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Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies, Vol. 50, No. 2, March 2002
On the Treatment
of the Victims
in the Agnicayana
Atsuko
IZAWA
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the victims and their heads are treated in
the Agnicayana. According to the three Black Yajurveda Samhitas and the Satapatha
Brahmana (SB) 1), in the animal sacrifice of the Agnicayana the five animals including a
human being are offered to the fires. The sacrifices lets the animals go after
circumambu-lation with fire and concludes the rite with one animal for Prajapati. To Vayu of the team
a hornless goat is offered2).
Though one should behead the animal (s) to put the head (s) in the ukha (pot) at the bottom
of the first layer, the three Samhitas do not mention how to obtain, kill and behead the
victims. On the other hand, SB 6.2.1.18-19 talks about an order for killing the victims and
about the rope with which the victims are tied to the sacrificial post. SB 6.2.1.7 mentions
that Prajapati cut off the heads and then let float the remaining trunks on the water.
In order to know the way of obtaining and killing the victims, we need to refer to the
Srauta Sutras (SS) 3). The BSS and the MSS (which belong to the Black Yajurveda) commonly
give instructions to prepare human head of vaisya (or ksatriya) who is accidentally dead,
that is, there is no murder at least for the animal sacrifice4). In contrast, the KSS of the
White Yajurveda says that the human victim should be silenced (killed) in an enclosure,
and he (the Adhvaryu) cuts off the heads by holding a blade of darbha grass between the
throat and the knife (KSS 16.1.14 and 18). KSS 16.1.32-35 says, however, that the Adhvaryu
may optionally obtain the five heads of the five types of animals from some other sources
and preserve them with or without the skins and the brains, and if he were not to get the
actual animal heads he may have them made either of gold or of earth. Note that SB
6.2.1.37-39 rejects these alternatives5).
Though there is no reference to the slaughter, the TS, the KS and the SS of the same
school describe the purification of the human head6), to which SB and KSS do not refer.
The head(s) gained in the animal sacrifice are put in the ukha at the bottom of the first
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On the Treatment of the Victims in the Agnicayana (A. IZAWA)
layer. Its process is as follows7) ;
‡@
He puts down the mortar in the middle. (TS 5.2.8.7 ; KS 20.7)
A span long wooden mortar is to be made. (MS 3.1.10)
He settles the mortar and the pestle. (SB7.5.1.25)
‡A He pounds. (TS 5.2.8.7)
‡B
He places the ukha thereon. (TS 5.2.9.1 ; KS 20.7 ; MS 3.1.10 ; SB 7.5.1.26)
‡C He fills the ukha.
With sand (TS 5.2.9.1).
With sand and clarified butter. (KS 20.7)
With sand, coagulated milk, clarified butter and honey. (MS 3.1.10)
With sand and clarified butter. (SB 7.5.1.32)
‡D
On the (organs of the) breaths he hurls chips of gold. (TS 5.2.9.3)
He throws down gold pieces. He puts (it?) to the ukha and throws them down. (KS 20.8)
He inserts gold pieces into the holes (of the animals' heads). (MS 3.1.10)
He thrusts seven gold chips into each head. If there is one victim, he thrusts seven chips
into this one. (SB 7.5.2.8-12)
‡E
He fills (it) with curds mixed with honey. (TS 5.2.9.3)
‡F
He places man's head in the middle, and paces others on both sides.
(TS 5.2.9.2,5.2.9.3 ; KS 20.8 ; MS 3.1.10 ; SB 7.5.2.1,7.5.2.14-22)
‡G
He offers (clarified butter) upon the man's head. (MS 3.2.8 ; SB 7.5.2.23-27)
As we can see from the above, only the TS mentions ‡A and ‡E. Now let us refer to the
SS again8). The statements of ‡A and ‡E are found in BSS 10.33 and MSS 6.1.7.23,26. It
is important to note that in the several places we can find a case where the topic which the
MSS takes up is not mentioned in the MS. See note 6). Considering that both the MS and
the SB mention ‡G and neither of them talks about the purification of the human head (again
see note 6), they seem to share certain similarities.
By contraries, the TS and the SB are much different from each other. For example, TS
5.2.8.7-5.2.9.2 gives orders to pound in the mortar and onnects the mortar and the ukha with
food. On the other hand, the SB relates them with the birth of Agni. There the ukha is
iden-tified with the womb, these worlds and Prajapati. The ukha is also the belly, the mortar
the womb and the pestle the sexual organ (SB 7.5.1.26-27,38).
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On the Treatment of the Victims in the Agnicayana (A. IZAWA)
None of them except the SB, however, give a reason for it. SB 7.5.2.1-7 enumerates the
reasons for putting the heads in the ukha in the form of the Prajapati myth. It is worth noting
that SB 7.5.2.3 says that when he puts the heads of the victims in the ukha, he thereby unites
those rumps with those heads. In this respect we must pay attention to SB 6.2.1.7-8, where
Prajapati, after cutting off the heads, let float the remaining trunks on the water in the animal
sacrifice, and then having gathered both that clay and water where he threw away the trunks,
he made a brick. Furthermore, SB 6.2.1.11 says that as to those glories, they are these same
heads of the victims ; and those (headless) trunks are these five layers (of the fire-altar) :
thus when he builds up the layers after putting the heads of the victims, he thereby unites
those trunks with those heads. In the SB a sacrifices piles up the fire altar to restore Praja
pati, who created the world through his own dismemberment. The head and trunk concept
is surely not irrelevant to this purpose. It is likely that SB 7.5.2.3, giving a reason for putting
the heads in the ukha, identifies the ukha with the five layers in order to emphasize the head
and trunk concept.
The following account results from investigating the difference in the treatment of the
victims in the animal sacrifice.
The fact that the White Yajurveda is interested only in the action of killing suggests that
the action was not carried out any more at that time, so that it was a safe topic. On the
con-trary, the way of obtaining the human head indicated by the Black Yajurveda seems proper
and reliable, and so it is safe to say that this method was really accepted. Evidence of this
can be derived from the fact that the SB does not mention the purification of a human head
at all. This means the SB has no interest in the matter. Given that at the time of the SB real
heads were not used, we might ask why the SB rejects the use of counterfeit heads of gold
or clay. It may be presumed that the SB needs to give the impression that real heads are
used in order to focus attention on the importance and meaning of using a real head.
In the case of the process of putting the heads in the ukha at the bottom of the first layer,
there is not much difference not only among the three Samhitas but also between the
Samhitas and the SB.
The most significant characteristics that distinguish the SB from the three Samhitas are
that the SB shows in the important places its original interpretation by adopting the
Praja-pati myth in order to indicate PrajaPraja-pati's restoration that is the final purpose (SB
6.2.1.7-8,11,7.5.1.26-27,38,7.5.2.1-7).
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On the Treatment of the Victims in the Agnicayana (A. IZAWA)
As stated above, the MS and the SB seem to share certain similarities . It may be presumed
that the MS is placed nearer to the SB than the TS is. In this respect, it needs further
con-sideration.
1) Taittiriya Samhita (TS) 5.1.8,5.5.1.1-5 ; Kathaka Samhita (KS) 19 .8-9,20.8 ; Maitrayani Samhita (MS) 3.1.10; Satapatha Brahmana (SB) 3.1.3.1-2,6.2.1.1-39,6.2.2.1-40
2) For the animal sacrifice see
Dumont, P-E. [ 1962] "The Animal Sacrifice in the Taittiriya-Brahmana,The Part of the Hotar and the Part of the Maitravaruna in the Animal Sacrifice, TB 3.6 with Tr.."PAPS 106-3,
pp. 246-263.
Dumont, P-E. [1969] "The Kamya Animal Sacrifices in the Taittiriya-Brahmana, TB 3.8 with Tr.. "PAPS 113-1, pp. 34-66.
Schmidt, H-P [2000] "How to Kill a Sacrificial Victim" In Makaranda (Madhukar Anant Mehendale Festschrift), pp. 17-28. Ahmedabad.
Schwab, J. [1886] Das altindiche Thieropfer, Erlangen.
Thite, G. U. [1970] "Animal Sacrifice in the Brahmanatexts." NUMEN 17-2, pp. 143-158. For the animal sacrifice of the Agnicayana see
Heesterman, J. C. [1967] "The Case of the Severed Head." WZKSO XI, pp. 22-43. Ikari, Y. [1976] "Notes on the Vayavya-pasu (Baudh SS X. 9-11)" Journal of Indian and
Buddhist Studies 24-2, pp. 951-943. For the translation of the texts see
Eggeling, J. [1989] The Satapatha-Brahmana, Part ‡V. (The Sacred Books of the East 41.) Delhi. [1988] The Satapatha-Brahmana, Part ‡W. (The Sacred Books of the East 43.) Delhi. Gelder, J. M. .[19851 Manava Srauta Sutra belonging to the Maitrayani Samhita, Vol. 2. Sri
Garib Dass Oriental Series, No. 31. Delhi.
Ikari, Y. and Arnold, H. F, [1983] Baudhdvana Srauta Sutra in Agni. The Vedic Ritual of the Fire Alter, Vol. 2. Ed. by Frits Staal. Berkeley.
Keith, A. B. [1967] The Veda of the Black Yajus School entitled Taittiriya Sanhita. (Harvard Oriental Series 18) Delhi.
Ranade, H. G. [1978] Katyayana Srauta Sutra. Pune.
3) Baudhayana Srauta Sutra (BSS) 10.9-12 ; Manava Srauta Sutra (MSS) 6.1.2.23-6.1.3.19 ; K atyayna Srauta Sutra (KSS) 16.1.5-45
4) He has prepared the heads of a horse and a ivaisva, both killed in battle, as well as the requisites of one who is going to perform an animal sacrifice. (BSS 10.9)
He brings the head near he struck off from a vaisva or ksatriya fellow, killed by the lightning or by an arrow. (MSS 6.1.2.23)
5) For the further description of the above see
Izawa, A. [20011 "The Animal Sacrifice of the Agnicayana." Studies in Indian Philosophy and Buddhism, Tokyo University 8, pp. 18-29.
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On the Treatment of the Victims in the Agnicayana (A. IZAWA)
6) With twenty-one beans he approaches the head of the man. (TS 5.1.8.1 ; KS 20.8) He deposits it near an ant-heap pierced in senven places. (TS 5.1.8.1 ; KS 20.8) He sings the verses of Yama. (TS 5.1.8.2 ; KS 20.8)
Although the MS does not mention it, MSS 6.1.2.24-25 describes it. For the relation between the MS and the MSS see
Tsuji, N. [1981] "The Agnicayana-Section of the Maitrayani-Samhita with Special Reference to the Manava-Srautasutra. "Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko 39,
pp. 125-148. Tokyo.
[ 1981 ] The Relation between Brahmanas and Srautasiitras in Collected Papers ‡U . Kyoto. 7) TS 5.2.8.7-5.2.9.6,5.5.3 ; 5.7.10, KS20.7-8, MS3.2.7-8, CB7.5.1.25-2.37
8) BSS 10.33-34 ; MSS 6.1.7.23-32 ; KSS 17.5.3-23
