History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.532

v4.c62.532

In the Rājadharmakāṇḍa, the Rājanītiprakāśa and other works the king is advised to celebrate several rites and festivals, which may be briefly referred to here. They were meant as propitiatory rites to avert national calamities and also to keep the populace in good humour and to afford enjoyment to people. The Rājadharmakāṇḍa (pp. 115-117) and the Rājanītiprakāśa (pp. 416-419) quote about 35 verses from the Brahmapurāṇa to the effect that the king is to celebrate in one or more of the six months from Vaiśākha festivals (devayātrā) in honour of various deities such as Brahmā, the gods, the Ganges, Vināyaka, Nāgas, Skanda, the Ādityas, Indra and Rudra, the Mātṛs (Durgā and others), the Earth, Viśvakarman, Viṣṇu, Kāmadeva, Śiva, the Moon respectively on the *tithis* from the 1st to the 15th. The same two works quote a passage of 18 verses from the Skandapurāṇa about the festival of moonlight and also the rite of raising the banner of Indra and the latter quotes (pp. 425-433) a long passage from the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa also. Vide H. of Dh. vol. II pp. 825-26 for description of the festival of Indra's banner. They describe the worship of Devī on the 8th and 9th days of Āśvina (from the Devīpurāṇa) when animals were sacrificed, the gifts of cows on the Amāvāsyā of Kārtika, the rite called Vasordhārā (stream of wealth). The details of all these are passed over here for want of space.