Since the beginning of the Aryan culture’s flourish in India, since the earlier Vedic period, asi (a sword) had been one of the much-used weapons. However, in the mantra(s) (hymns) of Ṛgveda (Rigveda), asi had been mentioned not so much as a weapon for battle, but much as a weapon of beheading the animals as sacrifice during a yajña (yajna; a Vedic ritual of offering sacrifice). In the hymns of Ṛgveda, there are mentions of asi, as used for sacrificing a horse or a cow.