Vedic influence in Rome Horse Sacrifice

Most religions especially in Rome, Greece, Persia etc. had rituals involving the sacrifice of animals. Most of these sacrifices are mentioned in the Vedas but they do not mean actual animal sacrifices but are symbolic representation of spiritual truth. The words in the Vedas are encoded. The literal meaning cannot be taken. The literal meaning is used as symbols to explain higher truths. Over time during the transfer of knowledge, the key to decode the Vedas was lost and only the literal meaning was transferred. As a result we see evidence of animal sacrifices in ancient Rome, Greece, Persia etc.  I will show some examples of animal sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas and their actual meaning.

The Ashwamedha Sacrifice: This a sacrifice in which a horse is sacrificed. The Brihadaranya Upanishad states that the creator under the name of Mrityu (Death) became the horse sacrificed in the Ashwamedha ritual. It is said that in the beginning nothing existed. He as Death made up his mind to become atmanvi. He brought forth water from which sprang earth. He got Fire by toiling the Earth and from Fire Air. Hankering Death wanted a second Atman to be born. By combining his mind with speech he brought forth the entire universe. Whatever he brought forth he began to eat. Desiring his body to be fit for sacrifice, he became the horse. He let the horse loose for a year; after the completion of one year, he sacrificed the horse to Himself. This analogy is modeled on the life of warriors who give up their life to protect many. 

This sacrificial rite indicates the self-sacrifice made by the creator to become the many forms by which he starts creation. It can also be said that, “He the Self, rides on the horse which is himself, to reach Himself”. By this He is also said to conquer recurring death. Hankering Death and His desire to eat all represent his wish for us to reach him. He shows us the way through his self-sacrifice by which he rides on himself to reach him. He is the sacrificial victim, the sacrificial fire and the enjoyer of the sacrifice. This teaches us about the way to reach the Supreme Brahman. We need to sacrifice ourselves unto him wholeheartedly. We also need to ride on him to reach him. That is He is the means as well as the end. The texts also say that Vak the wife of Brahma the creator went away from him and entered the sacrificial horse representing the fact that she is one with him. In the Sri Vaishnava belief the Goddess Sri is worshiped with Lord Vishnu and both of them together are the means as well as the end. 

King Dasharatha obtained Lord Vishnu the Supreme Brahman as his son by conducting the Ashwamedha Sacrifice. In this case, it could be said that the sacrifice was used as a fertility rite. The king who conducts 100 such sacrifices is also believed to become the next Devendra. Through God’s grace anything is possible; He has the power to make our wish come true. Our main goal should be to reach him but instead if a king wishes to become the king of the celestials and surrenders to the Supreme Brahman for help the king’s wish will definitely come true. This sacrifice teaches us about surrendering to God so that he may save us from recurrent death. It is not an actual sacrifice in which horses are to be slaughtered.

In ancient Rome the October Horse Sacrifice was very popular. A chariot race was held in October. The horse harnessed to the right hand side of the winning chariot was sacrificed to Mars. The head of the horse was cut-off. The horse was taken to the king’s hearth so that the horse’s blood would spill in to the king’s fire. The remaining blood of the horse was preserved till April when it was given to the shepherds to be burnt. This sacrifice was conducted as a fertility rite. The sacrifice was believed to help both the agricultural and the military sector.