History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.523.1

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.