ASWAMEDHA

ASWAMEDHA Performance of horse-sacrifice, donating gold against one\’s own weight, having a bath at Prayag, they are not equal to the merit of remembering the Name and singing the Praises of the Lord. (Gond Namdev, p. 873) Performing horse-sacrifice and donating gold secretly in fruit, they do not equal the merit of the Name of the Lord. (Ramkali Namdev, p. 973) Any king, who performed this sacrifice was considered a conqueror and a king of kings.

In this sacrifice, a horse of a particular colour was consecrated by the performance of certain rites; it was then let loose to wander at will for a specified period. The horse was followed by the representative of the king and his army. If the horse retumed triumphantly, the king was declared the greatest monarch, but if the horse failed in its mission, the king perfocming the sacrifice was ridiculed. One who succeeded in the performance of such a sacrifice for a hundred-times, enabled the king to overthrow the throne of Indra and become the monarch of the universe and also gods.

References :

1. Kohli, Surindar Singh, Dictionary of Mythological References in Guru Granth Sahib, 1993