(6) Rājasūya[1]
In the Rājasūya-yāga, the indraturīya oblation is offered to smite rākṣāsas and adversaries. This is an obligatory rite performed in the Rājasūya. In addition to that, the Rāṣṭrabhṛt libations are also poured to secure the sovereignty of the emperor. The King can offer an optional libation of Jaya and Abhyātana. The pañcavātīya offering is also offered in the Rājasūya to ensure the elimination of the enemy[2]. In the Taittirīya-Brāhmaṇa, the entire Cāturmāsya is ordained to be performed as a subsidiary for the Rājasūya, which leads to the annihilation of all the enemies[3].
An optional pratyabhicāra rite called apāmārga[4] is performed in the Rājasūya if he suspects himself to be a victim of an abhicāra. Performing the apāmārga, the King becomes free from any abhicāra performed by his enemy[5]. This is performed outside of the yāga-śālā. After doing so, when the ṛtviks return to the yāga-śāla, they offer another apāmārga offering which reverts the abhicāra towards the enemy and causes him harm[6]. In the Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa, an arthavāda attached to the apāmārga-homa states that the Devas drove away the rākṣasas by performing this rite[7].
(7) Aśvamēdha[8]
Aśvamēdha is perhaps the most popular and glorified yāga throughout the Vedas. The rites in the Asvamēdha are just as beautiful as its tattva. In the Rāmāyaṇa, we quite interestingly find the performance of the Aśvamēdha to seek the blessings of Mahādēva[9] and Viṣṇu[10]. In that Aśvamēdha, an offering consisting of the stallion’s blood is offered to Mahādēva Rudra in the Sviṣṭakṛt Agni[11]. The Devas are stated to have won against the Asuras by performing this libation to Rudra. Rudra is himself declared to be the Sviṣṭakṛt Agni[12].
(8) Agnicayana
In the Agnicayana rite, performed for building the fire altar, the ṛtviks place the bricks in their respective places in different layers. While placing the bricks in the fourth layer, the eighteen bricks called akṣṇayāstomīya[13] are placed in a confused manner, which is meant to destroy the enemy. Sāyaṇācārya commenting on this verse states that once upon a time, the Asuras tried to copy the Yāga of the Devas by sending a spy. The Devas, realising this, placed the bricks in a confused manner. For example, the injunction would state that the Vyoma should be recited on the seventeenth, but in truth, their application is there while placing the third brick. Hence, the spy, unable to understand the rite, returned to the Asuras dejected. The Devas completed the rite and vanquished the Asuras; hence, placing these bricks in the confused order annihilates the enemies of the yajamāna[14]. Sāyaṇācārya, while explaining the name akṣṇayāstōmīya, states that it is called so because the mantras containing the word are used in placing the bricks in a confusing manner, hence the name[15]. This is also mentioned in the Taittirīya-Samhitā 5.3.3.1, where the placement of the akṣṇayāstōmīya bricks is detailed.
Similarly, the five bricks called bhūyaskṛt are placed in the fifth layer, yielding a similar result. Again, the indratanu bricks that are twenty-two in number are placed on the fifth layer of the altar that resulting in the same[16]. In the arthavāda passages, it is stated that Indra gained his power and vigour by placing these bricks, which ultimately led to the victory of the Devas.
During the Agnicayana, eight mantras for the deity Savitā are muttered while the fire is placed in the pan. The libation is poured at the end of the eighth utterance in the normal case. But, if the yajamāna wishes to practice abhicāra, he is to offer libations after the utterance of each mantra[17].
Viśēṣa-abhicāras
The special abhicāras are iṣṭis which can the performed independently as a principal rite. The previously mentioned abhicāras are performed mostly as a subsidiary to the principal rite; here, the independent abhicāra-iṣṭis and paśuyāgas will be mentioned.
Iṣṭis related Abhicāras
The procedures for most of the following iṣṭis are not mentioned in the Vedas. This is so because the Darśapūrṇamāsa is the archetype of all the iṣṭis, and any other existing iṣṭi is its modification. Therefore, if one knows how to perform Darśapūrṇamāsa, he can perform all the other iṣṭis mentioned below. It is for this very reason that all Śrauta-sūtras first deal with the Darśapūrṇamāsa.
(1) Somaraudreṣṭi
This iṣṭi is present in both the Ṛgveda and Yajurveda. Before we look into the iṣṭi, it is important to understand these two deities. Soma is normally used for the deity who nourishes the entire creation. Sāyaṇācārya and Bhāṭṭa Bhāskara, while commenting on the Śatarudrīyam, derive the word Soma as “The one who is always with Umā”[18]. In the Somapavamāna Maṇḍala[19], Sōma is described as the one with matted hair[20] similar to that of Lord Śiva. Rudra is the fierce form of Lord Śiva. In the Vedas, there is indifference between Agni and Lord Śiva at many places.
The Taittirīya-Samhitā mentions the performance of this iṣṭi for gaining six different results. The one who desires to gain splendour should perform this iṣṭi for Somārudrā[21]. The one who wishes to get rid of leprosy can also perform this iṣṭi[22]. The one who wishes to gain progeny can also perform this iṣṭi[23]. The one who is chronically ill for a very long time can cure himself by propitiating Somārudrā[24]. The one who wants to vanquish his enemies should offer oblations to Somārudrā[25]. Finally, the one who wishes to create an enemy within his abode should perform this iṣṭi[26]. While taking the saṅkalpa, it is specified by the yajamāna as to what reason he wishes to perform the Somāraudrēṣṭi. The yajamāna ransoms his enemy from Soma, since he is the Lord of all the beings, and Rudra is propitiated to bring instant ruin and death to his enemy[27]. In the Somārudrā hymns, both the deities are mentioned as having firm and sharp weapons[28], which gives an idea about their warrior aspect, hence the abhicāras addressed to them are rightly justified.
[1] A modified somayāga performed to gain the tile of emperor (Samrāṭ) by the kṣattriyas. Great kings like Hariścandra, Yudhiṣṭhira, Rāma, etc. performed this rite.
[2] Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa 5.2.4.7
[3] यच्चा॑तुर्मा॒स्यैर्यज॑ते । यामे॒वासु॑रा॒ ऊर्ज॑म॒वारु॑न्धत । तां तेनाव॑रुन्धे । भव॑त्या॒त्मना᳚ । परा᳚ऽस्य॒ भ्रातृ॑व्यो भवति । (Taittirīya-Brāhmaṇa 1.4.9.5)
[4] Apāmārga is the achyranthes aspera plant. The grains of this plant are offered in the homa.
[5] स ए॒तान॑पामा॒र्गान॑जनयत् । तान॑जुहोत् । तैर्वै स रक्षा॒ग्॒स्यपा॑हत । यद॑पामार्गहो॒मो भव॑ति । रक्ष॑सा॒मप॑हत्यै । ए॒को॒ल्मु॒केन॑ यन्ति । तद्धि रक्ष॑सां भाग॒धेय᳚म् । इ॒मां दिशं॑ यन्ति । ए॒षा वै रक्ष॑सां॒ दिक् । स्वाया॑मे॒व दि॒शि रक्षाꣳ॑सि हन्ति ॥ (Taittirīya-Brāhmaṇa 1.7.1.8)
[6] अथाप्रतीक्षम् पुनरायन्ति । स हैतेनापि प्रतिसरं कुर्वीत स यस्यां ततो दिशि भवति तत्प्रतीत्य जुहोति प्रतीचीनफलो वा अपामार्गः स यो हास्मै तत्र किंचित्करोति तमेव तत्प्रत्यग्धूर्वति तस्य नामादिशेदबधिष्मामुमसौ हत इति तन्नाष्ट्रा रक्षांसि हन्ति (Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa 5.3.4.20)
[7] अपामार्गैर्वै देवा दिक्षु नाष्ट्रा रक्षांस्यपामृजत ते व्यजयन्त येयमेषां विजितिः (Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa 5.3.4.14)
[8] A modified somayāga performed by a samrāṭ to gain complete sovereignty over the globe. This was performed both by Rāma and Yudhiṣṭhira.
[9] Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa 7.90.12-14
[10] Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa 1.15.16-17
[11] यथ्स्वि॑ष्ट॒कृद्भ्यो॒ लोहि॑तं जु॒होति॒ भ्रातृ॑व्याभिभूत्यै । भव॑त्या॒त्मना᳚ । परा᳚ऽस्य॒ भ्रातृ॑व्यो भवति । (Taittirīya-Brāhmaṇa 3.9.11.3)
[12] रु॒द्रो᳚ऽग्निः स्वि॑ष्ट॒कृत् । (Taittirīya-Brāhmaṇa 3.9.11.3)
[13] Taittirīya-Samhitā 4.3.8.1
[14] See Sāyaṇācārya’s commentary on the Taittirīya-Samhitā 4.3.8.1
[15] स्तोमवाचिशब्दोपेतैर्मन्त्रैरुपयेयत्वात्स्वोमीयाः । तत्रापि मन्त्रपाठक्रममुल्ल्ङ्घ्य वक्रत्वेनानुष्ठेयत्वाद् अक्ष्णयास्तोमीयाः ।
[16] दे॒वा॒सु॒राः संय॑त्ता आस॒न्ते न व्य॑जयन्त॒ स ए॒ता इन्द्र॑स्त॒नूर॑पश्य॒त्ता उपा॑धत्त॒ ताभि॒र्वै स त॒नुव॑मिन्द्रि॒यं वी॒र्य॑मा॒त्मन्न॑धत्त॒ ततो॑ दे॒वा अभ॑व॒न्पराऽसु॑रा॒ यदि॑न्द्रत॒नूरु॑प॒दधा॑ति त॒नुव॑मे॒व ताभि॑रिन्द्रि॒यं वी॒र्यं॑ यज॑मान आ॒त्मन्ध॒त्तेऽथो॒ सेन्द्र॑मे॒वाग्निग्ं सत॑नुञ्चिनुते॒ भव॑त्या॒त्मना॒ परा᳚ऽस्य॒ भ्रातृ॑व्यो भवति (Taittirīya-Samhitā 5.4.1.1)
[17] यङ्का॒मये॑त॒ पापी॑यान्थ्स्या॒दित्येकै॑कं॒ तस्य॑ जुहुया॒दाहु॑तीभिरे॒वैन॒मप॑ गृह्णाति॒ पापी॑यान्भवति (Taittirīya-Samhitā 5.1.1.1-2)
See Āpastamba-Śrautasūtra 16.1.5 and Śāyaṇācārya’s commentary on Taittirīya-Samhitā 4.1.1
[18] उमया सह वर्तत इति सोमः and उमया सहितः सोमः respectively.
[19] The ninth Maṇḍala of the Ṛgvēda-Samhitā
[20] अ॒यं सोम॑: कप॒र्दिने᳚ घृ॒तं न प॑वते॒ मधु॑ । आ भ॑क्षत्क॒न्या᳚सु नः ॥ (Ṛgvēda-Samhitā 9.67.11)
[21] सो॑मारौ॒द्रं च॒रुं निर॑वपं॒ तेनै॒वास्मि॒न्रुच॑मदधु॒र्यो ब्र॑ह्मवर्च॒सका॑मः (Taittirīya-Samhitā 2.2.10.1)
[22] यदि॑ बिभी॒याद्दु॒श्चर्मा॑ भविष्या॒मीति॑ सोमापौ॒ष्णं च॒रुं निर्व॑पेत् (Taittirīya-Samhitā 2.2.10.3)
[23] सोमारौ॒द्रं च॒रुं निर्व॑पेत्प्र॒जाका॑मः (Taittirīya-Samhitā 2.2.10.3)
[24] सोमारौ॒द्रं च॒रुं निर्व॑पेज्ज्योगा॑मयावी (Taittirīya-Samhitā 2.2.10.4)
[25] सो॑मारौ॒द्रं च॒रुं निर्व॑पेदभि॒चरन्॑ (Taittirīya-Samhitā 2.2.10.4)
[26] सोमारौ॒द्रं च॒रुं निर्व॑पे॒द्यः का॒मये॑त॒ स्वे᳚ऽस्मा आ॒यत॑ने॒ भ्रातृ॑व्यं जनयेय॒मिति॒ (Taittirīya-Samhitā 2.2.10.5)
[27]सौ॒म्यो वै दे॒वत॑या॒ पुरु॑ष ए॒ष रु॒द्रो यद॒ग्निः स्वाया॑ ए॒वैनं॑ दे॒वता॑यै नि॒ष्क्रीय॑ रु॒द्रायापि॑ दधाति ता॒जगार्ति॒मार्च्छ॑ति (Taittirīya Samhitā 2.2.10.4)
[28] ति॒ग्मायु॑धौ ति॒ग्महे᳚ती सु॒शेवौ॒ सोमा᳚रुद्रावि॒ह सु मृ॑ळतन् नः । (Ṛgvēda Samhitā 6.74.4)
