Spiritual Authority and Temporal Power in the Indian Theory of Government c2.s1.19

c2.s1.19

¹¹ The root in *sūya*, *sava*, *sūta*, etc., is *sū*. Many scholars distinguish two roots *sū*, (1) to "impel" or "instigate" and (2) to "quicken" or "generate." The latter meaning is obvious in RV. VII. 101. 3 where *súte* (begets) is opposed to *starīḥ* (sterile), in I. 146. 5 where Agni, the "Sun of Men" is *súḥ*, i. e. *prasavitā*, *utpādayitā* (Sāyaṇa) in relation to all things, in RV. I. 113. where *savitúḥ saváya* is "for the birth of Savitṛ" himself, and in BU. VI. 4. 19 where Savitṛ, "He of true quickening" (*satyáprasava*), is invoked in the marriage rite, certainly as progenitive deity, Gandharva and Divine Eros. In our contexts it is this Savitṛ that is the primary instigator or quickener (MU. VI. 7 *savanāt savitā*). If in some contexts *sū* is rather to "instigate" than to "quicken" (cf. *sūyate* = *anujñāyate*, AV. IV. 8. 1. Comm.), and may be replaced by forms of *iṣ* or causative forms of *ṛ* (as in AB. II. 5), this is because it is only when Manas and Vāc are "personified" (as is usual in our texts, Manas being identified with Prajāpati, and Vāc as his daughter) that we realise that the consequence of an "instigation" of Vāc by Manas (or the *brahma*) is an embodiment of what has been "conceived" and is a "concept" (BU. II. 2. 3): the intellectual principle inseminating the mother of which it is to be born, just as in any other aspect of a Logos doctrine. To "instigate" or "set in motion" or "move" is thus only a weaker value of "quicken": the Purohita is really "fathering" his "Counsel" on the King who as the *kartṛ* is to give it effect by means of his *fiat*. And this is only an extension of the acts of aspersion, etc., by which the King has already been "begotten" (*sūtáḥ*) and "brought to birth" (*prásūtaḥ*)—for this distinction cf. KB. V. 3 *prajā . . . sṛṣṭā aprasūtāḥ* = Avyakta Up. VI. 1 *prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā na jāyante*, and BU. I. 4. 11 where the *kṣatra* is *sṛṣṭam*, but evidently *aprasūtam* until the Rāja-sūya has taken place. Eggeling discusses his translation of *sū* in *SBE*. XLI, p. 2, note 1. We adopt his usual rendering, "quicken." His occasional use of "spiriter," although true to the essential values, since here as in John VI. 63 *spiritus est qui vivificat*, is too awkward to be adopted. We have no doubt that the "two" roots *sū* are, or were originally, one. The octad of King-making deities (Savitṛ, Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Indra, Rudra, Mitra and Varuṇa) who endow the King with a variety of powers or virtues correspond to the "good fairies" of folklore who bring their gifts to the newly born solar hero.