Vol. 4 · pages 136–140

125RIDDLE NO. 15 Now the important point to note in this connection is that Kali is the wife of Shiva. The question that arises is does Shiva accept animal sacrifice? The answer to this question is that at one time Shiva did live on animal sacrifice. This statement may come as a surprise to the present day worshippers of Shiva. But it is a fact and those who need any evidence in support of it, have only to refer to the Ashvalayan GrihyaSutra which gives a most elaborate description of a bull-sacrifice for the appeasement of Shiva. I give below the actual text from the Ashavalayan Grihya Sutra1. This is what it says: 1. “Now the spit-ox (sacrificed to Rudra). 2. In autumn or in spring, under the (Nakshatra) Ardra. 3. The vest of his herd. 4. (An ox) which is neither leprous nor speckled. 5. One with black spots, according to some. 6. If he likes, a black one, if its colour incline to copper-colour. 7. He sprinkles it with water, into which he has thrown rice and barley. 8. From head to tail. 9. With (the formula), ‘Grow up, agreeable to Rudra the great god’. 10. He should let it grow up. When it has cut its teeth, or when it has become a bull. 11. To a quarter (of the horizon) which is sacrificially pure. 12. At a place which cannot be seen from the village. 13. After midnight. 14. According to some, after sunrise. 15. Having caused a Brahman who is versed in learning and knows the practice (of this sacrifice), to sit down, having driven a fresh branch with leaves into the ground as a sacrificial post, (having taken) two creeping plants or two kusa ropes as two girdles, and having wound the one round the sacrificial post, and tied the other round the middle of the animal’s head, he binds it to the sacrificial post or to the girdle (which he had tied to that post) with (the formula), ‘Agreeable to him to whom adoration (is brought), I bind thee’. 16. The sprinkling with water and what follows is the same as at the animal sacrifice. 17. We shall state what is different. 18. Let him sacrifice the omentum with the Patri or with a leaf-thus it is understood (in the Sruti). 1S. B. of East. Vol. XXIX p. 255-259 (Max-Muller).

126 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 19. With (the formula), ‘To Hara, Mrida, Sarva, Siva, Bhava, Mahadeva, Ugra, Bhima, Pasu-pati, Rudra, Sankara, Isana svaha’! 20. Or with the last six (parts of that formula). 21. Or with (the formula), ‘To Rudra svaha’! 22. Let him make Bali offerings towards the four quarters (of the horizon, to each on four rings of Kusa net-work, with the formulas), ‘The hosts, Rudra, which thou hast towards the estern direction, to them this (offering is brought). Adoration to thee! Do no harm to me ! ‘In this way the assigning (of the offerings is performed) according to the different quarters (of the horizon). 23. With the following four hymns he should worship the four quarters, viz., ‘what shall we do Rudra,’ ‘These prayers to Rudra,’ ‘To thee, O father,’ ‘These songs to Rudra with the strong bow.’ (Rig-Veda I,43, 114; II, 33; VII, 46). 24. (This) worship to the quarters (of the horizon (is performed) at all sacrifices to Rudra. 25. The husks and chaff (of the rice), the tail, the skin, the head, the feet (of the sacrificial animal) he should throw into the fire. 26. He should turn the skin to some use according to Samvatya. 27. To the north of the fire, on rows of Darbha grass, or on rings of Kusa network, he should pour out the blood (of the sacrificial animal) with (the formula) ‘Hissing ones! Noisy ones! Searching ones ! Seizing ones ! Serpents ! What here belongs to you, take that.’ 28. Then, turning to the north (he assigns it) to the serpents (in the words) ‘Hissing ones! What here belongs to you take that’. Then the serpents take whatever has flowed down there of blood or of the contents of stomach and entrails. 29. All names, all hosts, all exaltations belong to him—to a sacrificer who knows that, he gives joy. 30. Even to a man who only with words sets forth (some part) of that (ceremony), he will do no harm; thus it is understood (in the Sruti). 31. He should not partake of that (sacrifice). 32. They should not take anything belonging to it into the village. For this God will do harm to (human) creatures. 33. He should keep away his people from the vicinity (of the place where he has sacrificed). 34. On an express injunction, however, he should partake (of that sacrificial food) for it will bring luck. 35. This split-ox sacrifice procures wealth, (open) space, purity, sons, cattle, long life, splendour. 36. After he has sacrificed, he should let loose another (animal).

127RIDDLE NO. 15 37. He should not be without such an animal. 38. Then he will not be without cattle—thus it is understood (in the Sruti). 39. Muttering the Santatiya hymn, he should go to his house. 40. If disease befalls his cattle, he should sacrifice to that same God in the midst of his cow-stable. 41. A mess of cooked food, which he sacrificed in its entirety. 42. Having thrown the sacrificial grass and the Agya into the fire, he should lead his cows through the smoke. 43. Murmuring the Santatiya hymn, he should go in the midst of his cattle. 44. Adoration to Saunaka; Adoration to Saunaka!” Today Shiva does not accept animal sacrifice. This change in the form of worship of Shiva is the result of the acceptance by the principle of Ahimsa. Having changed from himsa to Ahimsa the Brahmans changed Shiva from a Himsak God to an Ahimsak God. The cult of Kali has come into being long after Shiva had become an Ahimsak God. Never the less Kali his wife was made an himsak Goddess. The result is that we have a cruel contrast of a bloodless god having a blood-thirsty Goddess as his wife. Isn’t it a riddle? Why did the Brahmins do such a thing? zz

APPENDIX I THE RIDDLE OF THE VEDAS The Vedas are the sacred Books of the Hindus. There are several questions that arise in connection with them. What is their origin, who is their author, what is their authority, these are some of them (questions). To begin with the first. According to the Hindus they are Sanatana which means that they are “eternally pre-existing”. There is no justification for this view unless it be based upon a statement which occurs in the Atharva-Veda. It says 1: “From Time the Rig verses sprang; the Yajus sprang from Time”. But there are other views quite opposed to this. Starting from the Atharva-Veda it must be noted that besides this view there are two other views propounded in that Veda. The first of these is not very intelligent and may be given in its own language which runs as follows 2: “Declare who that Skambha (supporting principle) is in whom the primeval rishis, the rich, saman, and yajush, the earth, and the one rishi, are sustained …. 20. Declare who is that Skambha from whom they cut off the rich verses, from whom they scraped off the yajush, of whom the saman verses are the hairs and the verses of Atharvan and Angiras the mouth”. The second explanation given in the Atharva-Veda is that the Vedas sprang from Indra 3. Explanation of the Rig-Veda is to be found in the Purusha-Sukta. According to it there was a universal sacrifice in which the victim was the mystical being called Purusha and it is out of the sacrifice of this This is a consolidated chapter on the Riddle of the Vedas dealing with most of the subjects discussed by the author in the earlier chapter Nos. 2 to 6 of this book. In all there are 61 typed pages bearing no corrections at all. This copy is a typed carbon copy.—Ed. 1 Atharva-Veda XIX 54, 3. 2 Quoted in Muir’s Sanskrit Texts vol. III, p. 3. 3 Quoted in Muir Sanskrit Texts, p.

129APPENDIX I Purusha that the three Vedas namely Rig, Saman and Yajur came into being. The Sam-Veda and the Yajur-Veda make no reference to the origin of the Vedas. Proceeding to the writings called Brahmanas we find attempts to explain the origin of the Vedas in the Satapatha Brahmana, the Taitteriya Brahmana, Aitareya Brahmana and Kaushitaki Brahmana. The Satapatha Brahmana has a variety of explanations. It attributes the origin of the Vedas to Prajapati. According to it Prajapati by his austerity created three worlds—Earth, Air and Sky. He infused warmth into these three worlds. From them, thus heated, three lights were produced,— Agni (fire), Vayu (wind) and Surya (the sun). From them so heated the three Vedas were produced,- the Rig-Veda from Agni, the Yajur-Veda from Vayu and Sam-Veda from the Sun. This is also the explanation given by the Aitereya and the Kaushitaki Brahmana. The Satapatha Brahmana gives another variant1 of this explanation of the origin of the Veda from Prajapati. The explanation is that Prajapati created the Vedas from waters. Says the Satapatha Brahmana— “This Male Prajapati, desired, ‘May I multiply, may I be propagated’. He toiled in devotion he practised austere-fervour. Having done so he first of all created sacred knowledge, the triple Vedic science. This became a basis for him. Wherefore men say, ‘sacred knowledge is the basis of this universe.’ Hence after studying the Veda a man has a standing ground: for sacred knowledge is his foundation. Resting on this basis he (Prajapati) practised austere fervour. 9. He created the waters from Vach (speech), as their world. Vach was his; she was created. She pervaded all this whatever exists. As she pervaded (apnot), waters were called ‘apah’. As she covered (avrinot) all, water was called ‘var’. 10. He desired, ‘May I be propagated from these waters.’ Along with this triple Vedic science he entered the waters. Thence sprang an egg. He gave it an impulse; and said, ‘let there be, let there be, let there be again’. Thence was first created sacred knowledge, the triple Vedic science. Wherefore men say, ‘Sacred knowledge is the first-born thing in this universe. Moreover, it was sacred knowledge which was created from that Male in front, wherefore it was created as his mouth. Hence they say of a man learned in the Veda, He is like Agni; for the sacred knowledge is Agni’s mouth?”. 1 Muir Sanskrit Texts. III p. 8.