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I am reading the Mahabharata, but i came across this sloka. I would like to ask you, how could Vyasadev recommend Yudhisthira to prepare for such as naramedha? If i know well, Vyasadev is a partial avatar of Lord Krishna. Why the Omnipotent, Eternal Source needs a thing like naramedha? Also, i am a bit confused when i am reading about ashwamedha...why the chief queen must sleep with the dead horse?

Thank you, you would help me a lot, if you could answer my questions. ♡♡♡♡♡

rājasūyāśvamedhau ca sarvamedhaṃ ca bhārata naramedhaṃ ca nṛpate tvam āhara yudhiṣṭhira Do thou, O Yudhishthira, prepare for the Rajasuya, and the horse-sacrifice, as well as, O Bharata, for the Sarvamedha and the Naramedha Asvamedha parva 3.8.

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I am new to this site. Kindly let me know if I did not answer you correctly.

Human sacrifice and cannibalism are explicitly condemned in the Bhagavata Purana (5.26.31). The Chandogya Upanishad (3.16) states that the Purushamedha is actually a metaphor for life itself, and it compares the various stages of life to the oblations that are offered.

He regarded it as a symbolic ritual. Since there is no in scriptural or another record of Purushamedha ever being performed, some scholars suggest it was invented simply to round out sacrificial possibilities.

The Aitareya Brahmana tells the story of a sacrifice carried out by King Harischandra. The childless king asked Varuna to provide him with a son, and in return, Varuna asks him to sacrifice the child to him. Harischandra delays the performance of the sacrifice and allows his son, named Rohita, to grow older. Eventually, Rohita wanders into the forest to find a substitute for himself. He comes across a poor Brahmin named Ajigarta, who sells his son Sunahsepa to him. Sunahsepa is bound to the stake, but he frees himself by reciting some mantras that were taught to him by Vishvamitra.

So, what you read that in Mahabharata, it is just a Metaphor. Feel free to let me know if I am wrong. Thanks

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    In Aitareya Brahmana you can find the story of Harischandra, where Varuna demands for human sacrifice. But its clearly not methaphorical. Having made the adorned Man smell (kiss) the chanting-ground, (he addresses him) with the eleven verses (Rig-v. X, 15, 1-11) without ‘om,’–‘Up shall rise (the Fathers worthy of Soma), the lower, the higher, and the middle ones.’ 18. The Âprî verses are ‘Agnir mrityuh‘ ...20. They then spread a red cloth, woven of kusa grass, for the Man to lie upon. 21. The Udgâtri approaches the suffocated Man with(the chant of) a Sâman to Yama (the god of death)XVI, 13,1
    – Eszti
    May 10, 2020 at 9:09
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    Padma Purana II.37.32b-42 “I shall tell you another fierce act (mentioned) in the Vedas. When a guest goes (i.e. arrives) to the house, a brahmana (kills and) cooks (the flesh of) a great bull; or O king of kings, he would feed the guest (with the flesh of) a goat. (They kill) a horse in a horse-sacrifice, and a bull in a bull-sacrifice; a man in a human sacrifice
    – Eszti
    May 10, 2020 at 9:12
  • @Eszti The Aitareya Brahmana tells the story of a sacrifice carried out by King Harischandra. The childless king asked Varuna to provide him with a son, and in return, Varuna asks him to sacrifice the child to him. Harischandra delays the performance of the sacrifice and allows his son, named Rohita, to grow older. Eventually, Rohita wanders into the forest to find a substitute for himself. He comes across a poor Brahmin named Ajigarta, who sells his son Sunahsepa to him. Sunahsepa is bound to the stake, but he frees himself by reciting some mantras that were taught to him by Vishvamitra.
    – Kumar
    May 10, 2020 at 9:31
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    Why Varuna would ask for a child sacrifice?
    – Eszti
    May 10, 2020 at 9:33
  • @Eszti They are used as a metaphor there. I don't know about the Padma Purana. But those are the written by Brahmins about different stories. In one story they say to eat meat, in another verse they say don't eat meat. Most of the Puranas have confused story.
    – Kumar
    May 10, 2020 at 9:34

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