Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c7.370

c7.370

This long hymn of 60 verses is about the cremation ceremony, and contains at least seven mentions of the word *adhipati*, “ruler,” in connection with different gods.⁴ In one verse it refers to *rājyam* or the supreme ruling authority (Soma surpassing it, verse 31). The word is obscure but it might suggest that at that time the people understood that the “ruling authority” was different from those who exercised that authority, i.e., the government, thus vaguely recognizing a distinction between sovereignty and sovereign. Another important mention is of “treasure-keepers” (*nidhipā*) in at least three verses.⁵ Thus, the combination of the two mentions of the *samiti* and the seven references to kings again supports our view of a special form of constitution. We are not definite as to who and how many were these "treasure-keepers," but they possibly guarded the grain, cattle, and other property of the rulers collected as tax or maintenance allowance from the people of the tribe for the services which the nobles in the assembly rendered to the community. Two out of the three verses refer to the "teasure-keepers" thus: "In sixty autumns may we seek to gain heavenly light by cooked oblations."¹ The implication of "sixty autumns" is not clear.²