Question

The ‘ashvamedha’ was the sacrifice of ____________.
a)Horse
b)Cow
c)Bull
d)Goat

Answer 1

Hint: The ‘Ashvamedha’ was a very popular sacrifice ritual that the kings used to follow. This ritual was mainly performed by the kings as a tradition. This ritual was performed as per the Vedic Religion and mantras.

Complete answer: The Ashvamedha is a ritual of the Vedic religion. It’s a horse sacrifice ritual that is performed by the kings to prove their imperial sovereignty to the people and other kings. In this ritual, a horse which is accompanied by the king's warriors is released to wander for a period of one year, after which it’s sacrificed if it has not been killed already. The places covered by the horse during its one year journey, then belong to the king. The king is then declared as the undisputed sovereign of his kingdom.
a)Horse- The horse was one of the most used animals in the Vedic ages and formed an important part of the battles and wars. Also, it was widely used for religious purposes besides the cow which was regarded as holy. So, it is the correct option.
b)Cow- the cow was the holiest animal of the Vedic ages and was seen as a creature beyond sacrifice. It was a sin to harm a cow in the Vedic ages, whether knowingly or by mistake. So, it is an incorrect option.
c)Bull- The bull was also a holy creature in the Vedic ages and was used primarily for farming purposes. It had nothing to do with wars and battles and was free from sacrifices all through the Vedic age. So, it is an incorrect option.
d)Goat-The goat sacrifice was done in the Vedic ages as mentioned in the Yajur Veda for the blessings of Vayu, the God of wind and air. So, it is an incorrect option.

Note: There is a part of the Mahabharata that is named ‘Ashvamedhika Parva’ that explains about this ritual in great detail. According to this book, the first king who performed this ritual was Yudhishthira, on the advice of Lord Krishna. This is also mentioned in the Ramayana, when Lord Rama of Ayodhya had performed the Ashwamedha Sacrifice.