The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c6.s1.15

c6.s1.15

The above considerations seem to suggest that the brahmin officiants in the classical system of ritual, and especially the brahman officiant—to the extent that they eat from the offerings and accept the dakṣiṇās—have taken the place of the rivals in the preclassical system. An illustration of this development is provided by the rājasūya. After the central ceremonies connected with the unction and the communal Soma drinking (*daśapeya*), a particular offering (*iṣṭi*) is prescribed, the distinctive feature of which is the sending of messengers (*sātyadūtahavīṃṣi*). These messengers bring particular presents, which are connected with the king's unction, that is, with his ritual birth, to the rival kings (*pratirājan*). By their acceptance of the presents, the rival kings show their allegiance. Now these presents are at the same time prescribed as dakṣiṇās for the brahmins who officiate at the iṣṭi.³² This does not mean that the brahmins have brought the kṣatriyas under their sway or have "usurped" their position. We have seen that brahminhood was not originally represented by a closed group of priestly specialists.³³ The bearers of the brahman, on the contrary, were the antagonists in the preclassical ritual drama. In principle, they were the equals of the yajamāna (or group of yajamānas). Invited as guests,³⁴ they help to bring about the life-death reversal by eating the host's food and by accepting his gifts. The host is reborn a brahmin; the guest, being a brahmin at the outset, takes over death.