War in Ancient India c5.s3: Section III: Celebrating Victory

War in Ancient India c5.s3

Language: English

Section III: Celebrating Victory

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After the announcement of victory, the conqueror probably recited the following hymn of the *Atharva* Veda which Griffith calls a ‘hymn after victory’:-

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Here I have come up to a better stop: heaven-and-earth have been propitious to me: let the directions be for me free from rivals: we verily hate thee not; be there fearlessness for us.’¹¹²

Then he celebrated it by worshipping the gods, honouring the Brahmans, and granting a general amnesty.¹¹³ The belief then was that God helped those who helped themselves. So worship of the gods was the first thing. This worship was done in different ways. The orthodox method seems to have been to celebrate a sacrifice as we saw in the cases of Yudhiṣṭhira and Śeṅguṭṭuvan. There was the classical instance of King Nābhāga giving away whole kingdoms as sacrificial presents to the Brahmans.¹¹⁴ Another mode of honouring the Brahman was to make a present of the cows captured from the enemy so that they might enjoy their milk.

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¹¹³ *Manu*, VII. 201; *Ar. Śās.*, XIII. 5.

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¹¹⁴ सराजकानि राष्ट्राणि नाभागो दक्षिणां ददौ । अन्यत्र श्रोत्रियस्वाच्च तापसार्थाच्च भारत ॥ *Śānti.*, 96.22.

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An interesting question may be raised here. What was the service of the Brahman in a war so as to make him the recipient of such gifts? Let the ancient texts answer. A certain Gandharva in addressing Arjuna in the *Mahābhārata* on the importance of the Purohita to the king says that sheer prowess and pride of nobility cannot give one success. It is the guiding hand of the Brahmans that will keep a king ever victorious.¹¹⁵ In another place we are informed that mere strength of weapons and arms (*astrabāhubalam*) does not secure victory, but the power of tapas and mantras would alone lead to it (*tapomantra balam*).¹¹⁶ This is exactly what the Kauṭalīya rules namely *śastrabalam* combined with *śāstrabalam* leads to the success of the State.¹¹⁷ As the *śāstrabalam*, and *tapomantrabalam* were the possession of the Brahman, and as he was prohibited from earning his livelihood by taking to other professions, there is the justification for bestowing lavish gifts on the Brahmans who ministered to the religious and spiritual needs of the whole community. This dependence of each community on the other explains why there were few or no civil wars in ancient India.

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¹¹⁵ *Mhb.*, Ādi Parva, 186. 77-84. and especially the line ब्राह्मणमुखं राज्यं शक्यं पालयितुं चिरम् ॥

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¹¹⁶ > तपोनन्त्रबलं नित्यं ब्राह्मणेपु प्रतिष्ठितम् ।

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¹¹⁷ *Ar. Śās.*, Bk. I. 9.

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After the religious celebration the conqueror proceeded to distribute the booty seized in war. It included chariots, horses, umbrellas, grain, cattle, dravyas including the *kupyas* or baser metals, and women. Such wealth consisted only of movables. The epic code has it that the immovable property did not of right belong to the conqueror.¹¹⁸ It is said that after defeating the enemy in battle, King Pratardana took all his wealth, including grains and medicinal herbs,

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¹¹⁸ > भूमिर्वर्जं धनं राजा जित्वा राजनमहाहवे ।

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अस्त्रबाहुबलं नित्यं क्षत्रियेपु प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥
नाब्रह्म क्षत्रमुप्नोति ना क्षत्रं ब्रह्म वर्धते ।
ब्रह्मक्षत्रं च संप्रक्तमिह चामुत्र वर्धते ॥

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अपि चान्नोपधीः शश्वदाजहार प्रतर्दनः ॥

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but left his land untouched. In the next verse it is told that King Divodāsa took away even the sacrificial materials including the clarified butter and food of his subjugated foes. But this was not approved as it went against the prevailing religious feeling.¹¹⁹ According to Śukrācārya¹²⁰ the wealth seized in war should be presented to the king for examination and distribution. This wealth was clearly movable property. According to lawgivers like Viṣṇu and Manu, animals captured and a part of the treasure seized, generally went to the king.¹²¹ It is interesting to note the ruling of Bṛhaspati that one-sixth of the booty went to the king and the rest to his allies and soldiers.¹²² The dependants of those killed in war were given an allowance for subsistence. This was probably met from the State treasury.

Linked texts (7)

Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra — Kauṭilya, Sanskrit
Mānava Dharmaśāstra — Manu & Bhṛgu, Sanskrit
Vaiṣṇava Dharmaśāstra — Viṣṇu, Sanskrit
Mahābhārata — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Atharvavedasaṃhitā — Atharvan & Aṅgiras, Sanskrit
Bṛhaspatismṛti — Bṛhaspati, Sanskrit
Gautamadharmasūtra — Gautama (dharmasūtrakāra), Sanskrit