Doubts and Discussions from the Ramayan II - Page 52

Is it just me or do I have company in experiencing some problems with IF or the internet in general today? Many of my posts have gone missing - don't know if there is something wrong with my system or if somethig else has gone wrong. 😭😡🤢

I have been trying to post something for quite some time . . .

I'll try posting a bit later.

Chandraketu,

I need time to process it all and search for more information.

So this time the assignment is for me? 😉

But I can add to the questions list . . .

Not sure about Indra's Ashwamedha Yagna. I don't understand the details either. Could an unmarried person perform the Sacrifice?

The king could send the generals for the fight and when they are responsible to protect the horse there is no other option for the kings and princes who capture the horse except to fight the generals or any other person protecting the horse. After all, they are Kshathriyas too.

I do not know about the punishments for those who fail to do the sacrifice themselves. It sort of seems unfair - the kings who do not want to be under any other country but do not have the wealth to perform the Ashwamedha Yagna do not have any option? If it was mandatory that the king who defeats the one protecting the horse must perform the horse sacrifice, then not doing so will defintely incur some sin or punishment. Was there a way out of this predicament?

Thanks for the story of Raja Hila. I had read the story before, but the story I was referring to was something like a group of rishis performing the sacrifice for themselves or something like that. But I may be wrong.

I too thought that it must be Lord Shiva who was worshiped. But I still don't understand why . . .

The major Ashwamedha Sacrifices - I am not sure of all but will definitely refer to the books I have and let you know. I'll refer Raghuvamsa too, just give me some time.

I had read that a king named Silavarman had done the horse sacrifice. There are pictures of the site where he performed the sacrifice.





This site is found 12 km away from Vikas Nagar. I think the name of the place is Jagatgram. It is in the the districtof Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand.

It is believed that the sacrifice was performed around 3rd Century A.D. The burnt bricks were discovered by The Archeological Survey of India in 1952 (- 1954).

The many bricks discovered was stamped with the following verse:



I searched for the king's lineage but could not find much. Only one site had some info about him - claiming that he was a Suryavanshi - one of Yama's descendants. It seems that he was a part of the Varmas who ruled the country of Sirmaur and it was given that their capital city was also called the same and was situated near Kasi. I have no idea how true this is. The information in that site (or book or whatever it was) confused me quite a bit. But this much is true - there was a king named Silavarman who performed the Ashwamedha Sacrifice.

I'll get back with more information after consulting Raghuvamsa.

Finally! 😃 Made it!!!

I lost count of how many times I had to type my messages today. 😕

Guys, I had a doubt....

In Valmiki, all 4 brothers are avatars of Vishnu - there is no mention of them being avatars of Sesha-nag, Sudarshan chakra or Panchajanya.

I think this tradition is more likely than not a Vyasa invention, since it also jives neatly w/ the tradition in the Dwapar Yuga, w/ Balarama being Sesha nag. (Although, if one accepts the Bhagvat Purana version that Balarama and Krishna were borne out of 2 hairs plucked from Hari's head, then that would seem to down even that theory.) But even if one accepts the Lakshman as Sesha nag theory, what kills this theory for me is inanimate objects like the conch-shell and the discus becoming fully human shaktis of their own, in Bharat and Shatrughan. (The version that has Pradhyumna as an avatar of either the conch-shell or the discus is a non-starter, since he was an avatar of Kama-deva, after tha latter was incinerated by Shiva for trying to get him interested in Parvati).

Having said all that, I once heard from someone that just as all 4 bros were avatars of Vishnu, all 4 bahus were avatars of Lakshmi. Note that this is just hearsay - I never read it anywhere.

I went through the storyline of Raghuvamsa.

Dileepa was the one who performed 99 Ashwamedha Yagnas. Raghu performed a Viswajeet Yaaga, not the Ashwamedha Yaaga.

Apart from the kings, you mentioned and Raja Silavarman of whom I posted in page 65, I don't recall anyone else who had performed the Ashwamedha Yagna.

I'll keep searching for a while for more information.

Vibs

That's right - when Dileepa was doing his 100th Ashwamedha yagna, that was when Indra decided to steal his horse to prevent Dileepa from matching Indra's record, and he got into a war w/ Raghu. Ultimately, Indra granted Raghu that Dileepa would get full credit for the 100 yagnas even though he wouldn't be able to complete the 100th.

The Vishwajeet yagna sounds like a world conquest, and Raghu's empire seems to have stretched from Central Asia (Caspian and Aral Seas) to Aryavarta. At the end of it, he did a major celebration that included generous distribution of gifts to all the people he had conquered. At the end of it all, to satisfy a Brahmin who arrived after everything had been distributed, he planned an invasion of Alkapuri, but Kubera placated him w/ all the treasure he needed, and the pleased Brahmin blessed him w/ a son, who was to become Aja.

Anyway, thanks for that info re: the Ashwamedha

Originally posted by: Chandraketu

In Valmiki, all 4 brothers are avatars of Vishnu - there is no mention of them being avatars of Sesha-nag, Sudarshan chakra or Panchajanya.

I think this tradition is more likely than not a Vyasa invention, since it also jives neatly w/ the tradition in the Dwapar Yuga, w/ Balarama being Sesha nag. (Although, if one accepts the Bhagvat Purana version that Balarama and Krishna were borne out of 2 hairs plucked from Hari's head, then that would seem to down even that theory.) But even if one accepts the Lakshman as Sesha nag theory, what kills this theory for me is inanimate objects like the conch-shell and the discus becoming fully human shaktis of their own, in Bharat and Shatrughan. (The version that has Pradhyumna as an avatar of either the conch-shell or the discus is a non-starter, since he was an avatar of Kama-deva, after tha latter was incinerated by Shiva for trying to get him interested in Parvati).

Having said all that, I once heard from someone that just as all 4 bros were avatars of Vishnu, all 4 bahus were avatars of Lakshmi. Note that this is just hearsay - I never read it anywhere.

all 4 bros were vishnu's avtaar its given in ramayana valmiki ramayan ...they were born frm vihnu's aurus (ansh) in payaas which dev have given in yagya.all the ladies are described as kala of laksmi though to give each a title of sheshnaag,shankha n chakra are more of a poetic comparison to show tht lakshaman was as close to ram as sheshnaag to vishnu......

😭 In a way I am glad that Ramayan is coming to an end with diginity. I am also very sad that it is ending. It has been a great journey with the serial and with all of you guys in the forum for a year and half. 😭😭😭