# अश्वमेध (aśvamedha)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ashvamedha

अश्वमेध (aśvamedha) is a Sanskrit word meaning the horse-sacrifice, a descendant of Bharata, the actual or emblematic sacrifice of a horse, the sacrifice of a horse, a hundred such sacrifices granting sovereignty over heaven, a horse sacrifice. Its 12 recorded definitions are grouped into 5 contexts, among them The Horse-Sacrifice Ritual, Personal Name (e.g., of a Prince), Instances and Significance of the Sacrifice in Puranas.

- **Etymology:** E. अश्व and मेध sacrifice; this sacrifice is one of the highest order, and performed a hundred times, entitles the sacrificer to the dominion of Svarga or paradise: it appears to have been originally typical; the horse, and other animals being simply bound during the performance of certain ceremonies; the actual sacrifice is an introduction of a later period. See As. R. Vol. viii. p. 442, COLEBROOKE on the Vedas — E. aśva and medha sacrifice; this sacrifice is one of the highest order, and performed a hundred times, entitles the sacrificer to the dominion of Svarga or paradise: it appears to have been originally typical; the horse, and other animals being simply bound during the performance of certain ceremonies; the actual sacrifice is an introduction of a later period. See As. R. Vol. viii. p. 442, COLEBROOKE on the Vedas
- **SLP1:** `aSvameDa`  **IAST:** aśvamedha  **Devanagari:** अश्वमेध
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashvamedha
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ashvamedha/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** आश्वमेध (āśvamedha)

## Meanings by context

### The Horse-Sacrifice Ritual (7 definitions)
- the horse-sacrifice  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 115,2] 1. अश्व (aśva) — मेध (—medha) m. the horse-sacrifice (a celebrated ceremony, the antiquity of which reaches back to the Vedic period; the hymns, Ṛg-veda (Title) i, 162 and 163 [= Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā (Title) xxii seqq. ], referring to it, are however of comparatively late origin; in later times its efficacy was so exaggerated, that a hundred such sacrifices entitled the sacrificer to displace Indra from the dominion of Svarga; kings who engaged in it spent enormous sums in gifts to the Brāhmans; it is said that the horse was sometimes not immolated, but kept bound during the ceremony), Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā (Title) xviii, 22; Taittirīya-saṃhitā (Title); Raghuvaṃśa (Title) &c., ( cf. अर्का (arkā) श्वमेध (śvamedha) ) [ ID=19961 ]
- The actual or emblematic sacrifice of a horse.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अश्व (aśva) मेध (medha) (aśvamedha) [Printed book page 090 ] अश्व (aśva) मेध (medha) (aśvamedha) m. ( - धः (-dhaḥ) ) The actual or emblematic sacrifice of a horse. E. अश्व (aśva) and मेध (medha) sacrifice; this sacrifice is one of the highest order, and performed a hundred times, entitles the sacrificer to the dominion of Svarga or paradise: it appears to have been originally typical; the horse, and other animals being simply bound during the performance of certain ceremonies; the actual sacrifice is an introduction of a later period. See As. R. Vol. viii. p. 442, COLEBROOKE on the Vedas. [ ID=4344 ]
- 1. The sacrifice of a horse. 2. A hundred such sacrifices granting sovereignty over heaven.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अश्वमेध (aśvamedha) [Printed book page 070-b ] अश्व - मेध (aśva-medha) ( धः ) ((dhaḥ)) 1. m. The sacrifice of a horse. A hundred such entitles to the sovereignty of heaven. [ ID=3723 ]
- a horse sacrifice  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अश्वमेध (aśvamedha) [Printed book page 082-06 ] अश्व - मेध (aśva-medha) m. a horse sacrifice, यथाऽश्वमेधः क्रतुराट् सर्वपापापनोदनः (yathā'śvamedhaḥ kraturāṭ sarvapāpāpanodanaḥ) M. xi.260. [ ID=4209 ]
- The actual or emblematic sacrifice of a horse.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अश्व (aśva) मेध (medha) (aśvamedha) [Printed book page 074-b ] अश्व (aśva) मेध (medha) (aśvamedha) m. ( - धः (-dhaḥ) ) The actual or emblematic sacrifice of a horse. E. अश्व (aśva) and मेध (medha) sacrifice; this sacrifice is one of the highest order, and performed a hundred times, entitles the sacrificer to the dominion of Swarga or paradise: it appears to have been originally typical; the horse, and other animals being simply bound during the performance of certain ceremonies; the actual sacrifice is an introduction of a later period. See As. R. Vol. viii. p. 442, COLEBROOKE on the Vedas. [ ID=4342 ]
- horse-sacrifice  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अश्वमेध (aśvamedha) [Printed book page 051 ] अश्वमेध (aśvamedha) m. horse-sacrifice. [ ID=3562 ]
- horse-sacrifice  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > अश्वमेध (aśvamedha) [Printed book page 122-b ] aśva-medhá, m. horse-sacrifice. [ ID=493 ]

### Personal Name (e.g., of a Prince) (2 definitions)
- a descendant of Bharata  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > 2. अश्व (aśva) — मेध (—medha) ( अश्व (aśva)- (aśva-) ), m. N. of a descendant of Bharata, Ṛg-veda (Title) v, 27, 4 - 6. [ ID=19969 ]
- a prince mentioned in a hymn of the Rigveda  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > अश्वमेध (aśvamedha) [Printed book page 1-044 ] Aśva-medha (‘offering a horse-sacrifice’) is a prince men- tioned in a hymn of the Rigveda, 1 which contains a Dānastuti (‘Praise of Gifts’) of Tryaruṇa, and to which three verses have been added in praise of Aśvamedha. See also Āśvamedha. [ Footnote: 1) v. 27, 4-6. Cf. Ludwig, Translation of the Rigveda, 3, 275.] [ ID=177 ]

### Instances and Significance of the Sacrifice in Puranas (1 definition)
- The horse sacrifice, noted in mythology as performed by numerous kings and sages, serving as a remedy for the killing of a Brahmin, and yielding spiritual benefits equal to visiting holy places.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > अश्वमेध (aśvamedha) [Printed book page 1-127 ] Aśvamedha — Thrice performed by Yudhiṣṭhira. 1 One hundred performed by Bali; 2 of Ambarīṣa where Vasiṣṭha and Gautama were present. 3 Thrice performed by Parīkṣit. 4 Performed by Aṅga when gods did not respond to his call. 5 A hundred were performed by Pṛthu. But in the last Indra stole away the horse. 6 Performed by Indra. 7 Per- formed by Kṛṣṇa at Dvārakā. The sacrificial horse was sent out with a number of warriors to watch its course. All Page1-128+ 40 kings including the Pāṇḍavas attended the sacrifice. In the course of the sacrifice a Brāhmaṇa complained of the death of his children immediately after birth. At this Arjuna (s.v.) offered to give succour and recovered them with Kṛṣṇa's aid, from Nārāyaṇa's abode. Nārāyaṇa said that he took the children as a means to see Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna in their human form. The Avabhṛta of the sacrifice was cele- brated in the Yamunā. 8 A remedy for brahmicide. 9 Per- formed by Śūdra kings in Kali age; 10 of other kings; 11 of Ikṣvāku, of Dakṣa, of Suyajña, of Nala, of Śatānīka of Purū- ravas; 12 equal to going to Gayā, bath in the Prayāga and Ganges, koṭihoma, grahabali, etc. 13 100 of them performed by Somadatta; 14 as efficacious as reading the Viṣṇu Purāṇa; 15 performed by other sages. 16 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. I. 8. 6; 10. 2. [1]; 12. 34.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. VIII. 15. 34.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. IX. 4. 22.] [ Footnote: 4) Ib. I. 16. 3.] [ Footnote: 5) Ib. IV. 13. 25.] [ Footnote: 6) Ib. IV. 16. 24; 19, 1.] [ Footnote: 7) Ib. VI. 13. 18-20; Br. II. 30. 10; M. 143. 6-26.] [ Footnote: 8) Bhā. X. 89. 22-64.] [ Footnote: 9) Ib. VI. 13. 6-9.] [ Footnote: 10) Br. II. 31. 67; M. 144. 43.] [ Footnote: 11) Br. II. 34. 24; III. 5. 7; 7. 268; 11. 13-16; 64. 17; 68. 26; 70. 24 and 27; 71. 119; 72. 28; IV. 12. 31.] [ Footnote: 12) M. 12. 10; 12. 15; 44, 23 and 64; 24. 10; Vā. 105. 10. 32; 111. 17, 51; 112. 31-2.] [ Footnote: 13) M. 22. 6; 28. 6; 53. 15; 58. 54; 106. 29; 183. 71 and 80.] [ Footnote: 14) Vi. IV. 1. 56.] [ Footnote: 15) Vi. VI. 8. 28 & 34.] [ Footnote: 16) Vā. 20. 16; 32. 52; 30. 291; 50. 221; 57. 52; 60. 23; 67. 50, 53-8; 71. 77; 75. 60, 75; 99. 456; 104. 84; Bhā. IX. 22. 39.] [ ID=1014 ]

### Patronymic of a Prince (1 definition)
- a patronymic of an unnamed prince in the Rigveda  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > [Printed book page 1-069 ] Aśva-medha is the patronymic of an unnamed prince, who occurs in a Dānastuti (‘Praise of Gifts’) in the Rigveda (viii. 68, 15. 16). [ ID=285 ]

### Title of a Textual Division (e.g., Parvan) (1 definition)
- the horse-sacrifice  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > अश्वमेध (aśvamedha) [Printed book page 008-1 ] Aśvamedha (“the Horse-sacrifice”). § 4 (Anukram.): I, 1, 91 ( °āmṛtarasaḥ, sc. Bhāratadrumaḥ ), i.e. Āśvamedhika- parvan. [ ID=97 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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