The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c13.23

c13.23

Just as the sacrifice, so also other magical performances the *purohita* did for his own enrichment and worldly prosperity. The consecration of State elephants brought the *purohita*, according to the Susîma Jâtaka, always ten millions (*koṭi* II. 46), as all implements for consecration and the entire jewellery of the elephants fell to the lot of the performer of the *hatthimaṅgala*. That he made use of his skill to read the signs of the future to promote his own interest, was only too obvious; to make a king subservient to his will, he used to read out of the signs only that which conformed to his wishes. In the well-known story of King Sufferlong and his son Livelong¹ the *purohita’s* reading of the signs plays a rôle which can properly be called by no other name than cheating, though it is not employed for a bad purpose. The Kosala king Dîghîti “Sufferlong” is defeated by his neighbour, King Brahmadatta, and driven out of his kingdom. Along with the queen he wanders from place to place and comes at last to Benares, the seat of his enemy Brahmadatta, where he remains in hiding in the house of a potter, dressed as a begging ascetic. Not long after his wife becomes pregnant; she gets the desires which pregnancy creates and wishes to see at sunrise a four-limbed¹ army ready for fight, in full equipment and standing upon a ground which promises luck and to drink the water in which the swords have been washed. She narrates this to Dîghîti and explains to him that as he in his poverty cannot fulfil such an extravagant desire of hers she will die, since she cannot see her desire fulfilled. Now the purohita of King Brahmadatta is a friend of Dîghîti; to him goes the Kosala king and explains in what difficulty he finds himself placed. "Let me see the queen," replies the purohita, and as he sees the queen, he cries out "Verily, a Kosala king resides in your womb! Rest assured, at sunrise you will see a four-limbed army ready for fight, in full equipment and standing upon a ground promising luck, and you will get the water in which the swords are washed to drink." He goes to Brahmadatta and says to him, "O king, the signs (nimittâni) demand that there should be to-morrow at sunrise a four-limbed army ready for fight, in full equipment and standing on a lucky ground and that the arms should be washed." The Kâsi king orders his people to satisfy the purohita's requirements.