z:\ ambedkar\vol 04\vol4 04.indd MK SJ YS 23 9 2013/YS 8 11 2013 121
RIDDLE NO. 15 121
“O steed of death, of exquisite and unperishable form, produce me long life and fame. Salutation to thee, o buffalo!”
“Now attend to the particulars relative to the offering of human blood.”
“Let a human victim be sacrificed at a place of holy worship, or at a cemetery where dead bodies are burried. Let the oblation be performed in the part of the cemetery called Heruca, which has been already described, or at a temple of Camachya, or on a mountain. Now attend to the mode.”
“The cemetery represents me, and is called Bhairava, it has also a part called Tantarange; the cemetery must be divided into these two division, and a third called Heruca.”
“The human victim is to be immolated in the east division which is sacred to Bhairava, the head is to be presented in the south division, which is looked upon as the place sculls sacred to Bhairavi, and the blood is to be presented in the west division, which is denominated Heruca.”
“Having immolated a human victim, with all the requisite ceremonies at a cemetery or holy place, let the sacrificer be cautious not to cast eyes upon the victim.”
“On other occasion also, let not the sacrificer, cast eyes upon the victim immolated, but present the head with eyes averted.”
“The victim must be a person of good appearance, and be prepared by ablutions, and requisite ceremonies, such as eating consecrated food the day before, and by abstinance from flesh and venery; and must be adorned with chaplets of flowers and besmeared with sandal wood.”
“Then causing the victim to face the north, let the sacrificer worship the several deities presiding over the different parts of the victims body; let the worship be then paid to the victim himself by his name.”
“Thus let the sacrificer worship the victim, adding whatever other texts are applicable to the occasion, and have been before mentioned.
“Let not the female, whether quadruped or bird, or a woman be ever sacrificed; the sacrificer of either will indubitably fall into hell, where the victim of either the beasts or birds creation, are very numerous, the immolation of a female is excusable; but this rule does not hold good, as to the human species.”
“Let not a Brahman or a Chandala be sacrificed; nor a prince; nor that which has already been presented to a Brahmen, or a deity; nor the offspring of a prince, nor who has conquered in battle; nor