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VEDA AND JAIN TEXTS
(By cutting trees for sacrificial posts and by slaughtering animals and wading through their blood if you can go to heaven, kindly tell us how do we reach hell.)
91
Devi Bhāgavata says that the Supreme took the form of the Buddha in order to put a stop to wrong sacrifices and prevent injury to animals : दुष्टयज्ञविघाताय पशुहिंसानिवृत्तये ।
बौद्धरूपं दधौ योऽसौ तस्मै देवाय ते नमः ॥
Animal sacrifices are found in the Vedas (inserted) by the dvijas (twiceborn) who are given to pleasures and relishing tastes. Non-injury is, verily the highest truth.
द्विजैर्भोगरतैर्वेदे दर्शितं हिंसनं पशोः ।
जिह्वास्वादपरैः कामम् अहिंसैव परा मता ॥
-S. Radhakrishnan The Principal Upanisads, Introduction, p. 50, f.n.1. Uttaradhyayana interprets sacrifice ethically :
"He who is well fortified by the five samvaras (preventing by means of the samitis and guptis the flowing in of the karma upon the soul) and is not attached to this life, who abandons his body, who is pure and does not care for his body, in fact, offers the best of sacrifices and as such, wins the great victory over the enemy of karmas." And, penance is my fire; life my fire-place; right exertion is my sacrificial ladle; the body the dried cow dung; karma is my fuel; self-control, right exertion and tranquillity are the oblations, praised by the sages, which I offer."2
In this connection we may note that the Upanisads too interpret sacrifices ethically. For example, the Bṛhadaranyaka Upanisad opens with an account of the horse sacrifice (aśvamedha) and interprets it as a meditative act in which the individual offers up the whole universe in place of the horse, and by the renunciation of the world attains spiritual autonomy in place of earthly sovereignty3. Bhagavadgītā too lauds japayajña: 'of sacrifices I am the sacrifice of mantra-repetitions and jñānayajña: 'superior is the sacrifice consisting in knowledge to the sacrifice of material objects, O tormentor of foes.' Manu thus interprets ethically the various yajñas: 'Learning and Teaching is brahmayajña, service of elders is pitryajña, honouring great and learned people is devayajña and entertaining guests is nryajña.
Regarding the Vedas Uttaradhyayana says: "The study of the Vedas will not save you' and 'all the Vedas and sacrifices being causes of sin cannot save
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