The State in Ancient India: A Study in the Structure and Practical Working of Political Institutions in North India in Ancient Times c6.83

c6.83

The grāmaṇi, leader of a grāma, seems to have been a village officer, presumably exercising both civil and military functions.¹ In the scheme of government, the Purohita or the priest occupied a position second to none in weight and dignity. “The Vedic Purohita,” as Keith puts it, “was the forerunner of the Brāhmaṇa statesmen.....there is no reason to doubt that a Viśvāmitra or a Vasiṣṭha was a most important element of the government of the early Vedic realm.”² In the first line of the first hymn of the Ṛgveda, Agni appears as the high priest.³ In a later hymn he is the great priest in sacrifices, as he is “our help in battle-strife.”⁴ Brahmanaspati is also called great high priest.⁵ Priestly sacrifices are reckoned helpful to victory.⁶ Besides, throughout the Ṛgveda the priests are the rain-makers and therefore command reverence and devotion. Brāhmaṇas as a class must be well-favoured. “The Gods uphold that king with their protection who helps the Brāhmaṇa when he seeks his protection.”⁷ It was partly as an informal representative of this mighty order that the purohita took his place beside the king. It seems that a king had only one purohita at a time. Purohitas sometimes accompanied kings to battlefields and even took a share in the fighting.⁸ On the whole, a purohita may be regarded as an influential advisor who sometimes became the companion of the king.