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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s2.t2: Purohita

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s2.t2

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Purohita

c7.s2.t2.1

Like the crown-prince, purohita or the king's adviser in matters religious and secular as well, finds an important place in the king's assembly. He is enumerated along with the most important officers of administration and is counted among the seven jewels.⁴ The Vivāgasuya mentions the priest Mahesaradatta of king Jiyasattu, who performed sacrifice in order to avert the king's misfortunes. Sometimes the priest acted as a witch-doctor. It is said that when the king was engaged in some battle, the purohita, captured eight hundred boys from the four communities, viz., Bambhaṇa, Khattiya, Vassa and Sudda and performed sacrifice (santihoma) with the flesh of their hearts (hiyaunḍaya)⁵

c7.s2.t2.2

⁴ Thā., 7. 558 , cf. Milindapañha (p 114), which mentions senāpati, purohita, akkhadassa, bhaṇḍāgārika, chattagāhaka and khaggagāhaka as six important officers of the king.

c7.s2.t2.3

⁵ p. 33 , the Dhanasākha Jātaka (III, No. 353, p. 150), refers to an ambitious purohita who helps the king through a sacrificial ceremony to acquire a city which is difficult to conquer. He proposes to his lord to pluck out the eyes of the thousand captured kings, to rip up their bellies, take out the entrails and give a bali-offering to a god , see also Fick, op. cit., ch. vii, 'The House Priest of the King."

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