Did Vajasaneyee Samhita Inspire Horse Veneration in all Cultures?
(Compilation for a
discourse at Sri Ganesha Temple, Nashville, TN, March 2015)
PREAMBLE
You have all gone through my discourse “Holy Cow of
Ancient cultures now Food for Many, Still Revered by Hindus” and the constant Go-Samrakshaa campaign and agitation in India. Living in a secular country USA
Hindu Americans cannot think of such protests where cow happens to be the staple
food for majority of Americans. Even Hindu Americans who consume beef say only
Indian cows are holy! It is also not justifiable to fight for the cause in
India which is also not a Hindu State but a secular nation with significant
number of people from other religions who are beef eaters. It is deplorable
that Buddhists who are in large numbers outside India are beef and pork consumers
who were responsible for majority Hindus
turning vegetarians. The only way we can bring down cow- slaughter if not
eliminate is by promoting the cause of vegetarianism
which concept has already caught up significant number of people even in a
country like Argentina, the most beef consuming country where there are three
cows for every Argentinian. There is also no justification for making cow alone
holy amongst all animals. In Hindu philosophy almost every item useful in our
daily life is holy including water. At the same time we are also prejudiced as
to beef eating while we do not talk about horse being holy which was the
earliest animal that was considered divine. French Hindus should be feeling the
same way about horse as Hindus feel about cow. We have the avatars of Man-Horse, Man-Lion, Fish,
Boar and Tortoise (a family member is crab). As we all know fish is killed in millions and even
consumed by Brahmins in Karnataka and Bengal. None of these consumed animals
are considered holy. If you look into Puranas the first choice of the Lord was
to assume the horse head in his first avatar of Hayagreeva, followed by Matsya,
Koorma, Varaha and Lion head. In spite of being a close companion of Lord
Krishna no Avatar ever took place with Cow-head. Therefore if at all any
domesticated animal has to be considered holy the only consideration goes to
horse. No lions are hunted for humans are scared of lion. Horse is deified in Vedas
and glorified in Aswamedha sacrifice. In Sanskrit Aswa=horse and Medha=intelligence or yajnya (sacrifice). Consider Vedic
mantra quotes: Brahma Medhaya | May Brahman
associate me with knowledge( MNU). Brahma Medhava | Brahman causes
the performance of Yajna that is the cause of Brahman (MNU). You are all familiar with the English word
Horse-sense meaning common sense or intelligence.
No Avatar ever took place other than Hayagreeva (Horse
head) and Simhagreeva—Narasimha (man –lion) which are also quite ancient. Gajanana
(Elephant head) is not an Avatar but a Puranic deity carved out of body scum of
Parvati to which life was induced by occult power of Parvati and surgical skill of Siva which was made popular by followers of Siva much
later honoring Siva for making him Lord
of Obstacle and his group leader (Ganapati) to oblige Parvati. We have already discussed about Narasimha
Avatar. Horse is glorified in Vedas by
naming a branch of Yajurveda as Vaajasaneyee Samhita or Horse (vaaja=horse)
rendered Samhita of Yajurveda. Also Puranas proclaim Hayagreeva/ Hayavadana was
the first incarnation as Man-Horse. In
the light of the glorification of Horse in Vedas and Puranas a detailed study
as to why we should consider horse as the holy animal and not cow makes lot of
sense if at all we have to consider any animal as holy. Holy horse would not
have brought in such harsh criticism from other religions since horse is
considered a noble animal by followers of Abrahamic religions and also dismissed as myth as to holy cow whereas horse has
solid foundation unlike cow which
is based on purely Hindu sentiments having been intimately and sentimentally
attached to cow.
Yajnyavalkya, the great sage who lost Yajurveda at one
time was vexed and grieved and so performed a severe penance for its
restoration. Sun-god travelling in his chariot with seven white horses was
pleased and appeared before him as a deity with the horse’s head and gave
Yajurveda in another form, which is known to the world today as Vaajasaneyee
Samhita. Vaaji means horse in
Sanskrit. Yajnyavalkya worshiped him as “Jnaanaanadamaya” embodiment of
Knowledge. Later Vishnu incarnated as Hayagreeva about which we will
talk in detail later. Here Surya
(Universal Light) appeared with horse head symbolic of Knowledge. Paushkara
Samhita explains that the Vedas are personified in human forms with faces of
horses (Vajivaktra sthitaa vedah
sampoorna naralakshanam). Therefore Vishnu as the presiding deity of Vedic learning must be imagined as a man with horse’s face. Initially horse was associated with intelligence. Aswamedha may also mean horse intelligence for Medha also means intelligence besides
sacrifice in Sanskrit. Also
Brihadaarnyaka describes Supreme Being as Aswamedha (like Brahma-havih in
Geeta). Later as the horse’s usefulness declined and Puranic Gajaanana coming
to the forefront with his elephant head
this emphasis of intelligence was shifted to elephant from the initial glorification of horse.
Hindu Purans say when the Milky Ocean was churned
Uchchaisravas the divine horse came out first as the four legged animal
followed by Kamadhenu, the celebrated cow. Hindu Puranas started Dasavatara with Hayagreeva (Horse necked) to
lead the team to start with. Later, wise
Pundits allotted that position to Matsyaavatara to align with Darwin’s Evolution
Theory and make religion more appealing by thus proving science and religion
conflate. Also Ganesha worship became prominent popularized by followers of Siva
who were in majority as the Lord of Wisdom with his elephant’s head and also propitiated
him as Lord of Obstacles to ward of obstacles, a paradoxical approach.
Associating Lord Ganesha with knowledge made him more popular
and pushed him to the fore-front. Hayagreeva retired from the scene and remained
in the background as AHSP (Authority Holding Sealed Particulars), holding
authority for Wisdom and advising not only Sarasvati but also Brihaspati,
Dattaatreya and Vyaasa. But, people in South India did not forget him. So he is popularly worshiped as Lord of
Wisdom even to-day. But his icon with horse’s head is always seen with angry,
sad looking and bent-down horse’s head posture. Perhaps he did not appreciate
the intelligence of elephant’s head which is too slow and drowsy in its
movements unlike horse which is fast, sharp and ever alert that attributed
intelligence to it with its sharp large unidirectional focused eyes. Horse has often proved its wisdom and
intelligence in the battle-field in saving its rider while in danger. We have
already talked about Asvinee twin deities with horse-heads symbolizing
knowledge and health.
Inspired by these early developments in Hinduism various
cultures started venerating horse and framed their own mythological stories
myths. If you browse through dictionary no other animal is more honored by
linking its name to a long list of ordinary words attached to the word horse
than other animals, like horse-sense, horse-whisper, horse-radish etc. I have
not heard anybody saying elephant-sense though elephant is credited with
intelligence by Hindus. Also chariot and
horse ruled the world for long popular with all rulers. Horse was an
inseparable friend, philosopher and guide for long. Chariot and horse were
indispensable in all ancient Hindu war-fares (Ratha turaga). You may recall here how Krishna’s chariot with white horses led Arjuna to
wisdom and success of war. The invention of motor-car by Ford gradually reduced
the importance of horse as an essential war-service companion. As a sort of
respect and love it is still retained in army and mounted police and also in
race and sports. Horse meat though tastier than beef did not become popular as beef even in the Western
Culture except in France because it is considered as a
noble animal in many Western Cultures.
HORSE IS HOLIER
THAN COW AND CONSIDERED DIVINE BY MANY CULTURES
Horses are known for their speed, dynamism, faithfulness
and devotion. Horses are also known for their wavering mind. That is why they
are made to focus on the straight path guarded by eye shields avoiding side
views. In Vedantic sense horse represents our senses which need to be
controlled. Horse is also a symbol of sacrifice which concept has influenced
various other cultures. One needs to control one’s senses or in other words
acquire the divine qualities of horse to focus on Brahman (Supreme Being) to attain
salvation. This is elaborated in Bhagavad Gita which is in reality Yogopanishad.
Mythologies of
many cultures, including Greco Roman, Celtic, Hindu, Islamic and Norse.include
references to both normal horses and those with wings or additional limbs, and
multiple myths also call upon the horse to draw the chariots of the Moon and
Sun. The horse also appears in the 12-year cycle of
animals in the Chinese Zodiac related to the Chnese calendar. In Brahmotsava Anniversary in all
Hindu Temples, deities are taken in procession on horse backs, as divine carrier
like Garuda Hanuman, Hamsa and Adisesha. Horses often figure
in
Hindu philosophical and Vedanta discussions.
Kathopanishad in 1-3-4 to 7 elaborates on the importance
of controlling the mind and senses echoed in Bhagavad Gita. It describes the
body as a chariot; the Self is the Rider; intellect is Charioteer; the mind as
the reins and the senses as horses.
Hindu scriptures talk about sense-mind–body control organs as horses--five sense organs in Kathopanishad ,
ten in the chariot driven by Dasaratha in Ramayana (five sense organs+five motor organs) and
seven in the chariot driven by Surya which comprises of five sense organs+mind+intellect
which are to be controlled to focus on Self or turn inwards.
Bhagavd Gita
describes the Chariot as three wheeled driven by four horses. Here again the human body represents chariot;
Arjuna the Jeevaatma or Self; Krishna Paramatman; three wheels-Sattva, Rajo and Tamo
Gunas (characteristics).
In Neeti Saastra of Vidura it is said:” O King! Man’s
body is just like a Chariot (Ratha); Intelligence is its Charioteer; Mind is
the Rider and its horses are the Senses. One who controls all these three,
travels happily in this world, just like a rider who is in control of the
horses of the chariot with the help of the charioteer.
Influenced by Hindu philosophy from earliest times
mythologies have mostly deified white horses as well
as colored too as possessing exceptional properties, transcending the normal
world.
Throughout history, both gray and white horses have
been mythologized. As part of its legendary dimension, the gray horse in myth
has been depicted with seven heads (Uchchaisravas) or
eight feet (Sleipnir),
sometimes in groups or singly. There are also mythological tales of divinitory
gray horses. White horse has featured in myth and legend from the earliest times. Equine representation in Palaeolithic art has
been interpreted as indicating shamanistic practice, and horses are common in
the folklore and mythology of Europe and Asia (the natural habitat of the horse). The essential
features of the horse in mythical tradition, abstracted from a range of sources,
can be summarized as: travel, flight,
soul journeying and transcendence, protection, communication, stamina, power,
wisdom and faithfulness.
Bronze Age Greek culture attributed the horse with
drawing the sun chariot across the sky as was in Hinduism. White horses were sacred to Neptune, and were
sacrificed into the sea at Rhodes as an offering to the sun god, the sun
apparently setting below the sea.
Pegasus, the winged horse, is taken to be the source of poetic
inspiration – the Hippocrene (horse spring) created where he struck the ground
with a forefoot gave the gift of verse to those who partook of its waters. Pegasus also provided the gods with rapid
transport between worlds. Centaurs from
the east (and probably their Chinese counterparts, the Ting Ling from the west)
may have developed from early contact with the nomadic horsemen of the Asian
steppes. Centaurs were endowed with
great wisdom and learning, but also showed a warlike nature. The Romans borrowed from the Greeks and
although the horse played little role in their mythology, Tacitus records the
sacrifice of the “October Horse” as an appeasement to the war god Mars (Adam
1825). Let us look into various mythologies in which
horse is glorified as divine or offered as a worthy sacrifice. Black Horse in
mythology is always viewed as representing mystery, death, night, secret,
messenger of esoteric knowledge. White horse stood for Light, Sun, Day,
Vitality, Illumination, Resurrection, Incarnation, Messenger of Birth and
Health.
Hindu Mythology,
Vedanta and Philosophy
Hindu mythology abounds in white Horses. Horse sacrifice
in Asvamedha was a fertility and kingship ritual involving the sacrifice of a
sacred gray or white stallion, which has led
Roman, Celtic and Norse people to resort to horse sacrifice. I wonder
whether the word Asvsamedha may also mean Horse-Intelligence though translated
as Asvamedhaa Fire Sacrifice. Aswa in Sanskrit means Horse Medha means
Intelligence (as understood in MNU). Uchchaisravas,
a white horse with seven heads is a
product of milky ocean. King Sagara’s story of 60000 sacrificial white horses
is very popular. Indra often stole the
sacrificial horse and created trouble for himself and to others as is also
learnt from the story of King Prithu.
The chariot of the solar deity Surya is drawn by seven
horses, alternately described as all white, or as the colors of the rainbow. White
color is made up of seven colors and this concept was known to Hindus first
based on this equation of seven colors of rain bow and white light.
Hayagreeva is worshipped as the God of knowledge and
wisdom, with a human body and a horse's head, brilliant white in color, with
white garments and seated on a white lotus.
The tenth Avatar of Vishnu Kalki is predicted to appear riding a white
horse, or in the form of a white horse.
The Ashvins or Ashwini
Kumaras are two Vedic minor deities and divine horsemen in
Rigveda described as sons of Saranya, daughter of Viswakarma and wife of
Soorya. We have discussed about these deities at length in another discourse. They
symbolize the luminescence of sunrise and sunset. The morning Sun (Arunodaya)
appearing in the sky before the dawn is believed to bring treasures to men to avert misfortune and sickness in a golden chariot. They are the physicians and surgeons of the
Devas and divine possessors of Ayurveda medicine. They are represented as human
beings with horse head like Hayagreeva. Vedic Asvinis might have inspired other
mythologies. Dioscuri, the twins Castor and Pollux of Greek and Roman mythology
and the divine twins Asvieniai of the ancient Baltic region of Lithuania may be
cited here. Puranas hail them as Rajavaidyas (Royal court doctors). They are
credited as having prepared first ever tonic paste (lehya) named
Chyavanprasa for sage Chyavana. Hence horse is always associated with health
and intelligence.
Yajnavalkya, the great Vedic Scholar, lost the Yajurveda as a
result of Guru’s curse and performed severe penance. Sun God, pleased by his penance, appeared
before him as a deity with the Horse’s head and taught him the same Veda in
another form which is now popular as Vaajasaneyee Samhita (horse rendered treatise). Vaji here
means horse. This might have been the origin of Hayagreeva who later killed the
demon Hayagreeve by the same name.
In
Brihadaranyaka the horse is linked to Prajapati. Prajapati was born in the form
of a horse from out of the gross body. “sah akaamayata medhyam ma
idam syadaatmnay- anena syaamiti | tatosvah samabhavadyadasttanmedhyam bhooditi
| tadeva asvamedhasya asvamedhatvam, ……..” [Prajapati desired. “Let the body of mine become fit for sacrifice
and let me be embodied through this. Out of that the horse was born….”
Ashwamedha was the
grandest of the Vedic religious rites of ancient India, performed by a king to
celebrate his sovereign power (Emperor). The ceremony is described in detail in
Yajurveda Satapatha Brahmana. An especially fine stallion was selected and was allowed
to roam freely for a year under the protection of a royal guard. If the sacrificial
horse entered a foreign country, its ruler had either to fight or to submit it.
If the horse was not captured during the
year, it was victoriously brought back to the capital accompanied by the rulers
of the lands it entered, and then sacrificed at a great public ceremony, which
was accompanied by much feasting and celebration. The wandering horse was said
to symbolize the Sun in its journey over the world and, consequently, the power of the king over the
whole Earth. On successfully carrying out a horse sacrifice the king could assume the title of chakravarti
(universal monarch). The rite served not only to glorify the king but also to
ensure the prosperity and fertility of the entire kingdom.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad only describes a symbolic sacrifice. Prajapati
was born in the form of a horse from out of the gross body coming out of his inner-self
status. That body swelled when Prajapati passed out of it and became fit for
sacrifice. So it is Prajapati who took the form of Horse. So it implies here
that the material for sacrifice itself is called Asvamedha. The deity that is
to be pleased here is Paramatman in the form of Mrityu. At the time of Cataclysm the two become one
with Paramatman. The Parmatman known by
the term Mrityu comes to be known as inner-self of the performer of Asvamedha
sacrifice. If one desires liberation with other gods he attains even that by
this notional sacrifice. Those who performed sacrifice as detailed in Yajurveda
offered the real horse in sacrifice dedicated to all gods to which Buddha
objected and walked out of Hinduism.
Lord Krishna is generally addressed as “Gopala” one who
takes care of the cows but Bhisma also addresses him as “Turagaraja” king of
horses. As we all know Krishna was responsible for winning the Mahabharata War
for he could maneuver the horses and take them wherever he wanted and whenever
he needed.
Baltic Region Mythology
Traditionally, the Vedic peoples of Lithuania worshipped the
Ašvieniai, the divine horse twins, related to the goddess Ūsinis. They are said
to pull the Sun Chariot through the sky. The Lithuanian people continue to
adorn their roof tops with the symbol of the divine horse twins in order to receive protection for the household.
Buddhist Mythology
Kanthaka was a white horse that was a
royal servant and favorite horse of Prince Siddhartha, who later became
Buddha. Siddhartha used Kanthaka in all
major events described in Buddhist
scriptures. Buddha is said to have left his physical body riding a white horse.
Also in Buddhism a winged horse is often depicted as carrying Book of law.
Chinese Mythology
As one of the symbols of Chinese zodiac the horse is
equated with Gemini and represents love, endurance, devotion and stability.
Chollima means thousand-li horse in Chinese mythology which is adopted as a
symbol of progress and economic development in Communist North Korea. Tulpar a
symbolic combination of horse and bird appears in the state emblem of Mangolia.
Shamanism of Asia
The horse played a significant part in native Shamanism
of Asiatic people. The White Horse was most sacred. The horse was used as a psycho-pomp to
transport the shaman to meditate with souls of the dead and to return messages
from the other world to the living. Some shamanic ritual involved horse
sacrifice. In Korean Shamanism the arrival of spirits is associated with the
sound of horses’ hooves.
Celtic Mythology
Rhiannon a mythic
rides a "pale-white" horse. This has the origin in Romano-Celtic fertility
horse goddess Epona, a triple aspect goddess, was invoked to protect the horses
and horse keepers. There are other instances of the veneration of horses in
early Indo-Aryan or Indo European culture. The Celtic horse was associated with
fertility, and vitality. White, black and chestnut red horses were sacred to
the Celts. Influenced by Roman culture horse became associated with the Sun,
war and healing. War, sky and Sun gods of the Gauls are depicted mounted on
horsebacks. The legendry horse of Mannan MacLircould traveled over land, water
and in between realms with equal poise. The secular importance of the horse
endowed it with reverence, sanctity and supernatural powers. It was admired for
beauty, strength, speed and sexual vigor.
Greek Mythology
White winged horse Pegasus was the son of Poseidon who
was also the creator of horses, creating them out of the breaking waves when
challenged to make a beautiful land animal.
Norse Mythology
Sleipnir is a gray horse eight legged, the best horse
among gods and men. Sleipnir was
considered to be the universal traveler able to carry his rider over land and
water. Lug’s steed Aenbarr had similar abilities and also carried the charm so
that the rider could never be killed whilst on her back. Scandinavian gods were able to shapeshift, as
Loki metamorphosed into mare to conceive and give birth to Sleipnir. This is
perhaps the source of the later medieval Christian name for St. Michel’s Horse,
St. Michael being the main guide for the discarnate human soul. The Valkyries
retrieved the souls of dead slain in battle and transported them to Valhalla on
horseback.
Roman Mythology
The Romans linked horses with
Mars, the God of Fury of war. Horses were also seen pulling the chariot of
Helios, the Sun God. In Greco-Roman myth the Horse is a said to be created by
Poseidon (Neptune) and is devoted to Hades (Pluto) and Ares (Mars). Romans
believed horse to be a symbol of the continuity of life, and would sacrifice a
horse to the God Mars every October, keeping its tail through the winter as a
sign of fertility and birth.
Slavic Mythology
Hungarian Mythology
Hadur is the war god who
wears pure copper and is a metalsmith. The ancient Magyars sacrificed
white stallions to him before a battle.
Iranian Mythology
The divinity takes three forms
during the last ten days of every month as representation of Tishtrya—the Hypostatis
of star Sirius, a young man and a bull
according to Zoroastrianism. It also
mentions Apaosha the demon of drought, which appears as a black stallion. (Compare demon in Hinduism). Wind, rain,
clouds and sleet are the forms of divine horses which draw divine chariots of
gods like Aredvi Sura Anahita who is the divinity of waters.
Jewish Religion
The book of
Zachariah mentions colored horses; in one passage there
are three colored horses-- red, dappled, and white and in another passage there are four horses --red, black,
white, and finally dappled
pulling chariots. The second set of horses is referred to as "the four spirits
of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world".
They are described as patrolling the earth and keeping it peaceful.
Christian Mythology
The New Testament
mentions four horses of the Apocalypse. Book of Revelation mentions of Christ
riding a white horse believed to descend on earth as the Head of the armies of
heaven. St. James, patron saint of Spain and St. George, the patron saint of
horsemen are described as riding non-white horses. It is believed in Osseita
the deity Uastyrdzhi, who embodied both the warrior and sun motifs often
associated with white horses, became identified with the figure of St. George
after the region adopted Christianity. Four horse of Apocalypse are mentioned
as harbingers of last Judgment during the apocalypse symbolizing conquest, war,
famine and death of colors white, red, black and green.
Islamic Religion
Islamic culture tells of a white
horse named AL Buraq who brought Muhammud to Jannah during the Night Journey. Al-Buraq was
also said to transport Ibrahim when he visited his wife Haajar and son Ismail. Ibrahim
lived with his wife Sarah in Syria and traveled
to Mecca to see his other wife on
horse-back and went back to his Syrian wife in the
evening. Al Buraq carried Muhammad accompanied by Angle Jibril (Gabriel).
Korean Mythology
Korean
mythology speaks of a huge white horse of the
kingdom of Silla. When people gathered to pray for a king, the horse
emerged from a bolt of lightning, bowing to a shining egg.
Philippines Mythology
The city of Pangantucan has its symbol,
a white stallion which saved an ancient tribe from massacre by
uprooting a bamboo and thus warning them of the enemy's approach.
Vietnamese Mythology
Hanoi city in Korea honors
a white horse as its patron saint with a
temple dedicated to this revered spirit, the Bach
Ma (White horse) Temple.
Native American Mythology
The snow
deity Aisoyimstanis is a white-colored man in white clothing who rides a white horse. As a
Native American symbol The Horse symbol meanings combine the grounded power of
the earth with the whispers of wisdom found in the Spirit Winds. The horse has
been long honored as helper, messenger and harbinger of knowledge
of Spirits to the Native Americans.
Horse to them comes with the understanding that the wild freedom of the Horse
can be harnessed and used to the benefit of the tribe. This understanding comes
only when the beast and the man enter into a silent contract acknowledging
mutual respect and awareness of responsibility to each other. From this concept
the word Horse-whisper has come to mean
a person who excels at calming or training hard to manageable animals
using non-coercive methods based especially on an understanding of animal’s
natural instincts.
State Symbol
Tulpar, a symbolic combination of bird and horse appears
in the State emblems of both Kazhakasthan
and Mangolia.
EPILOGUE
Having my focus on Wisdom of Vedas I often fail to understand
the Wisdom of Puranas and our religious sentiments and worship. Tamils attach great importance to cow worship and
even earmark a day for special care, worship and celebration of cow called
Maattu Pongal, a festival named after their famous breakfast dish and cow. Also Tamils worship elephant for three days on
Kaartik Purnima and the days following propitiating Goddess of Wealth Lakshmi.
Here on Maattu Pongal Day the focus is on cow, the female species only which is
revered for its usefulness. On that day no bull or aged and suffering cows
(used in agriculture when milking stopped) are cared for or concern expressed.
It is not wrong to conclude here their religious sentiments are focused on
usefulness as for as cow and also on wealth as seen in elephant worship which
is an inseparable companion of Lakshmi (Gajalakshmi). I feel the focus should be on the neglected and
aged cows which roam around in search for food than milk yielding well cared for house cows which are well taken care
of in daily life. Going through the
Upanishads and Puranas I feel horse is holier than cow yet it is not worshiped like
cow or elephant about which I talked about! The Great Lord decided to incarnate
himself as Haygreeva or Hayavadana
(horse-necked or Horse faced) and Narasimha (man-lion) and not as Go-vadana.
Later Puranas introduced a minor God, a
playing piece of doll of Parvati carved out of her body dirt who was made her
body-guard and later had to be fixed with an elephant head by the surgical
skill of Lord Siva who is hailed as a doctor (Bheshaja); Gajanana was also
pushed to the forefront for first worship (Prathama Vandana) to please Parvati. Siva who was pleased
with the services of his mount bull Nandi, fixed a man’s body to it so as to
make the bull-man Nandi. It is again not any incarnation. Hindus love Puranas
and divine magic and so today the focus is more on Ganesha and Nandi than Siva
himself.
In Brihadarnayaka Upanishad Supreme Brahman is called Asvwamedha,
a name given to the very sacrifice itself, as Vishnu is referred as Yajnapurusha.
In Purushasookta Purusha himself
becomes the material of sacrifice and Purusha is sacrificed. You may find
similar expression in Bhagavad Gita where Brahman is referred as one
who receives the sacrifice as well as sacrifice himself—Brahmaarpanam
Brahmhutih. In Purushasookta
Purusha sacrificed himself to start creation. Purushasookta theme is echoed in
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad in addressing Prajaapati as Asvamedha. Asvamedha
is Prajapati as well as the sacrifice.
In conclusion it may be said horse was the only holy animal and later this thought has been directed to cow as the utility of horse declined and diverted to the worship of cow as observed on the day of
Maattu Pongal and prayers offered glorifying cow as Gomaata. Holy cow has become a political issue today
in India which is a secular country. Horse is celebrated as the mount of
Vishnu in Brahmotsavas along with elephant but no cow is used as a mount. Though Krishna is always seen with his flute
he is rarely seen with cow in Krishna icons worshiped in temples like Murugan
with peacock. Horse requires due
attention and focus in Hind religious
belief and worship more than cow.
REFERENCES
1.
Swami
Bhaskaranada, Hindu Gods and Goddesses, Ramkrishna Math, Chennai, India.
2.
Ramachandra
Rao, Vishnu Kosha, Kalpataru Research Academy, Bengaluru, India.
3.
Devadatt
Pattanayak, Vishnu, Peffer and Vakils, Bombay
4.
Srinivasn
N.R., Hayagreeva, Hindu Reflections, <nrsrini.blogspot.com>
5.
Encyclopedia
Britannica, Wikipedia and other
Internet sources.
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