By Swami Harshananda
Anubandhyā literally means ‘bound, following the sacrifice’.
Towards the end of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice, after the udayaniya rite, a barren cow used to be immolated and sacrificed to the gods Mitra and Varuṇa. This cow was called anu(u)bandhyā.
Sometimes three barren cows are used to be sacrificed to Mitrā-Varuṇa, Viśvedevas and Bṛhaspati, as in Vājapeya, Rājasuya and Sattra yāgas. Substitutes of pāyasam (pudding) and āmikṣā (curdled milk) have also been mentioned, even in the earlier works. Sacrifice of these cows has been given up long since.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore