The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c12.s5.4

c12.s5.4

One more detail of this procedure is noteworthy: when commending himself, the would-be pupil should offer his teacher a *sāmūlājina* (possibly a sort of carpet), a jewel, and a golden ornament. These items are elsewhere called the king’s ornaments (*rājñaḥ pariṣkāra*).¹⁰² The meaning seems to be clear: in accordance with the cyclically alternating pattern, king and teacher exchange their qualities, the king becoming a *brahmacārin*, the teacher receiving the royal ornaments.