The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c14.s1.31

c14.s1.31

It is in this sense that we can interpret the later statements about the divinity and the sacral character of kingship. Thus according to *Manu*, the king does not represent a one and only king of the gods; there are eight of them who coalesce in the human king.³⁷ These eight gods recall the eight human magnates or "heroes" (*vīra*) who in a ritual text are said to support kingship. Such statements mean that the king is seen as the connecting link of the manyfold (in this case eightfold), dispersed kingship. The sacrality or divinity of the king resides in his connectiveness. But this leaves little room for an independent and closed priestly class, for the main sacral function is already occupied by the king.