History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.520

v4.c62.520

It may be useful and interesting to see how in very ancient times the king was made ready for battle. The Āśv. Gṛ. S. (III. 12) says: when a battle is impending (the purohita) should make the king put on his armour (in the following way). The purohita should stand to the west of the chariot (of the king) muttering the hymn (Ṛg. X. 173) 'I have brought thee &c.'. He should hand over to the king his armour with Ṛg. VI. 75. 1 'when the man with armour advances it is like the appearance of the cloud &c.'. He hands over the bow with the next verse (Ṛg. VI. 75. 2 'dhanvanā gā'). The purohita should make the king recite the next verse (Ṛg. VI. 75. 3) and should himself mutter the 4th verse (Ṛg. VI. 75. 4). He should hand over the quiver to the king with the 5th verse (Ṛg. VI. 75. 5). When the chariot turns in the direction intended the purohita should mutter the sixth verse (Ṛg. VI. 75. 6). He should recite over the horses the 7th (Ṛg. VI. 75. 7). He makes the king recite the 8th (Ṛg. VI. 75. 8) when the latter looks at the arrows and makes the king recite Ṛg. VI. 75. 14 ('he envelopes his arm' &c.) when the latter fastens to his arm the leather (that protects his arm against the bow-string). When the king is being taken forward in the chariot by the charioteer the purohita ascends the chariot near the king and makes him recite the hymn called Abhivarta (Ṛg. X. 174) and the two verses (Ṛg. VIII. 101. 3–4). Then the priest looks at the king with the Apratiratha hymn (Rg. X. 103 'āśuḥ śiśāno'), the Śāsa hymn (Rg. X. 152 'śāsa itthā') and the Sauparṇa hymn 'pra dhārayantu madhuno ghṛtasya'.³⁰⁷ Then the king should traverse in order all directions in his chariot. He should stand in that direction in which the Sun (by day) or Venus (by night) shines and give fight from that direction. The king should pass his hand over the drum with the three verses (Rg. VI. 47. 29–31 'fill with breath (or roar) the heaven and the earth'). The king should discharge arrows with Rg. VI. 75. 16 and the purohita should mutter Rg. VI. 75. 17 ('where the arrows fall together &c.) when soldiers are fighting, or the purohita may direct or teach (the king to recite from the above such verses as are appropriate to his actions).³⁰⁸ In the Harṣacarita (7th Ucchvāsa first paragraph) Bāṇa favours us with a realistic and graphic description of the preparations made when Harṣa marched out from his palace on his *digvijaya*. The astrologers found out an auspicious day and *lagna* (sign of zodiac rising on the eastern horizon) indicative of his conquest of all the four quarters, Harṣa was bathed in water poured from silver and golden jars, performed worship of Śiva, offered oblations into fire that sent up flames turning from left to right, made gifts of jars full of sesame grains and of cows whose hoofs and horns were tipped with gold, sat on a throne on which tiger-skin was spread &c.