animal killing
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Imported quote 12858 In this connection it is to be noted that the device used for killing animals in the sacrifice was not designed to facilitate eating their flesh. The killing was specifically intended to give a new life to the sacrificed animal by the power of Vedic mantra. The animals were sacrificed to test the strength of Vedic mantras; yajnas were performed as a test of the mantra. Even in the modern age, tests are executed on animal bodies in the physiology laboratory. Similarly, whether or not the brahmanas were uttering the Vedic hymns correctly was tested by sacrifice in the arena. On the whole, the animals thus sacrificed were not at all the losers. Some old animals would be sacrificed, but in exchange for their old bodies they received other, new bodies. That was the test of Vedic mantras. Virabhadra, instead of sacrificing animals with the wooden device, immediately beheaded Daksa, to the astonishment of everyone.
(More...) Imported quote 12912 Animals were offered in sacrifice in order to give them renewed life; that was the purpose of having animals there. Offering an animal in sacrifice and giving him renewed life is the evidence of the strength of chanting mantras. Unfortunately, when Daksa's sacrifice was devastated by Lord Siva, some of the animals were killed. (One was killed just to replace the head of Daksa.) Their bodies were lying about, and the sacrificial arena was turned into a crematorium. Thus the real purpose of yajna was lost.
(More...) Imported quote 13244 According to sacrificial rituals, animals are sometimes sacrificed in the yajna arena. Such animals are sacrificed not to kill them but to give them new life. Such action was an experiment to observe whether the Vedic mantras were being properly pronounced. Sometimes small animals are killed in a medical laboratory to investigate therapeutic effect. In a medical clinic the animals are not revived, but in the yajna arena, when animals were sacrificed, they were again given life by the potency of Vedic mantras. The word sipi-vistaya appears in this verse. Sipi means the flames of the sacrifice. In the sacrificial fire if the oblations are offered into the flames, then Lord Visnu is situated there in the form of the flames. Therefore Lord Visnu is known as Sipivista.
(More...) Imported quote 13424 King Indra is known as sata-kratu, which indicates that he has performed one hundred horse sacrifices (asvamedha-yajna). We should know, however, that the animals sacrificed in the yajna were not killed. If the Vedic mantras were properly pronounced during the sacrifice, the animal sacrificed would come out again with a new life. That is the test for a successful yajna. When King Prthu performed one hundred yajnas, Indra became very envious because he did not want anyone to excel him. Being an ordinary living entity, he became envious of King Prthu, and, making himself invisible, he stole the horse and thus impeded the yajna performance.
(More...) Imported quote 13443 Animal killing is intended for different purposes. It tests the proper pronunciation of Vedic mantras, and an animal being put into the sacrificial fire should come out with a new life. No one should ever be killed in a sacrifice meant for the satisfaction of Lord Visnu. How then could Indra be killed when he is actually worshiped in the yajna and accepted as part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Therefore the priests requested King Prthu not to kill him.
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