Indra explains about the war-sacrifice ritual and its rewards to Ambarisha King
Well, we all know that incredible Lord Shiva had destroyed
Tripura along with the three demon sons of Tarakasura with his single arrow
whilst being on his divine chariot that was driven through Lord Brahma. Do you
realize that he gave his chariot alongside armies and weapons to King
Ambarisha’s commander Sudeva once? Wow, I am getting goosebumps whilst thinking
about that situation! It was there within the verbal exchange of Indra
and King Ambarisha which was advised by Bhishma Pitamaha to King Yudhisthira
with a purpose to alleviate him from mourning over the lifeless Kshatriyas
after the Mahabharata war. Indra had too described the king in their conversation
approximately the Kshatriyas getting Uttamloka after their death. Let us know
about it in brief.
Once Ikshvaku King Ambarisha or Ambarisa; son of Nabhaga went to heaven and saw that his commander Sudeva is sitting with Indra in Devloka. He was going up and up at the same time as being on a very splendid and divine Viman. After Seeing his robust commander going above him, that generous intellect King became amazed and questioned to Indradeva that, “Oh deity King! I have ruled all over the ocean and protected the earth fairly. I always stayed prepared to observe the four Varnas as consistent with the need of Dharma in line with the Shastras. I followed the strict celibacy as advised by means of the Guru, studied Vedas religiously, served my Guru, and received unique education in Rajshastra. I usually pleased my guests, Ancestors, sages, and Deities by way of giving food and drinks to them, performing Shradha, doing Svadhyaya (self-study of Vedas), and by performing yajnas respectively. I was constantly situated in Kshatriya-dharma in step with the scriptures. I additionally took care of my army and won over the enemies in the war. This Sudeva was my commander earlier: a generous soldier; then how can he rise above me? Indra deva! He neither completed wonderful yajnas nor satisfied the Brahmins. How is he going up than me?”
One day at an auspicious time you were performing the
rituals of the excellent Yajna referred to as Ashwamedha for the benefit of the
deities, in those days these three demons reached there to put hindrances on
your Yajna. They brought with them a large army of hundred crore demons,
attacked and captured all of your human beings. At that time all your people
and soldiers were distraught. Those days, you had deprived commander Sudeva
of his position and all the works after listening to your minister's words in
opposition to him. On the other hand after hearing the deceitful talk of the
same ministers, you ordered Sudeva to go to the war together with the army with
the intention to kill these dangerous demons. Furthermore, you asked him not to
return without defeating the army of demons and saving your people and
soldiers from their captivity.
Sudeva immediately went to the place wherein your people had been captivated by the demons and noticed a massive army of them. The commander Sudeva thought that this massive army could neither be conquered with the aid of any deities or deity King Indra nor by any demons. He became aware of the fact that even King Ambarisha himself could never annihilate the sixteenth a part of this army regardless of owning divine weapons and divine force, then how could a soldier like him conquer this army?
Thinking this, Sudeva again sent the whole army back where
you along with your crooked ministers were seated collectively. Thereafter, Sudeva
took shelter of Mahadev Jagdishwar Rudradev and did Stuti for Lord
Vrishabhadhwaja. He took a knife in his hand and became prepared to cut off his head. Then Mahadev, out of compassion, grabbed the right hand of Sudeva and
affectionately asked him, why did he wish to do one of these dare.
Then Sudeva bowed down his head before Lord and said thus, “God! I cannot win this demon army battle; that's why I need to give up this life. Shiva! You provide a haven for me. King Ambarisha alongside the ministers are sitting enraged at me. He explicitly ordered no longer to return back without defeating this army. Then Mahadevji first called for a huge army by means of calling the archers, elephants, and horses, which were armed with divine weapons and were adorned. After that Lord got that first-rate chariot presented there, via which he had earlier destroyed Tripura. Then the Dhanush referred to as Pinaka, Kharga and the weapons were also given through Lord Shankar to Sudeva, via which Lord Trilochana had earlier killed all of the demons.
Thereafter Sudeva took the chariot saved the captive human beings via conquering all of the demons and also killed all the enemies. Sudeva himself then was killed at the side of Viyama at the same time as fighting the battle with him. King! Sudeva did the great Ranayajna: yajna similar war-sacrifice by him It happens in the energy of each warrior who takes initiation of warfare act by going to the face of the army.’
Ambarisha asked, “on this war sacrifice what's the Havisha?
What's Ghee? What's the Dakshina and in it Which Ritvijas are mentioned?”
Indra stated, ‘In this battle elephants are the Ritvijas (priests who perform yajna), the
horses are the adhvaryu (best among the priests), the flesh of the enemies are the Havishas (offerings) and His
blood is referred to as ghee. Jackals, iguanas, crows, and other carnivorous
birds are the members of the yagyasala, who drink the sacrificial ghee (blood)
And eat the havisha (meat) offered in that sacrifice. Glowing Prasa,
Tomar, Kharga, Sakti, Pharse and many others sharp and watery weapons
work as Stuka for the Yajnakarta. Taking big form due to the speed of the
Dhanush going far, that enemy, Sharp, straight, sharp and watery arrows which
pierce the body of the enemies are the Sthuva of the Yajnakarta. That Kharga
which is bound in a sheath of tiger skin, whose knot is made of elephant's
tooth and may cut Gajrajarji's shundadand is referred to as Sphaya.
Shiny and sharp-edged, made entirely of iron And weapons like sharp prasas, shakti, and parashu, and so forth by which damage is done at some stage in the battle are regarded as kind of elements obtained with the aid of the person. With brilliant speed inside the battlefield with the body of the heroes, the stream of blood Flows, it is the one that fulfils all desires in the home as Purnahuti (offerings at the end of yajna) of that war sacrifice. Horrible words like 'cut him, tear him' and so forth are heard from the mouth of warrior, are the hymns of Samagana (mantras of Sama Veda). Soldiers so as to send the enemies to Yamalok sing the samagana. The main part of the enemy's army are known as Havirdhana (for keeping Havisha) for Yajaman. That war sacrifice has a fire named Shyenchit carried out above the Elephants, horses, and groups of courageous men in armour. The kavandh (headless body) that's visible standing after the killing of hundreds of heroes, seems like the Yupas (sacrificial pillar) that are made of Khadirkashth in the eight angled ones. After challenging thru voice and to the curbs of mahouts the elephants the whine, clamour, and that chirping sound that accompanies, are taken into consideration Vasatkara (uttered by Hotr Priest) in the yajna. When the robbers kidnap the Brahmin's wealth, at that point brave men who in their conflict attempts to desert their very own body or sacrifice Dahrupi yuppa while striking the enemies, his battle is known as a yajna consisting of endless Dakshina. The knight who stands for his master in front of the enemies, and by no means runs back from there out of fear then he gets the identical Loka similar to me. The person who enters within the conflict for victory within the enemy's army and does no longer count on any other assistants, He gets Loka as I have. The warrior in whose sacrifice the river of blood flowed For him, it is as virtuous as an ablution bath. Blood is the water of that river, frogs and tortoises are the most effective drums. The bones of the brave warriors are like small pebbles and sand, it is very tough to enter it, and blood is the Keech of that river, shield and sword is like a boat there, that dreadful river is blanketed with grass. Crushed horses, elephants and chariots are its ladders to get down in it, the flag-ensign, the beach-bent they are like trailing plants, the water of river can even carry away the dead elephants. The dead Elephants are like big crocodiles, that river which flows to the afterworld appears to be inauspicious, Kristi And the Kharga weapons had been like a big boat to cross it. The vultures, the kanka, and the kaka birds are like little boats, The demons roam around them to delude the courageous men.
That brave warrior whose war-sacrifice altar is filled with
the heads of enemies, the necks of horses, and the shoulders of elephants, gets
identical Loka like me. The character of keeping the inflammable
substances of war-yajna For whom the soldiers located in the south direction
are like members, The northward warrior is Ritviks and the enemies are wives,
all of the virtuous worlds are not far away from him. When your army and enemy
army are facing each other, at that point in front of which only the empty sky
stays, that the uninhabited sky is regarded as the altar of war-sacrifice for
that hero. Be in that place a sacrifice yajna, the three Vedas and Tribidha
Agni are constantly dignified there. The warrior who runs away from fear and
In that situation is killed through the enemies, falls immediately into hell. A
warrior by way of flooding his blood, hair, flesh, and bones at the Yajnavedi
attains heaven. The warrior who mounts at the seat of the enemy's commander after
killing him, is as mighty as Lord Vishnu and intelligent and effective as
Brihaspati.
The person who captures the commander of the enemy, his son, or
any respected hero from that side alive, he gets Loka like me. One should no
longer mourn in any way for the knight who died on the battlefield. That knight
is dignified in heaven, so it is not lamentable. For the courageous killed
inside the battle, neither his family want to take a bath, provide food
(Shraadh), nor offer water. But thousands of beautiful Apsaras runs with
brilliant haste closer to the knight who was killed on the battlefield to
make him their husband. For the person who constantly follows the religion of the battlefield, this penance is just like observing Sanatan Dharma and all dharma
as in keeping with the Ashramas. Warrior ought to now not kill old man,
children, and ladies, people who come to his haven or have already
surrendered. By way of killing many demons like Jambha, Vritrasura, Balasura,
Pakasura, an expert in thousands of illusions: Virochana and Samvrasura, formidable
Namuchi, the demonic Viprachitti, the entire demon group, I've been elevated to
the position of Devraj or the king of Deities.’
After listening to this from Indra, King Ambarisha accepted
it in his heart and agreed that warriors get self-realization by way of
themselves.
Ref: Mahabharata book Shanti Parva
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