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Sarg 14-Dasharath Completes the Ashwamedh Yagya

After the horse came back in one year, Raajaa Dasharath started his Ashwamedh Yagya on the northern shore of Sarayoo River. Dasharath extracted Som juice and offered to Indra. Rishi invoked Indra with Vaidik Mantra. All rituals were performed in a secured way. During the period of Yagya, there was nobody, including sick, women, children, elderly, hungry; nobody grieved; and nobody dissatisfied. People used to eat all the time and blessed Raajaa Dasharath all the time. Day be day Braahman performed rituals of the sacrifice as prescribed in scriptures. All Braahman were scholarly ad learned.

There were 21 pillars, each one 21 cubits in height, and each pillar was decorated with cloth individually. They were all octahedral (eight sided). Altar was made according to the standard measurements by calculating the ritual field by one ply rope. Its shape was of an eagle with golden wings three times bigger than the altars of other rituals - with 18 separators. Animals, like horse and pother aquatic animals according to scriptures, which were to be sacrificed in Yagya were tied to those pillars. They were 300 animals in all.

Kaushalyaa got the Yagya horse killed with three golden knives. She passed one night with the horse in composed condition. The Hotaa, Adhwaryu and Udgaataa of the Yagya received the crowned queen, the neglected wife and a concubine in the donation symbolically from the King. (see the Note below) The horse's fat was poured in the altar and the King smelt it to cleanse his sins. Sixteen officiating priests offered Aahuti of that horse's remaining body in the sacrificial fire. Ashwamedh Yagya went on for three days as per Kalp Sootra. The first day it was called Chatushtom, and on second day the rituals were performed for Ukthyam; and on the third day it was Atiraatra. The rituals called Jyotishtom, Aayushee, and Atiraatra; Abhijit, Vishwajit,  and Aptoryaam were performed.

Note -
There are four officiating priests for these Vaidik rituals. (1) Brahmaa, (2) Hotaa, (3) Adhwaryu, and (4) Udgaataa, to whom the King has to donate his inner core properties like wives, lands etc. By practice a King has to marry four wives. The four women of the king are (1) Mahishee = Queen, (2) Parivritti = neglected women, (3) Vaavaata = concubine, and (4) Paalaakalee = goblet-maid. The order of donation is that the Queen is given to Brahmaa, concubine to Hotaa, neglected woman to Udgaataa , and the goblet-maid to the Adhwaryu. Here, because the Brahmaa Ritwik is not cited along with Paalaakalee, goblet-maid, they are implied. The donation is symbolic and later bartering with some valuable items they were redeemed.

Raajaa donated a lots of wealth and land to Yagya Braahman in Dakshinaa. He donated Eastern side to Hotaa, Western to Adhwaryu, Southern to Brahmaa and Northern to Udgaataa. At this Braahman said - "Raajan, Only you are capable to rule the land and can enjoy the land, we are not able to maintain it, we are always busy in self-study, so give us something else, like gems, cows or anything else, so that we don't waste our time." Then Raajaa gave them 100,000 cows, 100 million gold coins and 400 million silver coins. All Braahman gave them to Muni Rishyashring and Vashishth Jee and Vashishth Jee distributed them accordingly. Raajaa gave 10 million gold coins to those Braahman also who came there only to visit the Yagya. Seeing this, one Braahman asked for an ornament of Raajaa's hand which Raajaa immediately gave it to him. Then the King prostrated before those Braahman and the Braahman blessed him.

Then Dasharath said to Rishyashring - "You alone are eligible to do this Yagya." Rishyashring said - "Yes. Hey Raajan, You will have four sons." Hearing this King Dasharath got very happy.

Sarg 15-Dasharath's Putreshti Yagya

After the Ashwamedh Yagya was over, Raajaa requested to Rishyashring Jee to perform Putreshti Yagya. Rishyashring Mini thought for a while and said to him - "I will perform Putra Kaameshti Yagya which will give you sons to you. So Putreshti Yagya was started. All Devtaa, Gandharv etc came in the firmament in person to take their share. Then they went to Brahmaa Jee and said - "Because of your Var, Raavan (see Raakshas) is giving us so much trouble and we have been suffering for quite some time; even, Indra, Sun, winds and seas have forgotten their functions. Sun does not parch Raavan, Wind does not puff at his sides, Sea does not make waves seeing Raavan. The same Raaan is tormenting everyone hating the functionary Devtaa. (see Note below) Please do something to eliminate him."

Note -
There are eight functionary Devtaa for cosmos in Hindoo mythology that keep the cycle of natural law going. Each one is assigned with each of the eight sides of the universe along with a natural function. They are: (1) Indra - Heaven : East, (2) Agni - Fire-god : Southeast, (3) Yam - Death-god : South, (4) Nairriti - Demon-god : Southwest, (5) Varun Rain-god : West, (6) Vaayu - Air-god : Northwest, (7) Kuber - god of wealth management : North, (8) Eeshaan - god of bliss : Northeast. The governance of all these deities is Indra's function, since he is the presiding deity of Heaven.

Brahmaa Jee said - "I have already thought about it. When Raavan asked the Var he mentioned only Yaksh, Gandharv, Devtaa and other Raakshas; He did not mention "human being", so only a human being can kill him. There is no other way to kill him." Hearing this all Devtaa got very happy. At the same time Vishnu appeared there (see Vishnu) as if the Sun had appeared mounted on black clouds. Devtaa also requested Him also to take Avataar in Dasharath's house as his son to eliminate Raavan, in fact that is why they came there. He had three wives like Hree, Shree and Keerti. Vishnu told them not to fear and that He will be in  mortal world for 11,000 years. After saying this Vishnu thought as how to implement His plan. So Vishnu decided to take Avataar by dividing Himself in four forms. Devtaa prayed Him and said - "You come back to your Heavenly abode after killing Raavan."

Sarg 16-Brahmaa Jee Sends Prasaad

Vishnu asked Devataa to tell Him the way to kill Raavan. Devtaa said - "By assuming human form. When Raavan did Tap in the past, Brahmaa gave him the Var that he would not be killed by any Yaksh, Devtaa, Gandharv and other Raakshas, because Raavan had no fear from humans. Therefore you may kill him by taking a human body." So Vishnu decided to take Avataar in Dasharath's house. At the same time Dasharath was doing Putra Kaameshti Yagya with the desire of a son. Vishnu went from there after talking to Devtaa.

At appropriate time a Divine man appeared from the fire alter of Yagya - Yagya Purush. He was wearing black and red clothes, and had a red face. He had long hair, his voice was like drumbeat sound, and his body was like a mountain. He had a golden pot in his two hands, containing Divine sweets. The pot was covered with a silver lid and he was holding it very dearly. He said to Dasharath Jee - "I have come from Brahmaa Jee and brought you this pot." [containing Prasaad] Raajaa welcomed him and said - "What are the orders for me?" The man replied - "Prajaapati is very happy with you, so he has sent you this pot on the occasion of this Ashwamedh Yagya and Putreshti Yagya." Then the man explained everything to Raajaa Dasharath - how to feed that sweets to his eligible queens to get sons. Dasharath circumambulated him and got very happy to receive that Divine sweets. The Yagya Purush disappeared soon from there.

Raajaa went to his palace and told Kaushalyaa that that Prasaad was sent by Devtaa. It would give her a son. He gave half of it to Kaushalyaa, then "half of the remaining half" (1/4th) to Sumitraa, then the "half of the remaining half" (1/8th) to Kaikeyee. After giving some thoughts, Raajaa gave the remaining part (1/8th part) to Sumitraa again. (see Queens here) After some time the three queens became pregnant. Raajaa considered himself very fortunate and thanked Bhagavaan.

Garud is the Vaahan of Vishnu who brought Amrit, that is why the altar was built in that shape.

Kaushalyaa did not kill the horse in reality. The horse was already killed, she just pierced it with three golden knives like needles symbolically. In fact all the queens used to do this so all the three queens pierced him.

Although silver is prohibited for donation in such Yagya but since it was given in exchange of the land already given to Braahman, that is why it was all right.

The celestial beings who have attained salvation do not enter these mortal worlds, so they stay only in firmament over the altar to take their oblations.

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