History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.523
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.523
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v4.c62.523.1
When starting on an invasion the king was required to perform a rite called *nīrājanāvidhi* which consisted in waving lights before horses, elephants, banners, armies &c.³⁰⁹ In II. 30 Kauṭilya³¹⁰ prescribes that on the 9th day of Āśvina lights should be waved before horses and at the beginning and close of invasions and in times of diseases. In II. 32 Kauṭilya speaks of the waving of lights before elephants thrice in the cāturmāsya (from about July to October) and at the time when two seasons meet. Kālidāsa in the Raghuvamśa 4.25 refers³¹¹ to the performance of this ceremony when Raghu started on his digvijaya and states (in 17.13) that dūrvā grass, barley sprouts and the bark of the palāśa tree were required in the Nīrājanāvidhi. Kām. IV. 65 speaks of waving lights before horses and elephants (nīrājita-hayadvipaḥ). The Bṛhatsaṁhitā, chap. 44 (verses 16-28) deals with the ceremony of waving lamps before horses, elephants and men. This ceremony had to be performed every year in the month of Āśvina from the first to the 9th day of the bright half or on the 8th, 12th, or 15th of the bright half of Kārtika (acc. to the Bṛhatsaṁhitā 44.2) by those who owned horses and also elephants. It is also described in the Śaunakiya II. 8, Agnipurāṇa 268, Viṣṇudharmottara II. 159 (quoted at length in the Rājanīti-prakāśa pp. 434-438), Kālikāpurāṇa 88.15 ff, Nirṇayasindhu II. p. 169, Yuktikalpataru p. 178.
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The Bṛhatsaṁhitā describes it as follows:—In the north-east of the capital an ornamental arch of some holy tree was to be erected 10 cubits wide and 16 high. Round the necks of horses threads smeared with saffron paste and marking nut, with rice grains and white mustard and *kuṣṭha* plants tied on them were to be suspended. For seven days mantras addressed to the Sun, Varuṇa, Viśve-Devas, Prajāpati, Indra and Viṣṇu were to be recited over the horses, during those days the horses were not to be harshly addressed nor struck with a whip and auspicious words were to be addressed to them, conches were to be blown, drums beaten and singing indulged in before them. On the 8th day, to the south of the arch a shed with its face to the north and covered with *kuśa* grass and barks was to be erected and in front of it on a *vedi* fire was to be lighted and various materials and plants such as sandal-wood were to be collected and thrown into jars full of water, various foods were to be offered as *bali*, fuel sticks of *khadira* and other holy trees were to be brought. The king seated on a tiger-skin and facing the east should sit near the fire together with an astrologer and horse doctor and should follow at the direction of the purohita the procedure laid down for Grahayajña (sacrifice to planets) and the raising of Indra's banner.
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A horse and an elephant possessing the most auspicious signs should be bathed and honoured with new white cloth, sandal-wood paste, garlands and incense and should be brought to the foot of the arch near the shed with sweet words to the accompaniment of music and conch-blowing. The movements of the horse and elephant should be watched and prognostications made therefrom about victory &c. A ball of food over which mantras have been recited should be offered to the horse and if the latter smells it or eats it that is a sign of coming victory. Dipping an *udumbara* twig in the jars filled with water and plants the purohita should touch therewith the horse, the elephant, the king and his soldiers to the accompaniment of mantras. Then making an effigy of the enemy the purohita should pierce it with a sharp and pointed stave in the region of the heart with incantations from the Atharvaveda and break it. The purohita should pronounce over the bridle vedic mantras and insert it in the mouth of the horse, which the king should ride and proceed in the north-east together with his army, with drums beaten, conches blown and banners displayed. This is a propitiatory rite (śānti) as said by Varāhamihira (Bṛhat-saṁhitā 44·2) and the Agnipurāṇa 26·8 and 31 and must have been in vogue centuries before Kauṭilya flourished.