History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c52.32.5

v3.c52.32.5

3-5 says a kṣatriya sprinkles water from udumbara vessel, a vaiśya sprinkles from behind the king with water from aśvattha vessel and a friend from the common people sprinkles from the north side with water in the nyagrodha vessel). These actions are probably symbolic of the consent of all people to the anointing. The sacrificer rubs with the antelope horn over the whole of his body the holy water sprinkled over him (Kāt. XV. 6. 8). According to Kāt. XV. 6. 1-2 at this stage or after the dice play (to be described later) the hotṛ priest sitting on a cushion inlaid with gold recites the story of Śunaḥśepa²⁶⁵² for the sacrificer's benefit. Āp. XVIII. 19. 10 places this recital after the dice-play. Āśv. IX. 3. 9 says that the story of Śunaḥśepa is recited to the anointed king after the marutvatīya śastra in the Abhiṣecanīya rite (and before the Niṣkevalya śastra), the king being seated on a golden cushion and surrounded by his son and ministers. The adhvaryu also sits on a cushion inlaid with gold and utters the responses (pratigara) uttering 'om' (as the pratigara) at the end of each ṛk and 'tathā' at the end of each *gāthā*.²⁶⁵³ At the end of the recitation the sacrificer donates a hundred or a thousand cows to the hotṛ and to the adhvaryu and donates also their respective cushions. The king takes three strides called Viṣṇukrama on the tiger-hide.