The Asvamedha: The Rite and its Logic

The Asvamedha: The Rite and its Logic

This article explains many specific characteristics of the Vedic sacrificial system by describing the ritual known as “Asvamedha” and the symbolism associated with it. Within the framework of Vedic epistemology, a number of inquiries about the Asvamedha are addressed, along with their respective answers. This rite serves three important purposes: I it presents an equivalence of the naksatra year to the heaven, implying that it is a rite that celebrates the rebirth of the Sun; (ii) it is symbolic of the conquest of Time by the king, in whose name the rite is performed; and (iii) it is a celebration of social harmony that has been achieved by the transcendence of the fundamental conflicts that exist between various sources of The comprehension of numerous of its particulars is aided by the use of numerical concepts taken from another Vedic ritual known as the Agnicayana.

Review(s)

“Mr.Kak’s crystallised monograph is very helpful in comprehending a ritual that is highly complicated and defies our mental categories of understanding.” – The Vedanta Kesari

“The book finely and beautifully edited and published will ben helpful to the

Author

Subhash Kak

About the Author(s)

SUBHASH KAK is an acclaimed scientist, historian and Vedic scholar. Currently a professor at Louisiana State University, he has authored thirteen books and more than 200 research papers in the fields of information theory, neural networks and Indic studies.