Vaidika Abhicāras
The abhicāras in the Vedas can be divided into three types: (1) Sāmānya-abhicāras, (2) Viśēṣa-abhicāras, and (3) Abhicāra-Soma-yāgas.
Sāmanya-abhicāras:
These are the abhicāras that are a subsidiary of a principal rite. Some of these are obligatory, while the majority are optional rites.
(1) Agnyādhēya and Agnihotra
The concept of abhicāra can be traced back to the Agnyādheya, a rite performed by brahmāṇas, kṣattriyas, vaiśyas, and rathakāras to obtain the three sacred fires[1] after which they can start performing Agnihotra[2] and other śrauta rites. In the Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa 1.1.2.6, the injunction ‘अ॒व॒कीर्यै॒व भ्रातृ॑व्यान् । ओजो॒ बल॑मिन्द्रि॒यं वी॒र्य॑मा॒त्मन्ध॑त्ते ।’ ordains the time of Agnyādheya. Sāyaṇācārya comments – “The one who performs Agnyādheya in the Citrā constellation after destroying his enemies establishes his own vigour and strength”[3]. The revered sage Āpastamba prescribes the Citrā constellation for the kṣattriyas or anyone who has enemies in general[4].
In the Agnyādhēya, an obligatory yāga is performed for the pitṛs before the day the principal rite is performed. As part of the pitṛ-yajña, three abhicāra rites, namely Rāṣṭrbhṛt, Abhyātāna, and Jaya[5], are performed. These will be explained in detail later.
Agnihotra is the most praised homa throughout the Vedas. It is glorified even in the Smṛtis and Purāṇas. While performing the Agnihotra, the yajamāna can perform abhicāra if he wishes to cause harm to his enemies. It is quite interesting to note that the body movement and mantras differ depending on the status of the enemy[6].
In the Agnihotra, an offering called samiddhōma consists of two libations – pūrvāhutiḥ and uttarāhutiḥ. Normally, the pūrvāhuttiḥ is lesser in quantity than the uttarāhutuḥ. But if the yajamāna wishes to practice abhicāra, he offers a greater amount in the pūrvāhutiḥ compared to that of the uttarāhutuḥ. Doing so, he robs his enemies of their wealth[7].
(2) Darśapūrṇamāsa[8]
Darśa-pūrṇamāsa is an archetype of all the iṣṭis present in the Vedas. All the other iṣṭis are performed based on the subsidiaries and procedures of Darśa-pūrṇamāsa. It is also the first rite discussed in all the Śrauta-sūtras, as it is the archetype of all iṣṭis, and there are more than a thousand iṣṭis present throughout all the Vēda-śākhās.
It is said in the Taittirīya-samhitā that while performing the paurṇamāsēṣṭi, the yajamāna offers eight puroḍāśas[9] to Agni and curd to Indra to vanquish the enemy. This offering is called as vaimṛdha and is a subsidiary to the paurṇamāsēṣṭi[10]. In the Mīmāṃsā-sūtras, this is discussed in detail, where it is decided that vaimṛdha is a subsidiary to the paurṇamāsēṣṭi and not a subsidiary to the principal rite darśapuṇamāsa[11]. An arthavāda[12] regarding the following states – इन्द्रं॑ वृ॒त्रञ्ज॑घ्नि॒वाꣳ सं॒ मृधो॒ऽभि प्रावे॑पन्त॒ स ए॒तं वै᳚मृ॒धं पू॒र्णमा॑सेऽनुनिर्वा॒प्य॑मपश्य॒त्तं निर॑वप॒त्तेन॒ वै स मृधोऽपा॑हते - When Indra had slain Vṛtra, his enemies threatened him. He saw this enemy-dispelling (oblation) to be offered subsequently at the full moon. He offered it, and with it drove away his enemies.
In addition to this, another offering of puroḍāśa is recommended by sage Āpastamba to Indra for subduing his enemy[13]. This is an optional rite.
Āpastamba, in his kalpa, also mentions an abhicāra performed for Viṣṇu, Agni, Sarasvatī and Sarasvat. Eleven puroḍāśas are offered for Agni and Viṣṇu, rice-pap for Sarasvatī and another rice-pap for Sarasvat[14]. The yajamāna who has adversaries is to perform only the paurṇamāseṣṭi and not the darśeṣṭi. This offering is also optional.
Āpastamba also mentions that an offering of Agni and Soma is to be performed on both the paurṇamāseṣṭi and darśeṣṭi if the yajamāna desires to vanquish his enemies. This is again optional. Normally, the offering of agniṣomīya is present only in the paurṇamāseṣṭi and not the darśeṣṭi. But the above modification is made to eliminate the foe[15].
The āghāra[16] libations of clarified butter are offered in the pūrṇamāṣeṭi and darśeṣṭi. While offering the āghāra, if the yajamāna wishes to practice abhicāra, the adhvaryu offers the libations crookedly[17]. Offering this libation causes crooked breathing of the enemy, leading to his death.
The five prayājas[18] are the subsidiaries of the Darśapūrṇamāsa. If the adhvaryu desires to make the enemy worse, then he is to offer the five prayājas by stepping backwards[19].
[1] The three sacred fires are Āhavanīya, Gārhapatya and Dakṣina. The one who possesses the three fires is called as an Āhitāgnin.
[2] An obligatory rite performed every day by an Āhitāgnin where oblations are offered in the three sacred fires. Every morning and evening the Agnihotra is performed by the yajamāna and his wife.
[3] यजमानश्चित्रानक्षत्रेऽग्निमाधाय भ्रातृव्यान् विनाश्य स्वस्मिन्नोजादिकं स्थापयति । (Sāyaṇa-bhāṣya)
[4] चित्रायां राजन्यो भ्रातृव्यवान् वा ॥ (Āpastamba-Śrautasūtra 5.3.13)
[5] आमात्ये जयाभ्यातानान् राष्ट्रभृत इति हुत्वामात्यहोमाञ्जुहोति (Baudhāyana-Śrautasūtra 2.11)
[6] See ĀpastambaiŚrautasūtra 6.18.1.
[7] यस्यै॒वं जुह्व॑ति । भव॑त्ये॒व । यं का॒मये॑त॒ पापी॑यान्थ्स्या॒दिति॑ । भूय॒स्तस्य॒ पूर्वꣳ॑ हु॒त्वा । उत्त॑रं॒ कनी॑यो जुहुयात् । ए॒षा वा अवा॒च्याहु॑तिः । तामसु॑रा अजुहवुः । तत॒स्ते परा॑ऽभवन् । (Taittirīya-Brāhmaṇa 2.1.4.2)
[8] An obligatory iṣṭi performed during the full-moon day (pūrṇamāsa) and new-moon day (darśa)
[9] They are cakes baked on potsherds (kapālas) that are offered to the Devas. They are either made of rice or barely. The followers of Ṛgvēda and Kṛṣṇa-Yajurvēda offer puroḍāśa made of rice. For the followers of Śukla-Yajurvēda, the purōḍāśa can optionally be made of barely.
[10] The injunction is as following – यद्वै॑मृ॒धः पू॒र्णमा॑सेऽनुनिर्वा॒प्यो॑ भव॑ति॒ मृध॑ ए॒व तेन॒ यज॑मा॒नोऽप॑हते (Taittirīya-samhitā 2.5.3.1)
[11] Mīmāṃsā-sūtra 4.3.14.32-35
[12] Arthavādas are passages that are found near injunctions and prohibitions. The arthavādas found near injunctions are called Vidhi-śēṣas and those near prohibitions are called Niṣēdha-śēṣas. Again, these arthavādas can be divided into three – Guṇavāda, Anuvāda and Bhūtārtha.
(1) The guṇavādas are poetic in nature which praise or condemn certain substances or objects. ‘आदित्यो यूपः’ i.e., the sun is the pillar is an example of guṇavāda. Here the pillar smeared in ghee is compared to the sun.
(2) Anuvāda is the repetition of that which is universally known. For example, while praising Agni it is heard ‘अग्निर्हिमस्य भेषजम्’ i.e., fire is the cure for coldness. It is a universal fact that the heat caused by the fire dispels coldness.
(3) Bhūtārthas are the various events mentioned in the Vedas regarding the battle between Devas and Asuras. These can neither be proved nor be disproved, hence Kumārila states that the tattva behind them should be taken. The performance of agnyādheya by the Devas are read near the injunctions of the agnyādheya which motivates the student to perform the rites. Similarly, the story of Prajāpati getting punished by Rudra for his incest condemns the action, therefore demotivating the person. All the Purāṇas and Itihāsas are to be viewed from the lens of bhūtārtha as per Kumārila. He does not reject the authenticity of Itihāsas, but states that the tattva behind them should be taken than just believing them as stories with no purpose.
[13] यो भ्रातृव्यवान्त्स्यात्स इन्द्राय वृत्रतुरे ॥ (Āpastamba-Śrautasūtra 3.16.3)
[14] यो भ्रातृव्यवान्स्यात्स पौर्णमासं संस्थाप्यैतामिष्टिमनुनिर्वपेदाग्नावैष्णवमेकादशकपालं सरस्वत्यै चरुं सरस्वते चरुम् ॥ (Āpastamba-Śrautasūtra 3.16.5)
[15] अग्नीषोमीयानि प्रधानानि स्युरमावास्यायां पौर्णमास्यां च भ्रातृव्यवतोऽभिचरतो वा ॥ (Āpastamba-Śrautasūtra 3.16.10)
[16] The rite in which long streams of ghee is poured in the direction starting from the south-west direction to the north-east direction to the altar.
[17] See Taittirīya-Samhitā 2.5.11.7-8
[18] स॒मिधो॑ यजति वस॒न्तमे॒वर्तू॒नामव॑रुन्धे॒ तनू॒नपा॑तं यजति ग्री॒ष्ममे॒वाव॑रुन्ध इ॒डो य॑जति व॒र्॒षा ए॒वाव॑रुन्धे ब॒र्हिर्य॑जति श॒रद॑मे॒वाव॑रुन्धे स्वाहाका॒रं य॑जति हेम॒न्तमे॒वाव॑रुन्धे (Taittirīya-Samhitā 2.6.1.1)
[19] यं कामयेताभितरं वसीयान्स्यादित्यभिक्रामं तस्य जुहुयादवतरं पापीयानिति प्रतिक्रामं न वसीयान्न पापीयानिति समानत्र तिष्ठन् (Āpastamba-Śrautasūtra 2.17.5)
To be continued.
