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ECONOMIC, POLITICAL & RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS
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Now let us examine how far the charges levelled against the followers of Vedic rituals are justified in view of the sacrifices advocated by the Vedic literature and other historical evidences about the performing of the above mentioned sacrifices.
First of all we find that some hymns of the Rgveda have been associated with the horse-sacrifice'. In the latter Samhitās and Brāhmaṇas, animal and Soma sacrifices are found to be very common? The Brahmana explain the complicated procedure of the Yajñas. The Śrautasūtras and the Gyhyasūtras give us details about the method of performing various sacrifices. The Smrtis also refer to the daily domestic sacrifices.
The rajñaparibhāşāsūtra3 of Apastamba clearly lays down in support of the contention of the Paumacariyaṁ that animals, besides other things also, were offered in the sacrifices, that the sacrifices were prescribed to be performed by the first three Varņas, that the three Vedas prescribe sacrifices and that they were presided over by Brāhmaṇas.
As regards the offering of goats, the Sankha yana Srautasūtra refers to the immolation of goats (14.2.14; 14.6.2; 14.7.3-4: 14.13.1; 15.1.2122). The Paraskara Gịhyasūtra (4.13.1) refers to the offering of meat of red goat during the Śrāddha ceremony and that of goat and sheep in Pitstarpaņa (4.12.5). Further according to the Gịhyasūtras goats offered to guests is said to be a sacrifice to the Gods. The Manusmyti also refers to the offering of the meat of goat for the libation of the manes on the occasion of monthly Śrāddha (3.268-70).
About the offering of various other animals in the sacrifices, the Sankhāyana Srautasūtra (6.1.20) refers to the Nirūdhapasu sacrifice which was performed for the purpose of fulfilling some special wish. In the Srāddha ceremony the offering of meat of various animals have been prescribed in the Pāraskara Grhyasūtra (4.12.6-12) and the Manusmrti (3.268-270). The animals mentioned in that connection are the fish, deer, ram, boar, bison, hare, tortoise, sheep etc. The rajñaparibhāşasūtra (154) refers to various utensils used for preparing the meat of different animals. Manu (15.39) lays down that animals have been created by Svayambhu for sacrifice and their killing in a Yajña is not killing. But he does not permit their killing for other purposes.
1. Ķgveda, 1.162. 2. SRL. Gr, p. 205. 3. Sut, 1-3.21. 4. See CHi, I. p. 208.
