Bharat’s Indigenous sports # 1. Chariot Racing "The Vājapeya": Victory Written in Fire, Soma and Dharma
One of the strongest examples of the link between sport and sacred ritual is the Vājapeya yajña. This ritual is described in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, which belongs to the Śukla Yajurveda tradition. The Vājapeya was a royal Soma ritual and one of the great Vedic sacrifices. It ended with a chariot race but this race was not just an ordinary competition. The race was not meant to be uncertain. The yajamāna or the person who performed and sponsored the sacrifice, was ritually meant to win. Seventeen chariots took part in the race but the king’s victory was not seen as a matter of speed alone. It showed that he had divine approval. His chariot was drawn by sacred horses and protected by mantras. As it moved, it became a sign that the king was aligned with ṛta, the cosmic order, natural truth and the right way things are meant to be. The word Vājapeya itself suggests strength, nourishment and victorious power. Through Soma, mantra, fire, movement and the king’s participation, the sacrif...