Public Administration in Ancient India c22.17

c22.17

Once in every five years, Harshavardhana held the great assembly called the Mokṣa Mahāparishat. On such occasions he emptied his treasuries to give all away in charity. Hiuen Tsiang witnessed one of these assemblies, and he gives a beautiful description of it. The kings of twenty countries assembled with the Sramanas and Brāhmanas, the most distinguished of their country, with magistrates and soldiers. The ceremonies lasted several days. One day a golden statue of Buddha was carried in procession, attended on the left by Harshavardhana himself, dressed as Sakra and holding a precious canopy, and on the right by Kumāra-rāja, dressed as Brahmā and waving a white chāmara. Each of them had as an escort 500 war-elephants clad in armour; and in front and behind the statue of Buddha went 100 great elephants carrying musicians, who sounded the drums and raised their music. King Harsha, as he went, scattered on every side pearls and various precious substances in honour of the three objects of worship. After the feast, the men of learning assembled in the hall and discussed, in elegant language, the most abstruse subjects.²