Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v2.c4.s9.1135

v2.c4.s9.1135

Stha-pati is the name of a royal official mentioned in the Atharvaveda,¹ and often later.² Revottaras Cākra was the Sthapati of the exiled Duṣṭarītu Paumsāyana, a king of the Sṛñjayas, and succeeded in restoring him to his royal dignity.³ The exact sense of the term is not certain: ‘governor’⁴ is possible, but perhaps ‘chief judge’⁵ is more likely; as in the case of the early English judges, his functions may have been both executive and judicial. He is inferior in position to the king's brother.⁶