शामित्रे तु हयः तत्र तथा जलचराः च ये |
ऋषिभिः सर्वम् एवै तन् नियुक्तम् शास्त्रतः तदा || १-१४-३१
ऋषिभिः सर्वम् एवै तन् नियुक्तम् शास्त्रतः तदा || १-१४-३१
31. shraamite tu = in animal sacrifices, but; tatra = there; hayaH tathaa ye jala charaaH = horse, like that, those, water, animals [are to be there, them];sarva evai tan = all, of them; tadaa = then; R^iSibhiH niyuktam shaashtraH = by sages, arranged,. as per scriptures.
The sages have arranged those animals that are to be there in animal sacrifices, like horse and other aquatic animals, in that ritual according to scriptures. [1-14-31]
Many animals are sacrificed in Horse ritual. But they will be segregated as forest animals and village animals. In them many of the forest animals will be let off by taking them round the fire on to their right in salutation to fire, agni paradakshiNa namaskara. The animals pertaining to village will be sacrificed in ritual. Hence it is up to the priests to decide which is to be retained or let off.
पशूनाम् त्रिशतम् तत्र यूपेषु नियतम् तदा |
अश्व रत्नः उत्तमम् तस्य राज्ञो दशरथस्य ह || १-१४-३२
अश्व रत्नः उत्तमम् तस्य राज्ञो दशरथस्य ह || १-१४-३२
32. tadaa = then; tatra = in that ritual; tri shatam pashuunaam = three, hundred, animals; tasya raaj~naH aswa ratna uttamam = that, king Dasharatha's, horse, gemlike, best one; yuupeSu niyatam = to wooden posts, arranged [tied.]
Three hundred animals are tied to the ritual posts, along with the gemlike best ritual horse of that King Dasharatha. [1-14-32]
कौसल्या तम् हयम् तत्र परिचर्य समंततः |
कृपाणैः विशशासः एनम् त्रिभिः परमया मुदा || १-१४-३३
कृपाणैः विशशासः एनम् त्रिभिः परमया मुदा || १-१४-३३
33. tatra = in that ritual; kausalyaa = Queen Kausalya; tam hayam = that, horse; samantataH paricharya = all around, on making circumambulations;paramayaa mudaa = with great, delight; tribhi kR^ipaaNaiH = with three, knives; vishashaasaH enam = killed, that one - the horse.
With great delight coming on her Queen Kausalya reverently made circumambulations to the horse, and symbolically killed the horse with three knives. [1-14-33]
Here Kausalya did not butcher the horse as queens do not butcher animals in rituals, but the horse is already sacrificed. It is a symbolical act of queens to pierce with three golden knives like needles. The scripture says that all the eligible wives of the performer of ritual have to pierce that way. sauvarNiibhi suuciibhiH patnayoH ashvasya asipathaan kalayanti - shruti / scripture. So all the three queens have performed that symbolic act by piercing that horse, which is already dead, with golden needle-like knives. Govindaraja.
पतत्रिणा तदा सार्धम् सुस्थितेन च चेतसा |
अवसत् रजनीम् एकाम् कौसल्या धर्म कांयया || १-१४-३४
अवसत् रजनीम् एकाम् कौसल्या धर्म कांयया || १-१४-३४
34. kausalyaa = Queen Kausalya; susthitena cha chetasaa = with composed - impassively; dharma kaamaayaa = dharma, desiring for achieving results;patatriNaa saartham = with horse, for results; [where patatri = also means a bird, one that swiftly flew away like a bird; the sacrificed ritual horse is equated with the Divine Eagle garuDa - that conducts the oblations; ekaam rajaniim avasat = one, night, she resided with that horse that flew away.
Queen Kausalya desiring the results of ritual disconcertedly resided one night with that horse that flew away like a bird. [1-14-34]
होता अध्वर्युः तथ उद्गाता हस्तेन समयोजयन् |
महिष्या परिवृत्त्या अथ वावाताम् अपराम् तथा || १-१४-३५
महिष्या परिवृत्त्या अथ वावाताम् अपराम् तथा || १-१४-३५
35. atha = then; hotaa adhvaryuH tathaa udgaataa = hotaa, adhwaryu, thus, udgaataa, [the three officiating priests of the ritual]; mahiSyaa parivR^ittyaa = crowned queen, neglected wife of king; vaavaataam cha = concubine of king, also; aparam tathaa = next, thus; hastena samyojayan = by hand, took.
Thus, the officiating priests of the ritual, namely hota, adhwaryu and udgaata have received in their hand the Crowned Queen, the neglected wife, and a concubine of the king, next as a symbolic donation in the ritual by the performer, the king. [1-14-35]
There will be four officiating priests for these Vedic rituals. 1. brahma , 2. hota , 3. adhvaryu , 4. udgaata , to whom the king has to donate his inner core properties like wives, lands etc. By practice a king has to marry four wives. The four women of the king are 1. mahiSi = Queen, 2. parivR^itti = neglected women, 3. vaavaata = concubine, 4.paalaakali = goblet-maid. The order of donation is that the Queen to brahma , concubine to hota , neglected woman to udgaata , and the goblet-maid to the adhwaryu . Here, though the brahma ritvik is not cited along with paalaakali, goblet-maid, they are implied. The donation is symbolic and later bartering with some valuable items that is redeemed. Govindaraja. There is another way of translating this. For the wording, hastena samayojayan the priests took these wives by hand to bring them in contact with the dead horse.
पतत्रिणः तस्य वपाम् उद्धृत्य नियतेइन्द्रियः |
ऋत्विक् परम संपन्नः श्रपयामास शास्त्रतः || १-१४-३६
ऋत्विक् परम संपन्नः श्रपयामास शास्त्रतः || १-१४-३६
36. udhR^itya niyata indriyaH = took up, one with controlled senses; patatriNaH tasya vapaam = horse's, fat [omentum]; R^itwik parama sampannaH = ritwik, priest, very, wealthy in knowledge; shrapayamaasa shaastrataH = cooked, as per scriptures.
Then the priest, one with controlled senses and rich in scriptural wealth, took up the omentum [fat] of the horse and cooked it as per scriptures while dropping into the altar of fire to bake as a food to the celestials. [1-14-36]
Some more scholars give a non-violent touch to this act and they say that a medicinal plant ,is offered in altar and its smell is smelt. That plant is substituted for omentum of the horse, and the wording is read differently. When the sequence is running on horse and horse's body parts how a medical plant is brought in, is unclear. And some say that a horse will not have omentum according to Vedic texts.
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