Idea of Ahimsa and Asceticism in Ancient Indian Tradition

Author(s): Bansidhar Bhatt
Publisher: B J Institute

Page 17

THE IDEA OF AHMSA ....
The Vedic man confronted with evil consequences, in the next world, of an act of killing any living being, devised some magic formulas due to which it is assumed that an act of killing in the sacrifice is eliminated, it is somehow pretended that the victim is not being slain or injured. Moreover, it was believed that the sacrificial victim is reborn and goes to the gods (cf. Heesterman1, p.18). All this was meant to declare that the sactificers are free from guiltiness of injuring or slaying an animal, or they can prevent the victim from taking a revenge in the next world. As such, meat-eating in the sacrifice was enjoined, it brings no evil to any. The classical law-books including MS also, refer to such rules, which Alsdorf has decided to be a second layer of interpolation (Alsdorf-1 p.19; see also Wezler 1 p.117), e.g. meat-eating for rituals is a divine rule, but on other occasion it is a damoniac rule, cf.
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yajnaya jagdhi mamsasyety eșa daivo vidhiḥ smṛtaḥ / ato 'nyatha pravṛttis tu rakṣaso vidhir ucyate // (MS 5.31)
Animal offered in the sacrifice is believed to have been restored to a sacred life by some magical formulas. These are precautionary measures, so that the victim cannot take a revenge on the priest and sacrificer. The SB (3.8.1.10) states that:
na va etam mṛtyave nayanti, yam yajnaya nayanti /
In cutting a tree for the sactificial post, the sacrificer places a blade of grass on the spot where a blow of an axe is to be inflicted. The blade hidden on the spot is invoked to protect the tree, at the same time the axe is ordered not to hurt the tree. Thus, it has to be assumed that the tree is not injured and the injury to the life of the tree is eliminated, the injury is diverted to the blade of grass3. Also the tree to be cut for the sacrifical post when falling down on the ground is praised and quested, so that the sky may not be injured by its upper parts, the intermediate world by its middle parts, and finally the earth when it is lying in a reclining position along the surface (see Mait.Sam, 3.9.3; Schmidt-1 p.647, fn.3). In the case of the killing by suffocation, the victim's body is sprinkled with 3. Cf. Mait.Sam. 3.9.3:
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oṣadhe, trăyasvainam iti åha svadhite mainam hinsir iti / (Schmidt1 p.647; Keith. p.185; Gonda-1 p.115; also Tait.Sam. 6.3.3.2; cf. Della Casa. pp.193 fol.) Probably in those days the blade of grass was considered without possessing any life.