Hindu Administrative Institutions c7.s7.17

c7.s7.17

His duties towards the harem were significant. The harem was located in a place which was fire-proof and poison-proof. Parrots, heron and other birds were reared in it to detect poisons. There is evidence in the Rāmāyaṇa that Daśaratha’s harem contained such birds, and Kauśalya is said to speak to the parrots.