The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c9.s4.26

c9.s4.26

The pointed staff before the queen has been interpreted as a standard or a sacrificial spear.² It has, however, no flag at its top and so cannot be regarded as a standard. It undoubtedly looks pointed like a spear, but the latter weapon was not required in the sacrifice. After the horse was killed, the sacred texts lay down that the three queens were to extensively puncture its body by *sūchīs* or needles in order to facilitate the passage of the sword into its body. The crowned queen was to use a golden needle, the favourite one a silver one and the discarded one a copper one.³ It appears that the spear-like object before the queen is this ‘needle’; its circular appendages may have been intended to enable the queen to grasp it firmly when piercing the tough skin of the horse. To us this appears to be the most plausible explanation of the object in front of the queen.