Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.248

c7.248

The council-hall was not only a place for political meetings and the dispensation of justice, but also the socio-religious centre of the community. A passage in the *Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa* refers to a fire being kept in the *sabhā*,³ probably for the tribal fire-worship, while there are several references to the *sabhā*-hall being used for playing dice. A gamester in the *Ṛg Veda* approaches the *sabhā*-hall, wondering if he will be lucky at dice that day.⁴ A *Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa* passage refers to the keeper of the gambling-hall as *sabhāvin*, and to a man who stays in the gambling-hall or at the gambling-table as "unmoved like a pillar", a constant gambler, or *sabhāsthāṇu*.⁵ All these references make it quite clear that the *sabhā*-hall was a centre not only of political but of social and religious and other important activities as well.⁶ Very much like the Icelandic *Althing* it also meted out justice. Although we have no definite evidence for the *sabhā* being a religious authority, it seems unlikely that among peoples of this stage of culture it had no religious function. The Vedic people were preoccupied with religious rites, ceremonies and worship of the gods. Therefore, it is impossible not to connect the *sabhā* with those functions believed to be of the utmost importance.⁷