The Head Beneath the Altar: Hindu Mythology and the Critique of Sacrifice

Title Page, Copyright Page

The Head Beneath theAltar Studies in Violence, Mimesis, and Culture SERIES EDITOR William A. Johnsen The Studies in Violence, Mimesis, and Culture Series examines issues related to the nexus of violence and religion in the genesis and maintenance of culture. It furthers the agenda of the Colloquium on Violence and Religion, an international association that draws inspiration from René Girard’s mimetic hypothesis on the relationship between violence and religion, elaborated in a stunning series of books he has written over the last forty years. Readers interested in this area of research can also look to the association’s journal, Contagion: Journal of Violence, Mimesis, and Culture. ADVISORY BOARD René Girard, Stanford University Andrew McKenna, Loyola University of Chicago Raymund Schwager, University of Innsbruck James Williams, Syracuse University EDITORIAL BOARD Rebecca Adams, Independent Scholar Jeremiah Alberg, International Christian University Mark Anspach, École Polytechnique, Paris Pierpaolo Antonello, University of Cambridge Ann Astell, University of Notre Dame Cesáreo Bandera, University of North Carolina Maria Stella Barberi, Università di Messina Benoît Chantre, L’association Recherches Mimétiques Diana Culbertson, Kent State University Paul Dumouchel, Ritsumeikan University Jean-Pierre Dupuy, Stanford University, École Polytechnique Giuseppe Fornari, Università degli studi di Bergamo Eric Gans, University of California, Los Angeles Sandor Goodhart, Purdue University Robert Hamerton-Kelly,† Stanford University Hans Jensen, Aarhus University, Denmark Mark Juergensmeyer, University of California, Santa Barbara Cheryl Kirk-Duggan, Shaw University Michael Kirwan, SJ, Heythrop College, University of London Paisley Livingston, Lingnan University, Hong Kong Charles Mabee, Ecumenical Theological Seminary, Detroit Józef Niewiadomski, Universität Innsbruck Wolfgang Palaver, Universität Innsbruck Martha Reineke, University of Northern Iowa João Cezar de Castro Rocha, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro Tobin Siebers, University of Michigan Thee Smith, Emory University Mark Wallace, Swarthmore College Eugene Webb, University of Washington The Head Beneath the Altar Brian Collins Michigan State University Press · East Lansing HINDU MYTHOLOGY AND THE CRITIQUE OF SACRIFICE Copyright © 2014 by Brian Collins i The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48-1992 (r 1997) (Permanence of Paper). p Michigan State University Press East Lansing, Michigan 48823-5245 Printed and bound in the United States of America. 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 library of congress cataloging-in-publication data Collins, Brian (Brian H.) The head beneath the altar : Hindu mythology and the critique of sacrifice / Brian Collins. pages cm. — (Studies in violence, mimesis, and culture series) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-1-61186-116-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) — isbn 978-1-60917-406-4 (ebook) 1. Hindu mythology. 2. Sacrifice—Hinduism. 3. Violence—Religious aspects—Hinduism. 4. Girard, René, 1923– I. Title. bl1216.c65 2014 294.5'34—dc23 2013020462 Book design and composition by Charlie Sharp, Sharp Des!gns, Lansing, Michigan Cover design by David Drummond, Salamander Design, www.salamanderhill.com Cover image of a wood and clay artifact came from a collection of ritual implements for the complex and lengthy Vedic fire altar ritual Agnicayana (inventory number vk5874:364) from the Museum of Cultures/The National Museum of Finland, and is used with permission. Photo: Markku Haverinen. G Michigan State University Press is a member of the Green Press Initiative and is committed to developing and encouraging ecologically responsible publishing practices. For more information about the Green Press Initiative and the use of recycled paper in book publishing, please visit www.greenpressinitiative.org. Visit Michigan State University Press at www.msupress.org For my grandfather, Dewey Wade Johnson december 10, 1927–february 3, 2012 ...