History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.205.3

v4.c62.205.3

511-512 for the effects of poison on birds almost in the same words as those of Kauṭ. and Kām. Vide Śukra I. 326-328. Kauṭ. I. 21, Kām. VII. 15-26, Matsya 219. 9-32 state that part of the food for the king should first be cast into fire and offered to birds and the effects noted, they dwell at great length on the different tints of the flames of fire and of the smoke when different kinds of food are cast into fire, they point out the actions and gestures of the poisoner, they prescribe that the cook and the doctor giving medicines for mixing in food as antidotes should be made to partake of the food and then the king should himself partake of it. The king has to be careful in the harem, when receiving presents or anything sent by others, when sitting in a conveyance or riding a horse or travelling in a boat or when attending festivals (Kauṭ. I. 20-21, Kām. VII. 28-47). Kauṭ. I. 20 and Kām. (VII. 44 and 50) advise the king not to trust women and even the queen and to approach even the queen after she has been examined by men 80 years old and women over 50 years in the harem and found¹¹⁶ safe. Kauṭ. (I. 20) and Kām. (VII. 51-54) both name seven kings that met death in their queen's chambers by the stratagems of the queens themselves or those that were incited by them; viz.