The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c14.s1.4

c14.s1.4

Let me try to illustrate the king's position by a consideration of the *ratnins*, the "jewel holders," "the givers and takers of kingship," in the royal consecration ritual (*rājasūya*).⁶ They have been taken to constitute a sort of bureaucracy, and the ceremony connected with them, the ratnin offerings, to indicate a significant advance in administrative organization.⁷ However, as far as I can see, the texts do not indicate anything of the kind. At best the ratnins may be considered household officials, who, of course, according to the needs of the moment, may be entrusted with all sorts of charges not covered by their designations. In fact, the commentators' inventiveness is hard put to explain these designations in terms of specific charges. More significantly, the underlying pattern seems to be connected, not with a rationalized model of the state, but with cognate and affinal kinship.