The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c14.s1.33

c14.s1.33

One may, however, think of a specific professional priestly figure—the *purohita* (the one "placed before"), the king's (or magnate's) "chaplain." But here again it would seem that originally his was not a purely priestly function, but was associated with warriorlike activities. The purohitas were charioteers. "In previous times," we are told, "the purohitas used to serve the kings as their chariot drivers",³⁸ the king himself being the chariot fighter. This is certainly not an unimportant function, and its priestly content is clear from the fact that the charioteer in the epic combines this function with that of a bard, as appears from the word *sūta*, which carries both meanings. One is reminded here of Kṛṣṇa's position as the charioteer of the royal warrior Arjuna, who reveals to his master the ultimate truth of the *Bhagavadgītā*. But for all that, it is a subservient role, supporting, not creating, the sacrality of the king's connectiveness, which is expressed in his being proclaimed the brahman par excellence.