Shivamogga Somayagam acquires eight-goat notoriety

A yajna at Mattur in Shivamogga district in Karnataka towards April-end acquired much notice on the ground that eight goats were sacrificed as part of the ritual and that the oblation meat was later distributed as `prasadam' among the devotees. The yajna (Somayaga) was performed as usual with clarified butter, firewood, and related materials. But it was followed by the sacrifice of eight goats, which offended certain devotees. The yajna organisers claimed that they had strictly gone by the vedic rules for the Somayaga. It is well known that the heart of the goat is offered as oblation along with clarified butter and then the small part (heart of the goat) is had as prasadam from times immemorial. It is possible that there may have been eight organisers for the Somayagam who all had to be given `prasadam'. Hence eight goats had to be sacrificed. No part other than the heart is had by those who perform the yajnas, generally performed to beget sons. The vedic priests proclaim after Astik rishi, `Ahimsa paramodharma.' (Non-violence is the greatest good).