War Sacrifices

The Kshatriya order War Sacrifices:-

· Ashvamedha:- The famous horse-sacrifice was conducted by allowing a horse to roam freely for a slated period of time, with the king performing the sacrifice laying claim to all the lands it touched. The king whose authority is contested must prove himself in battle or accept the imperial supremacy of the challenging king. When the horse returns safely after the period of time, the main sacrifice is performed, and the king, if successful in obtaining dominance over other kings, is crowned Emperor of the World. The Ashwamedha allows the opportunity to maintain peace if the kings do not choose to contest the sacrificial horse. In Mahabharat era, Arjuna alone had conquered whole world for the sake of Ashwamedha Yagya of his brother.

Ashvamedha Yajna

· Rajasuya:- Considered the ultimate sacrifice, the king performing the sacrifice must openly challenge every king in the world to accept his supremacy or defeat him in battle. If and when the king returns successfully, having beaten all other known rulers, the performance of the sacrifice will send him to the abode of Indra. It was performed by the Pandava hero Yudhistra in the Mahabharata epic. Arjuna had conquered many kingdoms for the sake of Yudhisthira's Rajasuya.

Rajasuya yajna

· Vishwajeet Yagna

· Gomedh Yagna

· Yajna: Akin to the conduct of the Rajasuya, save only that the entire sacrifice is to please Vishnu.