त्र्य 'उत्सक्थ्योर्गुदं धेहि' इति प्रजनने प्रजननं सन्निधायोपविशति । Mahishi chants mantras 'गणानां त्वा गणपर्ति हवामहे' and 'उत्सक्थ्योर्गदं चेहि' and sits near the horse (सन्निधाय + उपविशति = सन्निधायोपविशति). There's no bringing penis near the thighs or anything like that.

The previous verse in तैत्तिरीयसंहिता says - सोममाहुर्वृष्णो अश्वस्य रेतः।

- Soma is the semen of virile ashwa. Acharya Bhatta Bhaskaramishra ji wrote in his commentary तस्य वृष्णः अश्वस्य यज्ञस्य रेतः सोममाहुः सर्वस्य बीजं यागद्वारेण वृष्ट्याद्युत्पत्तिहेतुत्वात्। अश्वस्यैव वा वर्षितुः सोमो रेतः सर्वलोकजीवनोदकहेतुभूतसोमसाधनत्वात्। The semen of Ashwa yagya is referred to as Soma, the seed of everything, because it causes rain, etc through yagya. Ashwa rains his semen i.e. Soma, which is the cause of life giving water for this whole universe. Similarly, Sayanacharya ji wrote तथाऽश्वस्य रेतोवदत्यंत सारभूतः सोमः- The actual meaning of Ashwa's semen is Soma.

The mantra वृषावां रेतोथा रेतो दथातु is uttered by Adhvaryu Same is written in the Bhushana commentary of Valmiki Ramayana - वाससाध्वर्युर्महिषीमश्वं च प्रच्छाद्य वृषावां रेतोधा रेतो दधातु' इति जपत्याग्नीध्र ।।

He chants this on behalf of wife and husband asking Ashwa (Prajapati) to place semen virile in husband. Well it is obvious because offspring comes from the union of husband and wife, not horse and wife. That's what Acharya Bhatta Bhaskara Mishra ji wrote तावध्वर्युरभिमन्त्रयते - वां युवयोर्दम्पत्योर्मध्ये वृषा सेक्ता सेचनसमर्थ रेतोधाः रेतसो धाता पतिः रेतो दधातु स्थापयतु। Sayanacharya ji meant the same वां युवर्योमध्ये वृषा सेचकोऽश्वः सिञ्चत्वित्यध्याहारः । Unlike Bhattabhaskara ji he didn't mention the term दम्पत्य in युवर्योमध्ये but it's understood that he referred to wife and husband.

Further, Battabhaskara ji talked about copulation between man (पुंस) and woman (स्त्री) for the mantra about spreading four legs, not horse and woman स्त्रीपुंसयोमैथुनाय सहशयानयोश्चत्वारः पादाः संश्लिष्टाः प्रसारिताश्च भवन्ति ।' And the most controversial part शिश्नं महिष्युपस्थे निधत्ते' has also been stated in the context of husband and wife. Bhattabhaskara ji wrote - महिष्या उपस्थे शेफमाधते । He wrote शेफ instead of शिश्न but context is all that actually matters. 13/195

It doesn't mean that they'll start copulating at the place of yajna before the Adhvaryu Ritwija and other brahmins. The husband, stays with Ritwija and the wife stays with Adhvaryu. It's just about chanting these mantras and staying awake the whole night. Ritwija keeps Yajamana (the king) awake रात्रिमृत्विजो यजमानं जागरयन्ति" इति।

Karpatri ji wrote in his commentary that अञ्जि in 'गुदं थेहि सम् अजिं चारया वृषन्' refers to the union of wife (स्त्री) and husband (पुंस) अञ्जिम् अनति व्यनक्ति पुंस्त्वमित्यञ्जिः पुंस्प्रजननम् तं सञ्चारय स्त्रीप्रजनने सन्निवेशय । Mahidhar bhashya says the same that Ashwa establishes virya in Mahisha through husband - । हे वृषन् सेक्तः अश्व, महिष्या गुदमव गुदोपरि रेतो धेहि वीर्यं धारय। कथं तदाह । अजिं लिङ्ग संचारय। अनक्ति व्यनक्ति पुंस्त्वमित्यज्ञ्जिर्लिङ्गम् । And we read earlier that Adhvaryu chants mantra praying Ashwa (Prajapati) to establish virya in the husband. Now you can relate the current one with the previous explanation. So, it's nowhere related to performing intercourse with a horse but ensuring a good progeny for a king.

Also, there have been Ashwamedha yajnas where horses weren't killed. For example, the Ashwamedha yajna performed Maharaja Uparichara Vasu. Devguru Brihaspati himself was the Hotr of this yajna - बृहस्पतिरुपाध्यायस्तत्र होता बभूव ह।। Several rishis participated in this yajna - धनुषाख्योऽथ रैभ्यश्च अर्वावसुपरावसू। ऋषिर्मोधातिथिश्चैव ताण्ड्यश्चैव महानृषिः। ऋषिः शान्तिर्महाभागस्तथा वेदशिराश्च यः। ऋषिश्रेष्ठश्च कपिलः शालिहोत्रपिता स्मृतः। आद्यः कठस्तैत्तिरिश्च वैशंपायनपूर्वजः। कण्वोऽथ देवहोत्रश्च एते षोडश कीर्तिताः।।

No animal was killed in this yajnaन तत्र पशुघातोऽभूत् स राजैवं स्थितोऽभवत् ॥ Fruits and roots found in the forests were used as offerings for the deities आरण्यकपदोद्धता भागास्तत्रोपकल्पिताः ॥

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