The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c9.22

c9.22

Of course, the simple abuse and the equally artless praise are a far cry from the sophistication of the verbal contest. But the case of Śaulvāyana and Ayasthūṇa illustrates how the verbal contest developed into the discussion of ritualistic detail. The transition to ritualistic discussion of procedure and to the correction of ritual mistakes can be seen in the rules for "declaring"