ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the symbolism of the head in early Indian Civilisation and also deals with eroticism within religious asceticism. Both suicide and self-sacrifice result in self-destruction. However, the difference lies not only in the motivation of the offerant, but also in the symbolism of the methodology of the offerant. The head was a ubiquitous symbol in Vedic sacrifice. The head was also the symbol of individual identity; its offering implied a denial of self and the subjugation of the offerant before the greater reality of god or goddess. Multi-headed deities, such as the one found on the so-called Proto-Siva seal, appear as early as the Indus Civilisation and indicate that Indus religion may have used multiple heads as an emblem of diverse divine powers. The symbolism of the head continued to be an essential component of the sacrificial ritual structure, even as the systems of sacrifice evolved and changed.
