Saramā as a psychopomp dog in ancient India

Abstract

The paper investigates the origin of Saramā’s legend by confronting its two oldest versions (ṚV 10.108 and JB 2.440-442) along with further Rigvedic fragments and mentions. Actually, nothing in the Rigvedic tale suggests that Saramā is a dog. The two main versions differ for a number of factors, not least the characters involved (only Saramā and the Paṇis are found in both sources) and the textual tipology, but both come from the same oral archetype and consider Saramā a divine-sent heroine. From a historical point of view, some elements suggest that the context in which the myth arose was nomadic and war-like, and a strong competition for resources took place: cattle raiding, brahmodya-style back-and-forths and the taste for forcing adversaries to speak the truth, are all features that can be found in Vrātyas’ lifestyle, thus linking the she-dog to wandering, sworn male brotherhoods in ancient India. Below the textual surface, Saramā’s myth is a peculiar example of canine symbolism in Indo-Aryan tradition, and shows a privileged connection to death and the underworld: closeness to the yonder world is embodied by Saramā’s progeny, since they are said to be Yama’s two dogs, suggesting that dogs were believed to occupy an intermediate position between life and death. Traces of this belief emerge in contemporary traditions involving dogs, namely in the Khaṇḍobā cult in Maharashtra, which is considered to preserve legacies of Vrātya rites from Vedic times. Textual and archaeological evidence from the aśvamedha rite shows that in the great royal sacrifice a dog is killed along with a horse in order to ensure kingship. Reconstructing the first ideological stages of Saramā’s story might help understand why in post-Brahmanical reform texts Saramā is no longer the protecting devaśuni of Rigvedic times, and becomes instead a demon who eats embryos in the womb, while dogs in general are seen as polluting and contaminating, probably also due to their relationship with death.