‘Astaka symbols’ indicates ‘Mamsastaka’ ritual

Abstract

The arrow symbol indicates the word ‘Astaka’. Astaka means the eighth day of the month. This eighth day belonged to ‘Rudra’. He was the most important god of the IVC people. The arrow of the rudra caused death and disease. Hence, it is logical the arrow symbol is associated with Astaka

This arrow symbol indicates the god Karkinos (Rudra). All of you will be aware that the arrow of the god Rudra causes disease as per revelations in Rig Veda. I have mentioned the name of Rudra only for reference shake. In Indus script, the name mentioned is ‘Karkida Sastha’. There is a possibility that there will be many names for a single god. The name ‘Rudra‘ is not specified, but the phrase ‘Karkida Sastha’ is mentioned. Read my article ‘bow and arrow indicates -Karkinos’ for more information on this god. (1)

The spear/arrow symbol is the most frequently used symbol for the word ‘Astaka’. It was the symbol of the god Karkinos/Rudra as well as this symbol indicates the 8^th day of the month, which is the most favourite day of Karkinos/Rudra (2). These points clarify that this arrow/spear symbol is the most appropriate symbol for the word ‘Astaka’.

This word ‘mAMsASTakA’ means the ceremony held at the forenoon of the 8th day in the dark half of the month Magha, on which meat or flesh is offered to deceased ancestors. (3)

Figure 1

Picture courtesy Sue Sullivan (4)

See the above-given seal inscription (Read from left to right). The inscription read as,” Agni-stoma-Yajna –Two Pithrus-Astaka’.

Symbols
Identification of symbols	The symbol indicating Agni-stoma yajna	Yajna	fish	fish	spear
Sanskrit word	Agni-stoma	Yajna	Matsya	Matsya	Astaka
meaning	Agni-stoma	Yajna	Fish means Pithru, the third generation of Pithrus	The second fish shows the second generation of Pithrus	Astaka

Table 1: Agni-stoma yajna and Astaka

The above-given inscription reads as: ‘Agni-stoma – Yajna – two generations of Pithrus (two fishes)-Astaka’. The meaning of the sentence is, ‘Agni-stoma –yajna was conducted in the name of Karkinos for the departed soul so that the soul can reach heaven’. The spear symbol stands for the word ‘Astaka’. Astaka has two meanings; the first is God, ‘Astaka’ (Karkinos/Rudra). The second meaning is the eighth day of the month. The sacrifices for God ‘Karkinos/Rudra’ are held on the 8^th day of the month (2).

There is a second possibility for the two fishes symbols. These two fishes could have indicated ‘Mams’ on the logosyllabic method giving the word ‘Mamsastaka’. ‘Mams’ means meat in Sanskrit. On mamsastaka day (Astaka day), meat offering is compulsory. There are three Mamastaka days per calendar year; every fourth month, there will be a mamasastaka day, and animal sacrifice was mandatory on those days.

Figure 2: Astaka – mythical animal.

Picture courtesy Sue Sullivan (4)

The animal shown in the illustration is not simple; it is a complicated version of a mythical beast. Most probably, this animal would have been known as ‘Astaka’. A notable point in this ‘Astaka’ is that it is a composite form of eight animals. This ‘Astaka’ has a composite figure consisting of a human face, an elephant trunk. And one ribbed horn (indicating a buffalo), one smooth horn (maybe deer’s horn), goat’s neck, the middle body portion of a bull, hind leg of a tiger and an upright tail like a snake.

Indus priests probably would have sacrificed eight different animals on the day of ‘Mams – Astaka’ and claimed to the worshipper that he had offered a unique animal with eight other characters. (Or) The priests could have decorated the sacrifice bull in the way depicted in the seal and claimed it was a unique animal with eight different characters and sacrificed it.

Picture courtesy – Asko Parpola (5)

The above-given seal also shows a unique animal with eight different characters. There are many such animals with various characteristics in copper seals presented in the book of Asko Parpola (5).

Bibliography

1. jeyakumar(bow). bow-and-arrow-symbol-indicates-god-rudra. google.com/view/indus-script-dictionary/home/. [Online] https://sites.google.com/view/indus-script-dictionary/home/h-bow-and-arrow-symbol-indicates-god-rudra.

2. Jeyakumar(Table-Thithi-Dates). A_correlation_table_of_different_Thithi_Dates_with_different_Hindu_gods. academia.edu. [Online] 2017. https://www.academia.edu/31708667/A_correlation_table_of_different_Thithi_Dates_with_different_Hindu_gods.

3. spokensanskrit.de. spokensanskrit.de. spokensanskrit.de. [Online] 2014. spokensanskrit.de.

4. Sullivan, Sue. Indus Script Dictionary. s.l. : Suzanne Redalia, 2011.

5. Parpola, Asko. Deciphering the Indus script. NewYork : Cambridge University Press, 2000.