Historical Vedic Religion - Rituals

Rituals

Specific rituals and sacrifices of the Vedic religion include, among others:

  • The Soma rituals, which involved the extraction, utility and consumption of Soma:
    • The Agnistoma or Soma sacrifice
  • Fire rituals involving oblations (havir):
    • The Agnihotra or oblation to Agni, a sun charm,
    • The Agnicayana, the sophisticated ritual of piling the fire altar.
    • The New and Full Moon as well as the Seasonal (Cāturmāsya) sacrifices
  • The royal consecration (Rajasuya) sacrifice
  • The Ashvamedha or A Yajna dedicated to the glory, wellbeing and prosperity of the Rashtra the nation or empire
  • The Purushamedha or symbolic sacrifice of a man, imitating that of the cosmic Purusha, cf. Purusha Sukta as well as, in its Śrauta form, the Ashvamedha. The "sacrifice" is symbolic, the text clearly indicating that the participant is to be released.
  • The rituals and charms referred to in the Atharvaveda are concerned with medicine and healing practices.

The Ashvamedha (horse sacrifice) has parallels in the 2nd millennium BC Sintashta and Andronovo culture as well as in Rome (the October Horse), medieval Ireland, and beyond in Central and East Asia. Although in the Rigveda, the cow's description as aghnya (that which should not be killed) may refer to poetry, it may be reflective of some of the social practices, as were other practices like rituals and deity worship.

The Hindu rites of cremation are seen since the Rigvedic period; while they are attested from early times in the Cemetery H culture, there is a late Rigvedic reference invoking forefathers "both cremated (agnidagdhá-) and uncremated (ánagnidagdha-)".(RV 10.15.14)

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