History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.190

v4.c62.190

The Rājanītiprakāśa (pp. 49-83), the Rājadhārma-kaustubha (pp. 318-363) and Nītimayūkha pp. 1-4 quote from the Viṣṇudharmottara almost the whole of chapters 21-22 of the 2nd khaṇḍa that deal with the rites and mantras of coronation. It appears that the Kaustubha appropriates all the glosses of Mitramiśra. The Viṣṇudharmottara (II. 19) sets out first the Śānti (propitiatory) rite in honour of Indra (called the Paurandarī or Aindrī Śānti). It is impossible to give the details here, but a few matters may be noticed. The purāṇa (in II. 21) includes all the details from the Vedic texts (such as Svastyayana, Āyuṣya, Abhaya and Aparājita hymns) and adds other rites also. It mentions the procedure stated above from the Agnipurāṇa and employs Vedic mantras in doing so. In II. 22 the Viṣṇudharmottara gives purāṇa mantras in 182 verses, in which such gods as Brahmā, Nakṣatras (from Kṛttikā to Bharaṇī), the planets, 14 Manus, 11 Rudras, Viśve-Devas, Gandharvas and Apsarases, dānavas, ḍākinīs, birds like Garuḍa, nāgas, sages like Veda-Vyāsa, emperors like Pṛthu, Dilīpa, Bharata, vedas and vidyās, rivers &c. are invoked to crown the king.