NATALIA LIDOVA
Russian Academy of Sciences
n.lidova@mail.ru
THE “BRAHMAYĀGA” RITUAL (ATHARVAVEDA-PARIŚIṢṬA 19B) AND/AS A NEW SACRIFICIAL PARADIGM
The description of Brahmayāga (Brahmayajña) rite is found in the Atharvaveda-Pariśiṣṭa 19b. It marks an important stage in the transition from classical Vedic sacrificial religion (śrauta and gṛhya rituals) to the post-Vedic devotional worship (pūjā) tradition. Studying this rite helps to reveal both the shift and inner connection between two distinct religious paradigms. The Brahmayāga exemplifies how the ancient Vedic fire sacrifice (yajña) was adapted, re-conceptualized, and transformed in the new form of worship known as pūjā. In this paper, I will demonstrate in what way this evolution reflects broader changes taking place in Indian ritualism at the time. It was a period when temple-based and image-based worship gradually supplemented or replaced the older sacrificial system of yajña. The ceremonies described in the Atharvaveda-Pariśiṣṭas and similar ancillary sources serve as a crucial “missing link” in the history of Hinduism. They demonstrate how the ancient, hierarchical, and expert-driven realm of Vedic sacrifice was systematically translated into the emotionally-engaging and image-centered, in fact theatrical world of pūjā. By introducing the new paradigm of a sacrifice based on the idea that proper ritual action yields tangible cosmic and material results and matching it with mechanisms of image worship, these rituals helped to preserve authority of Vedic times in a completely new form of worship (pūjā). The latter will define the Hindu practice ever since up until today. The Brahmayāga is thus a window into a transformative period in Indian religious history, offering a view on how the pariśiṣṭas of the late Vedic age were used as foundation of Classical Hinduism.