vajapeya

Vajapeya, or Vajapeya Yajna, is a Vedic era royal sacrifice described in Indian Brahmanic literature as one of the major rites intended to establish and legitimize sovereign authority and maintain cosmic order. The term derives from vaj (horse or strength) and paya (drink), and the ritual is often presented as a grand drinking or feast-based ceremony connected with royal power.

In classical accounts, Vajapeya is a Soma-based sacrifice conducted by a king with the assistance of priestly staff. The procedure is elaborate, involving the preparation of altars, sacred offerings of Soma, milk, ghee, grains, and other items, as well as specific mantras and ritual sequences. A central symbolic element is the participation of a horse or a horse-like symbol within the ritual framework, reflecting the associations between horses, kingship, and ritual power. The rite aims to confer prosperity, strength, and legitimacy upon the ruler and to uphold social and cosmic order.

Vajapeya is considered one of the tier of royal sacrifices in the Vedic corpus, alongside others such as rajasuya and ashvamedha. Textual descriptions appear in sources such as the Shatapatha Brahmana and related Brahmanas, with varying details across schools and periods. In later tradition, the performance of Vajapeya is often treated as a legendary or idealized exemplar of royal sovereignty rather than a routine practice.

Scholars view Vajapeya as part of ancient Indo-Aryan ritual culture that symbolically linked kingship, ritual expertise, and the cosmos. Its historicity and practical execution likely varied, with emphasis placed on its symbolic function in legitimating sovereign authority.