Brick Symbol

‘Brick symbol’ indicates ‘iSTIkRta’ ceremony:

Abstract

The ‘Brick symbol’ gives an excellent insight into the development of the ‘Indus script’. The symbol ‘iSTika’ does not merely mean brick alone; it stands for a whole concept and the word ‘Istikrta ceremony’.

Earlier, I was under the impression that this symbol could represent ‘Weighing stone’, indicating ‘weighing of the heart ceremony. But, this symbol occurs so frequently in the Kabul manuscript that there must be another meaning. The practice narrated for the Agnicayana ceremony by Jithesh et al. shows that the ‘Istika’ ceremony occurs five times during 12 days of the ritual. Considering the high frequency of this ceremony in the Kabul manuscript and in practice, it is concluded that this symbol indicates the ‘Istika’ ceremony.

This symbol looks like three bricks are stacked together, and the offering is made over it. (Or) It looks like a wooden frame used for brick making with a handle. There are two types of bricks; one is the modern type of brick, which is a standard size. The above-given seal picture gives the approximate size of the brick. Whereas the second type of brick is shown in the seal picture given below:

This wooden frame is different, and it indicates an oversized brick. The bricks used in Yajna are different; they are not of the size used in modern-day house construction. See the picture given below.

Bricks used in Vedic Yajna altar construction

Picture courtesy (1)

Tools used in Vedic Yajna

Image courtesy (2)

The red arrow shows a box-like tool used as a ladle for offering sacrifice materials on the fire. This ladle also resembles the ‘istika’ symbol shown in the seal inscription. I do not know the specific Sanskrit name of this tool. The name of the device is yet to be ascertained. It is likely that during Istika ceremonies, such ladles could have been used (or) It may be a tool through which offerings are made to ‘Ishta Devatas’ in the Yajna ceremony. In fact, I have seen in one Vedic Yajna ceremony, the priest made a cloth bundle of the sacrifice materials and placed the package on this box ladle and offered into the fire. This sacrifice was made at the last concluding part of the ceremony. The offering materials are not simply thrown into the fire; it has to be reverently placed in such ladles before offering them to the fire.

Whatever this ladle’s name, the box ladle looks akin to the grapheme shown in the Indus seal inscription. Further verifications are required on this issue. Till then, it is assumed that this box ladle is somehow connected with the word ‘Istika’.

Istika in Yajur Veda (3)

The article written by Sulaiman Razvi gives a good idea about the ‘Ishtika’ ceremony. Yajur Veda 13.26 states that “You are Ashadha (Brick), Conquering One”. The word Ashadha or Ishtika is translated as brick, and earth or speech by some. (3)

The Satapatha Brahmana briefly mentions ‘Ashadha’:

Satapatha Brahmana 7.4.2.32-33. He then lays down the Ashadha (invincible brick)–the ‘invincible one’ being this earth; it is this earth he thus lays down. He puts it on the fore-part (of the altar-site), for this earth was created first. And as to its being called Ashadha. The gods and the Asuras, both of them sprung from Prajapati, strove together. The gods saw this invincible brick, even this earth; they put it on (the altar). And having put it on, they conquered (and drove) the Asuras, the enemies, the rivals, from this universe. And thereby they conquered (asahanta), it is called Ashadha. In like manner, the Sacrificer, after putting on that (brick), conquers (and drives) his spiteful rival from this universe (or, from everything here).

And there is one more verse from Brahmanas which a commentary of the Vedic verse is,

Satapatha Brahmana 7.4.2.39. ‘Thou art Ashadha, the conquering,’ for the gods thereby conquered the Asuras–’conquer the enemies! Conquer the hostile!’ as the text, so the meaning;–’ thou hast a thousand energies: do thou speed me!’ (3)

The above-given explanation of Razvi gives an excellent idea of the ‘Ishtika ceremony’. This statement explains the importance of the ‘brick ceremony’; basically, it provides the power to expel and defeat enemies.

(Pictures courtesy and acknowledgements Book of Sue Sullivan) (4)

symbols
Identification of object	Brick	Kavu	shield	Number three	Quotation mark	wheel
Sanskrit name	Istika	Kavu –Tamil word	Kedaga		The full stop (or) Yajna	chakra
Meaning	Istika ritual	sacrifice	protection	Three generations of Pithrus	Yajna	Grihapathya

Now, the inscription can be read as “Istikrta – sacrifice –protection for three generations of Pithrus- Grihapathya fire and sacrifice“. As per Spoken Sanskrit dictionary (5), the word ‘Istikrta’ means ‘Particular Sacrifice’ or ‘Festive rite‘. There is a second possible meaning also. Before starting any sacrifice, the bricks are made fresh every time. At the date of initiation of ‘brick making’ itself, one bull is slaughtered. Such sacrifice animal is known as ‘Istikrta-pazu’. (5) However, both words indicate a single situation and could show a unique ceremony.

.

Picture courtesy – (4)

Symbols
Identification of object	Brick	Kavu – sacrifice	Full stop mark	bow	Kavu
Sanskrit name	Istika	Kavu is a Tamil word	(or) maybe the symbol indicating the word Yajna	Dhanush	Kavu is a Tamil word
Meaning	Istika ritual	Sacrifice	Yajna	Dhanudhar is the god Rudra/, but in the IVC context, he should be called God Karkinos.	sacrifice

The inscription in this seal could be read as “Istikaka -sacrifice – Dhanudhar (Rudra/Karkinos)-sacrifice”. The meaning of the words is “Istikrta ceremony for Dhanudhar”. Dhanudhar most probably indicates ‘God Rudra/Karkinos’. God Karkinos’s name appears in an ideographic way in the Indus inscriptions. (6) (7)

Picture courtesy – (4)

Symbols
Identification of object	brick	Kavu
Sanskrit name	iSTikA	Kavu is a Tamil word
Meaning	Istika ritual	Kavu means sacrifice

The inscription on the seal can be read as ‘Istika’. The meaning of the word is “bull sacrificed on the occasion of istikrat ceremony“. However, the word is so highly condensed, the only symbol of brick appears. It could have made good sense to Indus Valley priests because their vocabulary was limited to sacrifice and rituals. In contrast, modern man gets confused as we attribute various meanings to a simple word used by an Indus priest. This is the typical problem associated with the decipherment of the Indus script.

In his book, Asko Parpola states, “Logo-syllabic scripts are open systems; their signs may have several values and represent larger linguistic units with interrelationships that are not nearly so defined” (Chapter -7; first paragraph). (8) This statement explains the problem with Indus scripts decipherment efforts. There are many meanings for a single logo. At the same time, a logo represents a more powerful word than what it looks like. Sometimes, a single logo accounts for a significant concept itself. This Indus script word ‘Istikrta’ is the best example in this regard.

1. Jithesh. photos/athirathram/. www.flickr.com. [Online] 2016. https://www.flickr.com/photos/athirathram/.

2. http://www.welcomekeralaonline.com. vedic-ritual-sagnikam-athirathram. http://www.welcomekeralaonline.com. [Online] http://www.welcomekeralaonline.com/article/vedic-ritual-sagnikam-athirathram.

3. Razvi, Sulaiman. response-to-women-in-hinduismvedas-part-i/. Truthabouthinduism.wordpress.com/. [Online] june 2016. https://truthabouthinduism.wordpress.com/2014/05/14/response-to-women-in-hinduismvedas-part-i/.

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

5. spokensanskrit. http://spokensanskrit.de/. [Online]

6. Jeyakumar(Rudra). Bow_and_arrow_symbol_indicates_God_Rudra. www.academia.edu. [Online] May 2016. https://www.academia.edu/25699863/Bow_and_arrow_symbol_indicates_God_Rudra.

7. Jeyakumar(Karkinos). Bow_and_arrow_symbol_indicates_God_Karkinos. www.academia.edu. [Online] https://www.academia.edu/25699863/Bow_and_arrow_symbol_indicates_God_Karkinos.

8. Parpola, Asko. Deciphering the Indus script. New York : Cambridge University Press, 2000.