History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c35.s1.12

v1.c35.s1.12

The seats for the ascetics should be according to the rules of the order they are observing. The performer of the sacrifices should sit on vṛṣi muṇḍa seat or cane-seat. The king should offer seats equal in height to that of his own to persons equal to him. To the persons of medium importance, the seats of middle height and to persons who are superior to him, should be given a more elevated seat, while the lowly persons are to be seated on the ground. What is interesting is that in the lithic representation, many of the rules prescribed by Bharata in his Nāṭyaśāstra are well answered. Thus, the kings, queens, princes, sages, brahmins at times in sculptures and murals are given prescribed seats as enjoined in the Nāṭyasastra of Bharata.