Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c4.t2.338

c4.t2.338

A vivid representation of a stirring musical competition between two masters, Musila and Guttila at Benares: "At the palace door a pavilion was set up, and a throne was set apart for the king. He came down from the palace, and took his seat upon the divan in the gay pavilion. All round him were thousands of slaves, women beauteously apparelled, courtiers, Brahmins, citizens. All the people of the town had come together. In the courtyard they were fixing the seats circle on circle, tier above tier.... and lute in hand he (Guttila) sat waiting on his appointed place... Musila too was there and sat in his own seat. All round was a great concourse of people".⁵ The two musicians display their wits and skill. All the people, the king not excluded, watch them keenly and with pin-drop silence. And when one shows triumph over the other, the multitude in thousands wave and wave their kerchiefs in the air, in thousands they shout applause." In "the chorus of condemnation that is started against the vanquished, the king takes active part and makes a sign to the multitude which thereupon rises up crying and belabours the man to death."