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ANTIPATHY TO THE RAJASUYA WHY?
Ganesb Tbite
The Rajasayn (ancient indian royal cousecration)' is one of the major sacrifices in the Vedic ritualism Even though this sacribce has been sometimes bigbly glorified, it is worthy to be noted that some things in both the Vedic as well as Puranic literature there appears tu be some kind of antipathy fowards it Thus if one wants to know how this sacrlice bas been praised highly, one may refer to the Moh IC 11 55, 62 where it is described to be "a great sacrifice (muhakratu)" (see also II 3117, cp II 11 61-"mahaya Mo" Elsewbere the Rajastya is benoritoalistically described as the best among the sacrifices (kratusreptha Mbh 11,42, 46, IX 48 14 Cp Mbh VIU 80 23 makhabreştha, IX 48 13 kratuvara, XII 836 kratūttama) The otber side is, however, more interesting and more worth paying attention to Siace, no earlier autbor, as far as I can see, has paid attention tu the puinerous reforences showing antipathy towards the Rajasuya, let me first collect them together and then try to give an explanation of this attitude
In the Vedic literature many times Rajasüya is described to be dangerous and leading to loss of valour Thus AV IV & Ic, it is said, "Death at tends bis royal consecration (tasya mptyus karalt rajasüjam)" When Varona was consecrated his valour went away (SB V 451, TB 181 1, cp. SB V 4 3 2, TMB XVIII 9 1f) In order to avoid this fear of losing the valoar of the sacrificer-king, there are numerous sites inserted in the course of Rajasaya-sacrifice Thus MS IV 31, it is said that power and valour po away from him who performs the Ra jasaya • Therefore, a sacrificial cate is to be offered to Indra and Agai Then these deities furbish him with the power and valour (ojasa 1a esa uzryeņa vyrddhyate jo rajasūyrenabtropical 10 viryam indragni ojasalvainam virgend samardhayatah) This cake was disc uvered by Indra who had, after baving kuled Vţtra, lost his valoar aad poworlodra obtained his valour back and similarly the sacrificer ako
1 For the Rajastiya sacrifice in general cf the following excellent literatur - Weber
Uber die Königshethe, den Röjsīju (Abhandlungen der König! HTXT5 Akademuc der Wissenschaften zu den Berlin), Berlo, 1883, J Ganda Ancient Indian Kwshup from the religious point of view, (reprinted from Numen III and IV with addends and index) Leiden, 1966, p 797 ) C. Heesterman Ancient Indian royal consecration,
's Gravenhage 1957 2. Cp Weber Königsweihe P 13)
