History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c52.43

v3.c52.43

Fees are prescribed at many of the constituent rites in Rājasūya, but special fees are mentioned in connection with the Abhiṣecanīya and Daśapeya (Āśv. IX. 4. 2 ff). At the Abhiṣecanīya Āśv. recommends 32000 cows to each of the four principal priests, 16000 to each of the first assistants of the four, 8000 to each of the next four, 4000 to each of the last group of four (Āśv. IX. 4. 3–5). These come to the huge figure of 240000 cows. Vide Śāṅ. XV. 16. 16–19 also for such large figures. At the Daśapeya 1000 cows are the fee and then there are special rewards for the 16 priests (Āśv. IX. 4. 7–20, Āp. XVIII. 21. 6–7, Kāt. XV. 8. 23–27, Lāṭ. IX. 2. 9–15) viz. a golden chain, a horse, a milch cow (with calf), a goat, two golden ear-rings, two silver ear-rings, twelve five year old pregnant cows, a barren cow, a round golden ornament (rukma), a bull, cotton cloth, a thick hempen piece of cloth, a cart full of barley drawn by an ox, an ox, a heifer, a young three year old bull respectively to udgātṛ, his three assistants, adhvaryu, pratiprasthātṛ, brahmā, maitrāvaruṇa, hotṛ, brāhmaṇācchaṁsin, potṛ, neṣṭṛ, acchāvāka, āgnīdhra, unnetṛ and grāvastut.