"Animals Will Go To Heaven"--Justification of Animal Sacrifice in the Legal Treatise in Hinduism

Animal sacrifice, as a form of religious practice, remains a contentious yet deeply entrenched element across various religions, particularly within Indian religious traditions. While Hinduism extols non-violence as the paramount virtue, the Vedic tradition within Hinduism mandates the ritualistic killing of living beings—predominantly animals, though not exclusively—as an integral aspect of obligatory sacrifices. Prior studies on the justification of violence within Hinduism have predominantly centered on the philosophical arguments of the Mīmāṃsā school, emphasizing scriptural authority (Kataoka 2012; Houben 1999; Halbfass 1991). In contrast, this paper shifts focus to the defense of violence within legal treatises (dharmaśāstras), which offer insights into sacrificial violence not solely from a scriptural perspective, but also from the vantage point of the animal victims themselves.

This study delves into the justification of sacrificial violence as elucidated in the *Manubhāṣya* by Medhātithi (circa 825-900 CE), recognized as one of the foremost exegeses of the *Mānavadharmaśāstra* (circa 200 BCE-200 CE). The primary objective is to discern Medhātithi's rationale for animal sacrifice, particularly emphasizing the purported spiritual benefits bestowed upon the sacrificial animals and plants, despite the traditional belief that animals and plants lack agency in pursuing liberation. By scrutinizing the original Sanskrit texts and their accompanying commentaries, this research aims to enhance our comprehension of the spiritual dimensions attributed to animals within Hinduism and their potential for liberation.

To provide context for Medhātithi's argumentation regarding the benefits accruing to animals in sacrificial rituals, I begin by outlining the perspectives of preceding Mīmāṃsā scholars, including Kumārila. These scholars largely overlook the welfare of animals involved in sacrifices. Despite acknowledging the suffering inflicted upon animals during rituals, Kumārila contends that the physical pain endured by them does not serve as a criterion for evaluating the moral virtue of sacrificial killing. Within Kumārila's framework, the authority of scriptures alone suffices to justify the necessity of sacrificial violence. His perspective remains anthropocentric and ritual-centric, viewing animals merely as ritual components devoid of inherent consideration for their welfare.

Building upon this foundation, I illustrate how Medhātithi introduces a novel perspective by emphasizing the benefits accrued by animals through his commentary on the foundational text of the Mānavadharmaśāstra. Although various legal and ritualistic texts, including the Mānavadharmaśāstra, allude to the notion that animals sacrificed attain a superior rebirth, this aspect has received limited scholarly scrutiny within the Hindu tradition. The root text states, "herbs, animals, trees, beasts, and birds die for the sake of sacrifice and obtain higher birth (5.41)." A similar glorification of sacrificial death is echoed in the Vedas, where numerous Vedic mantras depict the sacrificial victim transcending the animal state, ascending to heavenly realms, thereby illuminating the path for householders. As both a theologian and legal scholar, Medhātithi expounds upon this rhetoric of benefit, absolving the act of sacrifice from the moral stigma of killing. He meticulously enumerates the benefits conferred upon various entities, including the sacrificial animals, those animals engaged in labor during the sacrifice, and even plants, traditionally regarded as insentient beings within Hinduism.

Furthermore, I examine how Medhātithi's viewpoint navigates the traditional framework of ritual theory. Within the Mīmāṃsā tradition, animals are deemed incapable of attaining transcendental benefits from sacrifices due to the prerequisite of possessing ritual intention (saṃkalpa) for spiritual outcomes. Since animals lack such intention and participate passively in the sacrificial rites, they are not regarded as active agents capable of receiving ritual rewards. However, Medhātithi reconciles this Mīmāṃsā perspective on animals with the commendatory statements (arthavāda) found in the Mānavadharmaśāstra. He argues that while scriptural authority indeed validates the legitimacy of sacrificial violence, it also asserts that sacrifice serves as a pathway to spiritual elevation for the sacrificial victim.

Medhātithi's theoretical framework holds significant implications within the discourse surrounding the justification of violence in Hinduism. By expounding upon the foundational text of Manu, he delves into the ramifications of killing for the animal victims involved in sacrificial rituals. While the rhetoric of benefit endeavors to absolve the sacrificer from the moral culpability of killing, it does not reduce the animal to a mere ritual object; rather, it earnestly regards the victim as a participant in the ritual entitled to its benefits. Unlike dry logical arguments, this rhetoric of benefit assumes a more humanistic stance and may resonate more readily with laypeople unversed in scholarly debates. Following in the footsteps of Medhātithi, scholars like Rāmānuja and Abhinavagupta adopt this rhetoric of benefit as a prevalent strategy for justifying sacrificial violence. Finally, I provide a brief overview of the enduring impact of Medhātithi's rhetoric of benefit on the discourse surrounding animal sacrifice. This perspective, which emphasizes the agency and entitlement of the animal victim, finds endorsement among the majority of later theologians within Hinduism.

This study aims to deepen our understanding of the spiritual significance of animals and their potential for liberation by examining Medhātithi’s arguments in favor of animal sacrifice. It seeks to explore how the portrayal of animals in sacrificial rituals contributes to the justification of violent acts. By engaging with both textual sources and anthropological studies on animals in Hinduism, such as Jha (2003) and Govindrajan (2018), this research endeavors to shed light on the complex relationship between animals, spirituality, and violence within Hindu religious practices. Additionally, this investigation into animal sacrifice delves into key themes of Hinduism and broader religious studies, including compassion and non-violence, offering insights from Indian religious perspectives to the wider discourse on animal ethics in religious contexts.