Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c4.t2.189

c4.t2.189

Succession to the throne was accompanied by the time-honoured ceremony of consecration (Abhiṣeka) which is elaborately described in the Brāhmaṇas, but which appears to have lost much of its ritualism in the time of which our stories speak.⁵ As in the Brāhmaṇical literature so also here, the priest—generally the purohita—⁶ consecrates the king-designate by sprinkling water upon him (abhisiñcati) from a golden vessel (suvaṇṇābhiñkāra).¹ The usual custom in vogue was this. The king was seated on a fine chair of fig-wood (udumbara-bhaddapīṭhaka),² and then was sprinkled with auspicious water from a conch with spirals turned right-wise (dakkhiṇāvattasaṅkharatana).³ Sometimes he was seated on a heap of jewels (ratnarāśi).⁴ The purohita would teach the prince ten ceremonies which an universal monarch had to perform.⁵ With the prince his wife also was consecrated by the ceremonial sprinkling and made his chief queen (aggamahesī).⁶ Then the ceremony of spreading the royal white umbrella (seta chattamrigaḷam) was gone through.⁷ On the installation, the rule of the new king was proclaimed throughout the city by beat of drum.⁸ A graphic description is given in the Ayoghara Jātaka⁹ of the consecration and its pomp :