Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c21.s2.t1.13

v2.c21.s2.t1.13

But since we cannot expect more details from foreign travellers on the manner in which princes and peoples prostrated themselves before their sovereign, we may have recourse to Bāṇa, who while describing the etiquette in the court of the king Prabhākaravardhana, speaks of the two royal pages Kumāra Gupta and Mādhava Gupta thus: "Entering, they bowed from afar till their four limbs and heads touched the ground, then assumed a suitable position indicated by a kindly glance from the king."³ Skanda Gupta saluted the king Harshavardhana thus: "Entering the palace, he saluted from a distance, leaning his lotus hands upon the earth and touching it with his head."⁴