Vedic tradition and it's roots in India : Evidence from the important elements of flora and fauna

In my previous post I had highlighted how significant the Ashvattha or pipal tree is in the Vedic tradition and rituals, and since this tree is native to India, the Vedic tradition too is deeply rooted within India by the time Vedic literature developed.

In this post, I further elaborate few more important Vedic ritual elements based on flora and fauna which binds Vedic tradition to the Indian subcontinent.

First, let us look into the Yupastambha. The Yupastambha or simply Yupa is the ritualistic pillar or post used in Vedic rituals. It forms a significant part of Vedic sacrifices since the animals used for offerings in the rituals are tied to it. 

Nambuthiri Brahmins of Kerala planting the Yupastambha as part of Vedic ritual performance. Source - Shrautam by Rajan Chungath

The Aitareya Brahmana (2.1) of Rig Veda, an important Vedic ritual text, mentions the significance of the Yupastambhas and how the Yupastambhas are to be made with woods of specific trees, viz Khadira, Bilva and Palasha.

" This Yupa is a weapon. Its point must have eight edges. For a weapon (or iron club) has eight edges Whenever he strikes with it an enemy or adversary, he kills him. (This weapon serves) to put down him (every one) who is to be put down by him (the sacrificer). The Yupa is a weapon which stands erected (being ready) to slay an enemy. Thence an enemy (of the sacrificer) who might be present (at the sacrifice) comes off ill after having seen the Yupa of such or such one.

He who desires heaven, ought to make his Yupa of khadira wood. For the gods conquered the celestial world by means of a Yupa made of khadira wood. In the same way the sacrificer conquers the celestial world by means of a Yupa, made of khadira wood. 

He who desires food and wishes to grow fat ought to make his Yupa of bilva wood. For the bilva tree bears fruits every year; it is the symbol of fertility ; for it increases (every year) in size from the roots up to the branches, therefore it is a symbol of fatness. He who having such a knowledge makes his Yupa of bilva wood, makes fat his children and cattle. As regards the Yupa made of bilva wood (it is further to be remarked), that they call "light" bilva. He who has such a knowledge becomes a light among his own people, the most distinguished among his own people. 

He who desires beauty and sacred knowledge ought to make his Yupa of palasha wood. For the palasha is among the trees beauty and sacred knowledge. He who having such a knowledge makes his Yupa of palasha wood, becomes beautiful and acquires sacred knowledge. As regards the Yupa made of palasha wood (there is further to be remarked), that the palasha the womb of all trees. Thence they speak on account of the palasham (foliage) of the palasha tree, of the palasham (foliage) of this or that tree (i. e. they call the foliage of every tree palasham). He who has such a knowledge obtains (the gratification of) any desire, he might have regarding all trees (i.e. he obtains from all trees any thing he might wish for)."

-  Passage from Aitareya Brahmana translated by Martin Haug

Khadira is the Acacia catechu tree, which is entirely native to India, Indo-China and Southeast Asia.  Rig Veda (3.53.19) also mentions the Khadira wood. Other options for making yupastambha as per Aitareya Brahmana involves the Bilva (Aegle marmelos) and Palasha (Butea frondosa, commonly known as Butea monosperma) woods, these trees again has same distribution and is locally seen in the Indian subcontinent.

Sadvimsha Brahmana (4.4.6) of the Sama Veda further adds few more options for making the Yupastambha out of the woods of Udumbara tree, Vibhitaka tree, Kramuka tree, or even the Ashvattha tree itself. If none of these trees are available, stone is used to make the Yupastambha as per the text.

" (He makes) the sacrificial post out of the wood of the palasa-tree (Butea frondosa Koenig) for him who desires prosperity, out of the wood of the bilva-tree (Aegle Marmelos Corr.; wood-apple) for a sacrificer who desires spiritual pre-eminence, out of the wood of the udumbara-tree for him who desires common food, out of the wood of the khadira-tree (Acacia Catechu Willd.) for him who desires strength, out of the wood of the vibhitaka-tree (Terminalia bellerica Roxb.) and the rajavrksa (“royal tree’) for him who has rivals, out of the wood of the kramuka-tree (Areca Catechu Linn.), the aSvattha-tree (Ficus religiosa Linn.) or out of stone for him who is desirous of fame; the wood of any tree that is fit for a sacrifice for him who desires cattle. "

- Passage from Sadvimsha Brahmana translated by Willem Boudewijn Bollée

All these trees mentioned in the Sadvimsha Brahmana, viz Udumbara (Ficus racemosa), Vibhitaka (Terminalia bellerica) and Kramuka (Areca Catechu) are again native to the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia.

In sum, the Yupa pillar which forms the vital part of Vedic sacrifices is made out of the selected trees which are natively grown in India. 

Apart from the trees, native animals of India also plays significant role in Vedic ritual tradition. In the Vedic rites the ritualist must wear the hide and even horns of black antelopes or blackbucks which are sacred objects. Significance of the blackbucks are detailed in Vedic texts like Taittiriya Samhita of the Yajur Veda (6.1.3).

"The Rc and the Saman, unwilling to remain with the gods for the sacrifice, taking the form of a black antelope departed and remained away. The (gods) reflected, 'He whom they shall resort to will become all this world.' They called to them, and they depositing their might in day and night came up to them. This is the colour of the Rc, the white of the skin of the black antelope; the black is the colour of the Saman. 'Ye are images of the Rc and Saman', he says; verily he wins the Rc and the Saman [1]. The white of the black antelope skin is the colour of the day, the black of the night. Whatever is imbued in those two, he wins. He consecrates (him) with a black antelope skin. The black antelope skin is the form of the holy power; verily he consecrates him with the holy power. 'O god, this prayer of him who imploreth', he says. That is according to the text. The man who is consecrated is a foetus; the clothing is the caul; be covers. Therefore [2] foetuses are born covered (with the caul). He should not uncover before the purchasing of the Soma. If he were to uncover before the purchasing of the Soma, the foetuses of offspring would be liable to miscarriage. He uncovers when the Soma has been purchased; verily he is born. It is also as when one uncovers to a superior. The Angirases going to the world of heaven divided their strength. What was left over became Çara grass; Çara grass is strength. In that the girdle is of Çara grass [3], he wins strength. He girds it in the middle; verily he gives him strength in the middle. Therefore in the middle men enjoy strength. The part of man above the navel is pure, that below is impure. In that he girds him in the middle he discriminates between the pure and impure parts. Indra hurled his thunderbolt against Vrtra; it divided into three parts; one-third the wooden sword, one-third the chariot, and one-third the sacrificial post [4]. The internal arrows which were split (açiryanta) became Çara grass, and that is why Çara grass is so called. The thunderbolt is Çara grass; hunger indeed is the foe of man. In that the girdle is of Çara grass, he clearly drives away the enemy hunger from the middle (of man's body). It is threefold. The breath is threefold; verily he places the threefold breath in the middle of the sacrificer. It is broad, for the discrimination of the strands. He consecrates the sacrificer with a girdle, with a yoke his wife, for the sake of offspring [5]. The sacrifice reflected on the gift (to the priests). He had intercourse with her. Indra perceived this and reflected, 'He who will be born from this union will be this world.' He entered her; from her verily was Indra born; he reflected, 'He who hence other than I will be born will be this world'. Stroking her womb he split it, she became barren after birth, and that is the origin of the (cow) which is barren after birth [6]. He wrapped it (the yoni) in his hand, he deposited it among the wild beasts, it became the horn of the black antelope. 'Thou art the birthplace of Indra; harm me not', (with these words) he hands the horn of the black antelope. Verily he makes the sacrifice united with the womb, the gift with the womb, Indra with the womb, for union with the womb. 'For ploughing thee, for good crops', he says. Therefore plants grow up without ploughing. 'For those of good fruits thee, for the plants', he says. Therefore plants bear fruit. If he were to scratch himself with his hand [7] his offspring would be liable to the itch; if he were to smile, they would become naked. He scratches himself with the horn of the black antelope and smiles, holding it for the protection of his offspring. He should not let go the horn of the black antelope before the bringing of the gifts (to the priests). If he were to let go the horn of the black antelope before the bringing of the gifts, the womb of his offspring will be liable to miscarriage. When the gifts have been brought, he casts away the horn of the black antelope in the pit. The pit is the womb of the sacrificer; the horn of the black antelope is the womb; verily he places womb in womb, that the sacrificer may have a womb."

- Passage from the Taittiriya Samhita of the Yajur Veda translated by Arthur Berriedale Keith. 

Blackbucks are native to the Indian subcontinent, this again reinforces the fact that Vedic rituals havedeep roots within the subcontinent. This is a reason why later Dharmashastra law texts like  Mansusmriti(2.23) treats the lands were black antelopes inhabit as ideal place for Yajnas or Vedic rituals.

So as the evidence from Vedic literature stands, along with the use of Ashvattha tree to churn the sacred fire in Vedic rituals, the Vedic people utilized native elements found in Indian subcontinent for the worship of the Gods in their rituals. This simply suggests that the Vedic ritual tradition has deep origins within the Indian subcontinent, and it is not a wholescale import from outside. 

Thus, even if one subscribe to the view that the early Indo-European speakers came from outside India (whether from the steppes, Iran, Central Asia, Caucasus or anywhere else) at any time period, it is an undeniable fact that by the time Vedic literature was composed and Vedic rituals evolved, the Vedic tradition was deeply rooted within the native Indian flora and fauna, and evolved within the Indian subcontinent. Hence, the Vedic tradition can be considered native to India and is an indigenous Indian tradition.

Bibliography

The Aitareya Brahmanam of the Rigveda, containing the earliest speculations of the Brahmans on the meaning of the sacrificial prayers, and on the origin, performance and sense of the rites of the Vedic religion (1863) by Martin Haug

Sadvimsa - Brahmana : Introduction , Translation , Extracts from the Commentary and Notes (1956) by Willem Boudewijn Bollée

Veda of the Black Yajus school : entitled Taittiriya Sanhita (1914) by Arthur Berriedale Keith