abhiṣeka

abhiṣeka m. (-kaḥ) Bathing, sprinkling.

E. abhi before sica to sprinkle, and ghañ affix; the word is often used for initiation, royal unction, &c. sprinkling with the water of the Ganges, or water in which various articles have been immersed, being an essential part of the rites: also for a religious ceremony, including the presentation of a variety of articles, fruits, gems, &c. along with water or fluid substances, for the bathing of the deity to whom worship is offered.

abhi-ṣeka (kaḥ) m. Sprinkling, bath-
ing, anointing, inaugurating.

abhiṣeka Tatpur. m. (-kaḥ) Sprinkling over; hence 1. Sprinkling

consecrated liquid over a sacrificer, inaugurating or conse-

crating him; e. g. (in reference to the sacrifice abhiṣecanīya

q. v.) Śatapathabr.: ṣaṭpurastādabhiṣekasya juhoti; or Mādh.

Jaim. nyāy.: rājasūye somayāgasyābhiṣecanīyasya saṃnidhau vi-

devanaśaunaḥśepākhyānābhiṣekāḥ krameṇāmnātāḥ. The term ap-

plies especially to a ceremony performed by a king and a

military commander and concerns, as such, the rites of the

second caste only; (comp. Sāyaṇa on the Aitar. Br. chap.

33 seqq.: uktaṃ dvātriṃśadadhyāyaiḥ karma varṇatrayānvitam . atha

tvaṣṭabhiradhyāyairvarṇyate rājakartṛkam, the ceremony being de-

scribed in the chapters 37-39). The general object of the

ceremony is attainment of supreme power in this and the

future world, as well as long life and happiness. (A detailed

account of this purpose, as given in the Aitar. Br. is sub-

joined p. 278 a, 1. 32 ff.; for the post-vaidik period comp. e. g.

Mahābh. Anuśāsanap.: ye rājāno rājasūyābhiṣiktā dharmā-

tmāno rakṣitāraḥ prajānām . ye cāśvamedhāvabhṛthe plutāṅgāsteṣāṃ

lokā dhṛtarāṣṭro na tatra; or Harivanśa: bhavānrājāstu mānyo

me yadūnāmagraṇīḥ prabhuḥ . vijayāyābhiṣicyasva svārājye rāja-

sattama; or rājasūyābhiṣiktastu pṛthurebhirnarādhipaiḥ vedadṛṣṭena

vidhinā rājarājye narādhipa ..).

A. INAUGURATION OF A KING. This ceremony is either

part of a Rājasūya, and performed by a king at the end

of this sacrifice--when it is called punarabhiṣeka or second

inauguration, since the Abhisheka or first inauguration of a

king must have taken place previously--; or it is not

part of a sacrifice and occurs at a king's accession to the

throne--then it is the abhiṣeka proper. [Both ceremonies

are described in the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, first the Punar-

abhisheka, then the Abhisheka; in conformity with this au-

thority the same order has been preserved in the following

account, since the Abhisheka ceremony refers in many re-

spects to that of the Punarabhisheka.]

a. The Punarabhisheka is performed by a king at the

end of a Rājasūya, after he has undergone preliminary

purification (dīkṣā), when he has risen from the Avabhṛtha

ceremonies, has performed the Anūbandhya sacrifice and

completed the final rite, the Udavasanīyā. There must have

been prepared for the occasion a throne-seat (āsandī) of

the wood of the Udumbara (ficus glomerata), resting on

four legs a span (prādeśa) high, with boards placed on

them (śīrṣaṇya; see below page 277b, line 6 ff.) and side boards

(anūcya; see ibid.) of the dimension of a cubit (or two spans;

aratni, Sāyaṇa: prādeśadvayamaratniḥ); the whole well fastened

together with a texture made of cords of Munja grass

(Saccharum munja), a tiger skin which is placed on the

seat with the hairs upwards and the neck to the east, a

large (four cornered) ladle (camasaḥ; Sāy. at a later occa-

sion: = catuṣkoṇo daṇḍayuktaḥ pātraviśeṣaḥ) of Udumbara wood

and a branch of the same; in the ladle have been put eight

things: curd (dadhi), honey (madhu), clarified butter (sarpis),

water proceeding from rain during sunshine, before it has fallen

down (ātapavarṣyā āpaḥ; Sāy.: = ātapayuktavarṣabhavāḥ); blades

of Syāma grass (śaṣyāṇi; Sāy.: = śyāmatṛṇāni), sprouts

(tokmāni; Sāy.: = aṅkurāṇi), spirituous liquor (surā) and

Dūb grass (dūrvā, Panicum dactylon). (To prepare a site

for the throne three lines have been drawn on a place of

sacrifice with the sacrificial implement called Sphya (q. v.),

one southwards, another westwards and a third north-

wards); the one to the south is that on which the throne

is to be placed with its front towards the east, so that the two

feet to the north come to stand within the Vedi or sacri-

ficial ground and the two to the south without; this latter

spot occupied by the throne-seat is called Śrī; (as a type

of happiness or prosperity; Sāy.: śrīrvai saṃpadrūpaiva). The

place within the Vedi being small, but that without being

illimited, this position of the throne indicates that the sacri-

ficer may obtain definite and indefinite wishes within and

without the Vedi. The tiger skin is the type of increase

of Kshatriya power, for the tiger is the Kshatriya or hero

of the wild beasts; the Udumbara wood of the throne,

ladle and branch is the type of essential juice (ūrj Sāy.:

= kṣīrādirasaḥ) and of food (which the sacrificer is sup-

posed to acquire by this symbol); curd, honey and clari-

fied butter typify the essence of water and plants; (curd and

butter, as Sāyaṇa observes, because they originate in grass

and water which are the food of cattle; honey, because it

originates in the juice of plants collected by bees); water pro-

ceeding from rain during sunshine, before it has fallen down

typifies (on account of the sunshine) lustre (or energy; tejas)

and (rain being the consequence of oblations to the gods)

holiness (brahmavarcasam; Sāy.: = śrutādhyayanasaṃpattiḥ); grass

and sprouts typify food (irā; they being the food of cattle),

hence prosperity (puṣṭi, increase) and progency (prajā); spi-

rituous liquor is the type of a Kshatriya's power (on ac-

count of its fierceness or hotness; Sāy.: surayā kṣatriyasyaiva

madayogātkṣatrarūpatvam) and of the essence of food (or rice,

liquor being made of rice; comp. annarasa; annasya rasaḥ; Sāy.:

annajanyatvādannarasatvam); Dūb grass (being the Kshatriya of

the plants and firmly established in the soil with its many

roots) is the type of Kshatriya-power and of a firmly esta-

blished rule.--The principal features of the ceremony

itself are the following. The king who performs the sacrifice

kneels down at the back part of the throne-seat with his

face to the east and his right knee touching the ground

(while his left knee remains upwards); he then touches

with his hands the throne-seat and invites the gods to

ascend it together with various metres: Agni with the metre

Gāyatrī, Savitṛ with the Uṣṇih, Soma with the Anu-

ṣṭubh, Bṛhaspati with the Bṛhatī, Mitra and Varuṇa

with the Pankti, Indra with the Triṣṭubh, the Viśve-

Devās with the Jagatī, for the purpose of obtaining kingly

power (rājyam; Sāy.: = deśādhipatyam), righteous govern-

ment (sāmrājyam; Sāy.: = dharmeṇa pālanam), increase of en-

joyment (bhaujyam; Sāy.: = bhogasamṛddhiḥ), independent rule

(svārājyam; Sāy.: = aparādhīnatvam), attainment of more

distinguished qualities than those possessed by other kings

(vairājyam; Sāy.: = itarebhyo bhūpatibhyo vaiśiṣṭyam), coming

(after death) into the world of Brahman (pārameṣṭhyam; Sāy.:

etaduktamaihikam--i. e. what precedes--athāmuṣmikamucyate .

pārameṣṭhyaṃ prajāpatilokaprāptiḥ) and obtaining there dominion

(rājyam; Sāy.: = tatra rājyamaiśvaryam), a mighty rule (māhā-

rājyam; Sāy.: = tatratyebhya itarebhya ādhikyam), mastership

(ādhipatyam; Sāy.: = tānitarānprati svāmitvam), indepen-

dence (svāvaśyam; Sāy.: = apāratantyam) and a long resi-

dence there (ātiṣṭham; Sāy.: cirakālavāsitvam). [Of the

metres mentioned before each following metre has four

syllables more than each preceding one; the invitation itself

which is addressed to the gods is founded on the Ṛgv.

10. 130. 4.; and the company of the gods is solicited by the king

in order to ensure the attainment of what was before unat-

tained by him (yogaḥ; Sāy.: = aprāptasya lābhasya prāptiḥ) and

the preservation of what he has obtained (kṣemaḥ; Sāy.: = prā-

ptasya vastuno rakṣaṇam).] The gods have arrived and the king

now ascends himself the throne-seat, first with his right

and then with his left knee.--The next ceremony is the

propitiation of the liquid in the ladle, which is performed

by the priest who will pour it over the king, by reciting

the hymn: ‘waters behold me with a favourable eye, with

a favourable body touch my skin; all fires, for they reside

in water, I invoke on your account; do you produce in me

beauty, bodily strength and energy’; and by the king re-

peating these words after him. If this propitiation did not

take place, the liquid would destroy the vigour of the king.

(The quoted verse occurs, though with some variations, in

the Atharvav. 10. 1. 12 and 13.) After this, the priest covers

the head of the king with the Udumbara-branch and pours

the liquid over him while reciting the following three Ṛg-

veda-verses: ‘These waters are most propitious, they have

healing power to free from all disease (Sāy. ‘poverty and

other diseases’: dāridryādirogasya bheṣajīḥ); they are the

augmenters of kingly power, and (therefore) its supporters;

they are immortal.’ ‘With which Prajāpati sprinkled In-

dra, the king Soma and Manu, with these I sprinkle thee,

that thou becomest king of kings in this world.’ ‘The

queen, thy mother, bore thee to be great amongst the

great, and a righteous ruler over men; an auspicious mother

bore thee’; and this Yajurveda-verse: ‘The divine Savitṛ has

given his consent, therefore I pour (this liquid) over thee

with the arms of the Aśvins (Sāyaṇa: not with my own),

with the hands of Pūṣan, with the beauty of Agni (tejas;

Sāy.: = śārīrakāntiḥ), with the radiance of Sūrya (varcas;

Sāy.: = vāhyaprakāśaḥ) and with the (sharp) senses of Indra

(indriyam; Sāy. ‘with the sharpness of the eyes’ &c.: =

cakṣurādipāṭavam), for the sake of strength (balam), prospe-

rity (śrīḥ; Sāy.: = hastyaśvādisaṃpad), glory and increase of

food (annam; Sāy.: = annasamṛddhiḥ)’. If the priest wishes

that the king may enjoy good health (lit. may eat food),

he must, after these verses, utter the sacred word Bhūr!

(earth!). If he wishes that the king may enjoy good health

and live to see a son and a grandson (dvipuruṣa) he must

utter the sacred words: Bhūr! Bhuvas! (earth! intermediate

region between earth and sun!), and if he wishes him to

enjoy good health and live to see three generations (tri-

puruṣa), or if he wishes him to remain unrivalled, he must

utter the sacred words: Bhūr! Bhuvas! Swar! (earth! inter-

mediate region! heaven!). [The text of the Aitar. Br. men-

tions on this occasion that some authorities object to the

enunciation of the latter words; but it quotes, too, the

opinion of the Ṛṣi Satyakāma, the son of Jābālā, who

maintains that a king who is not inaugurated with these

Vyāhṛtis or sacred words, will die before the due term of

his life, and that of Uddālaka, the son of Aruṇa, who says

that a king who is inaugurated with these words, will ar-

rive at the full term of his life and conquer his enemies.]

Since at the pouring of the liquid the essence of water,

holiness and the other boons which are conferred on the

king by the ingredients placed in the ladle, are shed and

go away, as it were, from the king, he must, to secure

them, before the liquid is poured over him, make two

oblations (while uttering the words: brahma prapadye svāhā kṣatraṃ

prapadye svāhā i. e. I am obtaining holiness, Svāhā! I am

obtaining power, Svāhā!). After the liquid has been

poured over the king, the priest places in his hand a

goblet of spirituous liquor and recites the following verse

(Ṛgv. 9. 1. 1. = Sāmav. 2. 39. = Vājas. 26. 25.): ‘Soma with

thy most sweet exhilarating drops purify (this sacrificer),

for thou wast poured out for Indra to drink.’ Then he

recites and makes the king repeat after him the following

invocation: ‘(Soma and spirituous liquor), because a se-

parate residence has been allotted to you by the gods,

therefore do not combine in the lofty æther; liquor, thou

art powerful, but thou, Soma, art a king; do not harm him

(the king), when you enter into your several receptacles

(i. e. into his stomach).’ [This verse occurs with some

variations in the Vājas. 19. 7.] By the recital of these verses

spirituous liquor and Soma become identified; compare

page 279a, line 52ff. Having drunk the king then presents

the rest to a man whom he considers his friend, for drink-

ing out of the same cup is the mutual practice of friends.

He then places the Udumbara branch on the ground as a

symbol of essential juice (ūrj) and food, and prepares

himself for descending from the throne-seat; but while he

is still seated and puts his feet on the ground he says: ‘I

firmly stand on heaven and earth, I firmly stand on ex-

haled and inhaled air (prāṇa and apāna), I firmly stand on

day and night, I firmly stand on food and drink; on what

is Brahmaṇa, on what is Kshatriya, on these three worlds

stand I firmly.’ He then descends, sits down on the ground

with his face towards the east, utters thrice the words

‘adoration to what is Brāhmaṇa’ and offers a gift (Sāy.:

a cow) to a Brāhmaṇa; the object of this gift is the at-

tainment of victory in general (jitiḥ), of victory every-

where (abhijitiḥ; Sāy.: = abhitaḥ sarveṣu deśeṣu jitiḥ); of

victory over strong and weak enemies (vijitiḥ; Sāy.: =

prabaladurbalaśatrūṇāṃ tāratamyena vividho jayaḥ) and of complete

victory (saṃjitiḥ; Sāy.: = śatrutvarāhityāya samyagjayaḥ); and

his threefold expression of adoration to what is a Brāhmaṇa

implies that a kingdom prospers and has valiant men when

it is under the control of the Brāhmaṇas, and that a valiant

son will be born to him. After this ceremony the king

rises and puts fuel into the Āhavanīya fire while uttering

the words: ‘(wood) thou art fuel, bestow on me sharpness

of sense and strength of body’. Then he is going to take

three steps to the east, north (and as Sāy. explains), to the

north-cast, but previously to doing so points to the region,

and addresses the step he is about to take with these words:

‘thou subduest for me the regions; enable me therefore to

adore the gods, and may attainment of my desires and preser-

vation of what I have attained be granted to me; may there be

no danger (or fear) to me’. [The injunctions which follow in

the text of the Aitar. Br. are merely incidental and refer

to the conduct of a king and the ceremonies he has to per-

form, when his assistance in warfare is sought for by

another king.] Upon this and having recited the Ṛgveda-

verse (10. 131. 1.), with the purpose of freeing himself from

enemies, he returns to his palace, when he will be without

foes and peril and day by day increase in prosperity, au-

thority and sovereignty. There he sits down by the do-

mestic fire and the Adhwaryu priest makes for him, out

of a goblet, four times three oblations with clarified butter

to Indra while reciting the three Ṛgveda-verses 9. 110. 1-3.

or Sāmav. 2. 714. 716. 715. [The recital of these verses takes

place in a peculiar manner, called prapadam, which consists

in inserting between the syllables of some word in the

second Pāda of either of these verses certain other words

which are foreign to the text of the Ṛgv.-hymn, viz. the

words bhūrbrahma prāṇamamṛtaṃ prapadyate'yamasau śarma varmābhayaṃ svastaye

saha prajayā saha paśubhiḥ between the second and third syl-

lables of the word vṛtrāṇi in the second Pāda of Ṛgv. 9.

110. 1.; the words bhuvo brahma &c. …paśubhiḥ between the

second and third syllables of the word samaryarājye in the

second Pāda of Ṛgv. 9. 110. 2.; and the words svarbrahma &c.

…paśubhiḥ between the first and second syllables of the

word śakmanā in the second Pāda of Ṛgv. 9. 110. 3.; the

sense of these words is: ‘he (the king) seeks the protection

of earth (bhūr; in the second verse…of bhuvas or the inter-

mediate region; in the third of svar or heaven), of the

Veda, of life, of Amṛta; for the sake of his bliss grant

him (o Indra) happiness, armour and safety with his

children and his cattle’.] A king for whom these libations

are made to Indra in the indicated manner becomes free

from disease, cannot be injured by enemies, is exempt

from poverty, everywhere protected against danger, and

thus becomes victorious in all the quarters, and after death

established in Indra's heaven.--At the end of the whole

ceremony the king prays for increase in cows, horses and

progeny and more especially to obtain a son who would

be liberal towards the priests at his sacrifices and a power-

ful protector of his subjects.--Priests who understand

well how to perform the whole rite will raise the king to

an exalted position; those on the contrary who are igno-

rant of the manner in which it is to be performed, will

bring him unto perdition. (As an instance of the efficacy

of this part of the Rājasūya sacrifice when performed by

priests who well understand their duties, the text of the Aitar.

Br. quotes the instance of Janamejaya, the son of Parīkṣit.)

b. The rites of the Abhisheka which is not part of a

Rājasūya sacrifice, but a ceremony performed at a king's

accession to the throne, are similar to, but not identical

with, those of the Punarabhisheka; they are founded on

the proceedings which took place when Indra was conse-

crated by the gods as their supreme ruler, and which form

the subject of the 38^th chapter of the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa.

It is there told that the throne-seat which served at Indra's

inauguration was made of Ṛgveda-verses, its eight parts

consisting of Sāmaveda-verses, viz. the two fore-legs of

the Bṛhat and Rathantara, the two hind-legs of the Vai-

rūpa and Vairāja, the two top boards of the Śākvara and

Raivata, and the two side boards of the Naudhasa and

Kāleya. [In the corresponding passage of the Punarabhi-

sheka, Sāyaṇa speaks of several śorṣaṇya and renders the word

‘boards placed on the legs of the throne-seat’: teṣāṃ pā-

dānāṃ śirasyuparibhāge'vasthitāni śīrṣaṇyāni; in the pre-

sent passage the text has the dual śīrṣaṇye which Sāyaṇa

explains as the board where the head of Indra and, by

implication, as the board where his feet rest upon: āsa-

ndyāṃ śayānasyendrasya śirodeśasthaṃ phalakaṃ śīrṣaṇyam . tacca pāda-

deśāvikṛtasya phalakasyāpyupalakṣaṇam; Sāyaṇa likewise speaks

in his comm. on the first passage of several anūcya, while

the text of the latter mentions distinctly two, viz. anūcye;

the former explanation of śīrṣaṇya seems more natural, since

the latter is at variance with the dimensions of the throne-

seat stated before, but it is probably more correct to view

the compound śīrṣaṇyānūcyāni which occurs in the chapter

on the Punarabhisheka, as representing two duals]; of the

threads of the texture which was to hold this structure to-

gether, those that went lengthwise were made of Ṛgveda-

and those that went crossways of Sāmaveda-, the intervals

being Yajurveda-verses; the covering of the throne was

(the goddess of) Glory, the pillow (Sāy.: where his head

rested upon) Śrī (the goddess of Happiness). Savītṛ and

Bṛhaspati supported the fore-legs, Vāyu and Pūṣan the

hind-legs, Mitra and Varuṇa the two top boards and the

two Aśvins the two side boards of the throne-seat, while

Indra ascended it after having invited the Vasus to take

place on it with the metre Gāyatrī, the Stoma (q. v.) Tri-

vṛt and the Sāman (q. v.) Rathantara for the sake of ob-

taining righteous government (sāmrājya), the Rudras for

increase of enjoyment (bhaujya), the Adityas for independent

rule (svārājya), the Viśve-Devas for the attainment of dis-

tinguished qualities (vairājya), the Sādhyas and Āptyas for

dominion (rājya), the Maruts and Āṅgirasas for coming into

the world of Brahman (pārameṣṭya), superiority (māhārājya),

mastership (ādhipatya), independence (svāvaśya) and a long

residence there (ātiṣṭha), these divinities being accompanied

severally, like the Vasus, with various metres, Stomas

and Sāmans (as specified in the text of the Ait. Br.). All

these gods having then proclaimed the high qualities of

Indra, to strike terror, by their panegyric, into the mind

of his enemies, and Prajāpati who performed the function

of inaugurating priest, having recited the Ṛgveda-verse 1.

25. 10. (where between the ending words sāmrājyāya and

sukratuḥ the words bhaujyāya, svārājyāya &c. &c. are inserted),

the latter placed himself before (i. e. east of) the throne with

his face towards the west, covered the head of Indra with a

moist Udumbara branch (i. e. with an Udumbara branch the

leaves of which had been wetted) and a gold Pavitra (q. v.)

and sprinkled him with the liquid, while reciting the three

Ṛgveda-verses ‘these waters &c.’, the Yajurveda-verse

‘the divine Savitṛ &c.’ and uttering the three sacred words,

Bhūr, Bhuvas, Swar (see above page 276 a, line 22 ff.). Thirty-

one days after this inauguration by Prajāpati, the divine

Vasus sprinkled him in the East with the same liquid while

reciting the same verses and uttering the same sacred words,

to ensure his righteous government (sāmrājya), hence the

inaugurated kings of the Eastern peoples are called Samrāj;

next in thirty-one days the Rudras performed the same

ceremony in the South to ensure his increase of enjoyment

(bhaujya), hence the inaugurated kings of the Satwats in the

South are called Bhoja; then in other thirty-one days the

Ādityas performed this ceremony in the West, to ensure

his independent rule (svārājya), hence the inaugurated kings

of the Nīchyas and Apāchyas in the West are called Svarāj;

then in other thirty-one days, the Viśve-Devas in the North,

to ensure his attainment of higher qualities than those pos-

sessed by others (vairājya), hence the inaugurated kings of

the Uttarakurus and Uttaramadras are called Virāj; after-

wards in other thirty-one days the Sādhyas and Āptyas

performed the same ceremony in the central region (which

is the ‘fixed’ region, since east, west &c. become deter-

mined through it, and which at the same time is the region

where the vaidik rites are established), for the sake of his

rulership (rājya), hence the inaugurated kings of the Kurus

and Pañchālas and of the Vaśas and Uśīnaras in that re-

gion are called Rājan. Lastly, in further thirty-one days the

Maruts and the Angirasas performed this ceremony in the upper

region (or Swarga) to ensure his attainment of the supreme

abode (pārameṣṭhya), his mighty rule there over every one

(māhārājya), as well as his mastership (ādhipatya), inde-

pendence (svāvaśya) and long residence there (ātiṣṭha), hence

he attained the supreme abode (parameṣṭhin) and became

united with Prajāpati (prājāpatya). ‘Thus inaugurated by

that great inauguration Indra conquered all conquerable

battle grounds (jitīḥ; Sāy.: = jetavyāḥ sarvā yuddhabhūmīḥ),

took possession of all worlds, obtained the highest dignity

amongst gods (śraiṣṭhyam; Sāy.: = atiśayena praśastatvam), trans-

cendent rank (atiṣṭhām; Sāy.: = sarvānatikramyāvasthānam)

and preeminence (paramatām; Sāy.: = utkṛṣṭatvam), conquered

righteous government, increase of enjoyment, absolute do-

minion, distinguished qualities, supreme abode, rulership

and mighty rule and mastership there; and thus he became

in this world a Prajāpati, an absolute king, long-lived

(amṛtaḥ; Sāy.: = itaramanuṣyavadalpakāle maraṇarahitaḥ), and

in the other world having obtained all his desires, he be-

came entirely exempt from death’ (or liberated; amṛtaḥ;

Sāy.: = maraṇarahito muktaḥ).

The purpose for which the inauguration of a mortal king

takes place, is defined by the Aitar. Br. in precisely the

same terms as those contained in the preceding passage,

[with the obvious alteration of ‘amongst kings’ instead of

‘amongst gods’. This definition occurs ch. 39. 5.; in the

commencement of ch. 39. 1. the purpose of the ceremony is

worded somewhat differently at the end of the passage but

its bearing is similar, viz.: if he (i. e. a priest) wishes that

a king should conquer all conquerable battle grounds &c.

&c…(up to the words: ‘and mastership there’), that

he should attain (every thing) in space and time (ayaṃ

samantaparyāyī syāt; Sāy.: deśataḥ kālataḥ sarvavyāpī syāt),

all land up to the seashore and all life to infinity (lit.

to the amount parārdha; sārvabhaumaḥ sārvāyuṣa āntādā pa-

rārdhāt; Sāy.: samudratīraparyantaṃ sārvabhaumatvaṃ deśavyāptiḥ . ā

parārdhātparārdhaśabdābhidheyakālasaṃkhyāparyantaṃ sārvāyuṣatvaṃ kāla-

vyāptiḥ), and that he should become a sole ruler over the

whole earth up to the ocean (pṛthivyai samudraparyantāyā eka-

rāṭ), let him &c. &c…and: if a king wishes, that he

should conquer &c. &c., let him &c.].--The ceremony as

practised at the vaidik period, is thus described in the Ait.

Br. The priest in the commencement of the solemnity

causes the king to take the following oath: ‘if I (the king)

do ever harm to thee, thou (the priest) mayst deprive me

of all pious acts (iṣṭāpūrtam; Sāy.: śrautasmārtadvayam) which

I have done from the time of my birth up to that of my

death, of heaven and whatever else good has been accom-

plished by me, of long life and offspring’. He then orders

his attendants to bring four kinds of fruits: the fruit of

the Nyagrodha (ficus Indica), of the Udumbara (ficus glo-

merata), of the Aśvattha (ficus religiosa) and of the Plaksha

(ficus infectoria); besides, four kinds of grain (auṣadhāni

…tokmakṛtāni; Sāy.: aṅkuranimittānyauṣadhidravyāṇi):

rice with small grain (vrīddīṇām; Sāy.: sūkṣmavījarūpā vrī-

hayaḥ), rice with large grain (mahāvrīhīṇām; Sāy.: prauḍha-

vījarūpā mahāvrīhayaḥ), Priyangu and barley. Next they

bring, at his command, a throne-seat of Udumbara wood

(made in the manner as described above, page 275a, line 34 ff.),

a (four-cornered) ladle of Udumbara or, instead of the latter,

a vessel of Udumbara (or, acc. to Sāyaṇa, an earthen vessel

of an arbitrary shape) and an Udumbara branch. Then they

put the four kinds of fruit and grain in the ladle or vessel

and pour over them curds, honey, clarified butter and water

proceeding from rain during sunshine, before it has fallen

down; afterwards, having placed the ladle or vessel on the

ground, they address the throne-seat with a Mantra which

recalls the component parts of Indra's throne and thus

tends to identify both: ‘may thy front legs be Bṛhat and

Rathantara &c. &c.; may Savitṛ and Bṛhaspati support

thy fore-legs &c. &c. (see above page 277b, line 1 ff.)’. Then

the priest asks the king to ascend the throne-seat, inviting

the Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas and the other divinities which

were invited by Indra at his inauguration (see page 277b,

line 31 ff.), to ascend his throne with the same metres, Stomas

and Sāmans and for the same purposes as mentioned above.

Upon this the relatives of the king (literally: ‘the king-

makers’, rājakartāraḥ; Sāy.: = pitṛbhrātrādayaḥ ‘father, bro-

ther &c.’), proclaim his high qualities in the same words

as the gods proclaimed the greatness of Indra; the priest

recites the Ṛgveda-verse 1. 25. 10. (with the same modifica-

tions as mentioned above) and, placing himself before the

throne with his face towards the west, covers the head of the

king with the Udumbara branch, the leaves of which have

been wetted, and with a gold Pavitra, and sprinkles him

with the liquid (in the ladle or vessel), while reciting the

three Ṛgveda-verses, the Yajurveda-verse and uttering the

three sacred words mentioned above (page 276a, line 22 ff.).

Lastly he addresses the king with the prayer that the Vasus,

the Rudras and the other divinities who performed this cere-

mony for Indra in the East, South &c. may severally do the

same for him in thirty-one successive days and to the same

effect as mentioned before (page 278a, line 1 ff.).--The in-

gredients of the sacred liquid used at this Abhisheka differ in

some measure, as will have been seen, from those used at

the Punarabhisheka; they differ from the latter also in their

typical qualities. The Nyagrodha being on account of its

wide spread the Rājan of the trees, and rice with small

grain being among plants principally productive of strength,

the fruit of the former and the grain of the latter are the

type of the qualities of a Kshatra (kṣatram), which the king

is supposed to acquire by these ingredients; and in a si-

milar manner the fruit of the Udumbara and the grains of

Priyangu are the type of increase of enjoyment (bhaujyam),

the fruit of the Aśvattha and rice with large grains the

type of righteous government (sāmrājyam), the fruit of the

Plaksha the type of independent rule (svārājyam) and at-

tainment of more distinguished qualities than those pos-

sessed by other kings (vairājyam), barley the type of mi-

litary commandership (sainānyam); curds typify the sharpness

of senses (indriyam; Sāy.: ‘because they make the senses

sharp’: indriyapāṭavahetutvāt), honey typifies the essence

of plants and trees (rasa oṣadhivanaspatiṣu; Sāy.: ‘because

it originates in flowers’: puṣpajanyatvena); clarified butter, the

brightness of cattle (tejaḥ paśūnām; Sāy.: ‘on account of its

oily gloss’: snigdhabhāskaratvena) and the water, freedom from

death or long life (amṛtam; Sāy.: ‘because it nourrishes’

āpyāyanahetutvāt).--The ceremony having been completed,

the king has to make a present to the inaugurating priest, viz.

a thousand (Nishkas) of gold, a field and cattle (catuṣpād;

Sāy.: gavādikam cows &c.); but this amount seems merely

to constitute a minimum acknowledgement of the exertions

of the priest; for the text of the Aitareya adds that ‘they

say, a king should give innumerable, illimited presents,

since a king is illimited (in wealth) and thus will obtain

illimited benefit to himself’; and the author of the Aitar.

Br. seems rather inclined to adopt the latter opinion, for,

amongst the instances he gives of royal inaugurations which

have been performed in this fashion, he does not mention

such at which the Brāhmaṇas received the ‘limited’ gifts,

but tells, e. g., that Udamaya, the son of Atri, promised

to his priest ten thousand elephants and ten thousand

female slaves and gave each of the sons of that priest every

day at the noon-oblation two thousand cows out of a

thousand millions; that Anga gave his priest eighty thou-

sand young white horses fit for carrying burdens on their

back &c.; that Bharata distributed in Maṣṇāra a hundred

and seven thousand millions of black elephants with white

tucks and decked with gold &c. &c. (comp. also Colebr.

Ess. I. p. 41 ff.).--After the priest has received the gift,

he hands to the king a goblet of spirituous liquor in re-

citing the verse: ‘Soma with thy most sweet exhilarating

drops &c.’ (see above p. 276b, line 13ff.), and the king drinks

of it after having recited this verse: ‘what is left (in this

goblet) of the tasteful liquid and what Indra (drank when

it was consecrated by) various rites, that portion of it I

consume now with a placid mind, (as if it were) the royal

Soma’, and this verse: ‘to thee, supreme (Indra), I offer

this liquid for drink, for it has been poured out on thy

behalf, rejoice in it until thou art happy’; [the former of

these mantras occurs with a few variations in the Vājas.,

19. 35., the other in the Ṛgv., 8. 45. 22. or Sāmav., 1. 161.].

By this manner of drinking, the spirituous liquor becomes

a kind of Soma, and it is the Soma not the spirituous liquor

that is drunk by the king. Lastly the king recites the two

Ṛgveda-verses 8. 48. 3. and 4. [What follows in the text of

the Aitareya Br. up to the end of the 39^th ch. are illustra-

tations of the happiness which is felt by a king in conse-

quence of such an inauguration, and historical instances of

kings who had this ceremony performed for them and be-

stowed liberal gifts on the functioning priests; for this

portion of the text compare also the literal translation of

it in Colebrooke's Essays 1. p. 39 seqq.--

Inaugurations of a purely mythical nature are mentioned

in the Upanishads, Epic poems and in the Purāṇas; thus the

Harivaṇsa reports, ch. 109, an inauguration of Kṛṣṇa, the

Śalyap. of the Mahābh., ch. 48, that of Varuṇa; a whole list

is given in the Vishnup. 1. ch. 22 (where a note of Wilson

refers to the corresponding passages in other Purāṇas); com-

pare also Bṛhadār. Up. 1. 4. 11. One of the completest lists

of this kind is that which occurs in the 4th chapter, and is

varied in the 227^th chapter, of the Harivanśa. According to

the former, Soma was inaugurated as king of the Brāhmaṇas

(dvijānām; comm.: = brāhmaṇānām), plants, constellations,

planets, sacrifices and austerities; Varuṇa as king of the

waters; Kuvera as king of the kings; Vrīhaspati, of the

Angirasas; Kāvya, of the Bhṛgus; Vīṣṇu, of the Ādityas;

Pāvaka, of the Vasus; Daksha, of the Prajāpatis; Vāsava,

of the Maruts; Prahrāda, of the Daityas and Dānavas;

Yama, the son of Vivaśvat, of the defunct ancestors (or

Manes); Śiva (with the trident) of the Yakshas, Rākṣasas,

serpents (pārthivānām; comm.: = bhūdharāṇām . nāgāḥ sarpā-

ścānekaphaṇatve bhinnāḥ), Piśāchas and all other evil genii (and,

acc. to a v. l., of the Mātṛs or female energies of the gods,

the religious vows, the vaidik hymns and the cows); Hi-

mavat, of the mountains; Sāgara, of the rivers; Nārāyaṇa,

of the Sādhyas; Śiva (with the bull in his banner), of the

Rudras; Viprachitti, of the Dānavas (sic); Vāyu, of odours,

winds, and beings that are incorporeal, have the property

of sound and reside in the æther; Chitraratha, of the oceans,

rivers, clouds, rain and Gandharvas; Vāsuki, of the Nāgas;

Takshaka, of the serpents (sarpa); Śeṣa, of all the reptiles

with large teeth; Airāvata, of the elephants; Uchchaiḥśravas,

of the horses; Garuḍa, of the birds; the tiger, of the wild

beasts; the bull, of the cows; the Plaksha (ficus infectoria),

of the large trees; Kāma, of the Gandharvas and Apsarasas;

Samwatsara (the year), of the seasons, months, days, half-

months, nights, hours, lunar-days (tithi) and holy days

(parvan), minutes, seconds, the two Ayanas (q. v.) and the

astronomical Yogas (q. v.); besides, Sudhanwan, son of the

Prajāpati Vairāja, was inaugurated as king of the East;

Śaṅkhapāda, the son of Kardama, of the South; Ketumat,

the son of Rajas, of the West; and Hiraṇyaroman, the son

of Parjanya, of the North; all these kings inaugurated

Prīthu as king of kings.--The other list (ch. 227) is si-

milar, but it represents Śiva as becoming the inaugurated

king of the Piśāchas and other evil genii, of the Matṛs,

cows, meteors, planets, diseases, pests, calamities and

ghosts; Vaiśravaṇa, of the Yakshas, Rākṣasas, Guhykas,

of wealth and jewels; Parjanya, of the oceans, rivers,

clouds, rain and Ādityas; Chitraratha, of the Gandharvas;

Kāmadeva, of the Apsarasas; the bull (the emblem of Śiva),

of all beasts of burden and quadrupeds in general; Hira-

nyākṣa, of the Daityas (his Yuvarāja being Hiranyakaśipu,

comp. page 281b, line 46 ff.); Viprachitti, of the Dānavas and

Asuras; it mentions besides that Mahākāla was inaugurated

as king of the Kālakeyas; Vrītra, of the sons of Anāyuṣā;

Rāhu, of inauspicious meteors; Aruṇa, of the Yogas and

Sādhyas; Viratha, as guardian-king of the East; Yama,

the son of Āditya, of the South; Amburāja, the son of

Kaśyapa, of the West, and Pingala, the one-eyed son of

Pulastya, of the North; comp. also Mahābh. Śāntip. v. 4494 ff.]

The type of the inauguration ceremony as practised at

the Epic period may probably be recognized in the history

of the inauguration of Rāma, as told in the Rāmāyaṇa,

and in that of the inauguration of Yudhiṣṭhira, as told in

the Mahābhārata. Neither ceremony is described in these

poems with the full detail which is given of the vaidik rite

in the Aitar. Br.; but the allusion that Rāma was inau-

gurated by Vasiṣṭha and the other Brāhmaṇas in the same

manner as Indra by the Vasus (Yuddhakāṇḍa: vasiṣṭho vā-

madevaśca &c. …abhyaṣiñcannaravaraṃ prasannena sugandhinā . sali-

lena sahasrākṣaṃ vasavo vāsavaṃ yathā) and the observation which

is made in some passages that a certain rite of the inau-

guration was performed ‘according to the sacred rule’

(Yuddhak.: śāstradṛṣṭena vidhinā sa tadā vidhivaddvijaḥ rāgha-

vasyābhiṣekārthaṃ sa dvijebhyo nyavedayat; Śāntiparv.: juhāva pā-

bakaṃ dhīmānvidhimantrapuraskṛtam or pūjayāmāsa tāṃścāpi vidhi-

vadbhūridakṣiṇaḥ), admit of the conclusion that the ceremony

was supposed to have taken place in conformity with the

vaidik injunction. This inference is confirmed moreover

by another passage of the Śāntīp. (v. 2496) which says

‘that inaugurating a king is a chief duty of the people of

a country…for the Veda states: because they chose

Indra for their king &c…’ (rāṣṭrasyaitatkṛtyatamaṃ rājña evā-

bhiṣecanam…indrameva pravṛṇute yadrājānamiti śrutiḥ &c.;

Arjunam. rāṣṭrasya = asya deśavāsino lokasya). Yet it re-

sults from the description given in the Epic poems that the

vaidik ceremony had undergone various modifications at

the time of their composition.--As the inauguration of

Rāma was intended and the necessary preparations for it

were made, when his father Daśaratha was still alive, but

as the ceremony itself, through the intrigues of his step-

mother Kaikeyī, did not take place then, but fourteen years

later, after the death of Daśaratha, an account of the pre-

paratory ceremonies is given in the Ayodhyākāṇda as well

as in the Yuddhakāṇḍa of the Rāmāyaṇa, but an account

of the complete ceremony in the latter book alone. Accord-

ing to the Ayodhyāk. on the day preceding the intended inau-

guration Rāma and his wife Sītā held a fast, and in the night

they performed this preliminary rite: Rāma, having made

his ablutions, approached the idol of Nārāyaṇa, took a

cup of clarified butter, as the religious law prescribes (vi-

dhivat), made a libation of it into the kindled fire and drank

the remainder while wishing what was agreeable to his

heart. Then, with his mind fixed on the divinity, he lay,

silent and composed, together with Sītā, on a bed of Kuśa-

grass, which was spread before the altar of Viṣṇu, until

the last watch of the night, when he awoke and ordered

the palace to be prepared for the solemnity. At day-break,

reminded of the time by the voices of the bards, he per-

formed the usual morning devotion and praised the divinity.

In the mean time the town Ayodhyā had assumed a festive

appearance and the inauguration implements had been ar-

ranged: a beautiful golden throne-seat (bhadrāsana or siṃ-

hāsana, also called in other passages bhadrapīṭha; the vaidik

term is āsandī) covered with a tiger-skin, water taken

from the confluence of the Ganges and Jumna as well as from

other sacred rivers in all directions and from all oceans,

golden jars filled with shoots of the Udumbara tree and

various lotus flowers (padmotpala), Ruchakas (citrons?) and

Rochanas (pomegranates?), clarified butter, honey, milk,

curd, as well as soil, water and other propitious objects

taken from places of pilgrimage (tīrtha), a white pearl

sceptre, a chowri (cāmara), a fan, and a white parasol

decorated with beautiful garlands; besides, a white bull, a

white horse and a splendid, furious elephant (matto gajavaraḥ),

also eight beautiful damsels in fine attire, all kinds of mu-

sical instruments and bards in festive dress. [This is the

account according to the text of the Rāmāyaṇa in Mr. Gor-

resio's edition; the edition of Schlegel, mentions (2. 15. 4-12)

the following implements and in the following order: golden

waterjars, an ornamented throne-seat, a chariot covered

with a splendid tiger-skin, water taken from the confluence

of the Ganges and Jumna, as well as from other sacred

rivers, tanks, wells, lakes and from all oceans, honey,

curd, clarified butter, fried grain (lājāḥ), Kuśa grass,

flowers, milk; besides, eight beautiful damsels and a splen-

did, furious elephant; golden and silver jars, filled with

water, covered with Udumbara branches (kṣīribhiśchannāḥ)

and various lotus flowers; besides a white, jewelled chowrie

(bālavyajana), a white splendid parasol, a white bull, a

white horse, all manners of musical instruments and bards.

A similar enumeration occurs in the preceding chapter

v. 32 ff. of the same edition where the throne-seat is defined

as ‘made of Udumbara wood’, the chariot as ‘drawn by

four horses’, the bull as ‘accoutred with golden ropes, full-

grown (lit. having its hump) and white’, and the horse as

‘strong and having four large teeth’; there are mentioned

also two white chowries, instead of one, and all kinds

of seeds, perfumes and jewels, a scimitar (nistriṃśa), a

bow, a litter (vāhanaṃ narasaṃyuktam; comm. = śivikādi), a gol-

den vase (bhṛṅgāraṃ hiraṇmayam) and a blazing fire, and amongst

the living implements of the pageant, instead of the bards,

gaudy courtezans, and besides the eight damsels: ‘profes-

sors of divinity (ācāryāḥ), Brāhmaṇas, cows and pure

kinds of wild beasts and birds, the chiefs of town-and

country-people and the citizens with their train’.--The

whole passage however (2. 14. 32-39.) seems to be an inter-

polation in the speech of Vasiṣṭha, at variance with the

hurry of his message to the king and made superfluous

by the narrative of the following chapter.] The Yuddha-

kāṇḍa mentions of implements only a jewelled throne-seat

(ratnamayaṃ pīṭham) and four golden jars ornamented with

jewels in which four monkey chiefs, the allies of Rāma in

his war against Rāvaṇa, carried water from the ocean of

the four regions; Ṛṣabha carried it from the southern

ocean, his jar being filled with red sandal branches, Jāmbavat

from the western ocean, his jar being ornamented with aloe

shoots; Vegadarśin from the northern ocean, his jar being

decorated with large branches (of what tree, is not said),

and Suṣeṇa from the eastern ocean, his jar being orna-

mented with bracelets (? aṅgadakeyūraiḥ).--Of the ceremony

itself it is said that it was performed in the fashion of

Indra's inauguration, but a first difference which, to judge

from the scanty detail of the text, appears to exist between

the manner in which the ceremony was conducted at the

epic and that in which it is conducted in the vaidik period,

is that the wife of Rāma shares in a portion of the cere-

monies and in a seat on the throne with her husband, while

a participation of the wife of the king in the ceremony is

not mentioned in the Aitar. Br.; and a second and still

more important difference results from the circumstance that

not merely Vasiṣṭha, the officiating priest, sprinkled Rāma

with the consecrated liquid, but after him ‘Vāmadeva, Jā-

bāli, Vijaya, Kāśyapa, Gotama, Kātyāyana, Viśvāmitra and

other eminent Brāhmaṇas; moreover, after them, in suc-

cession, the assistant priests, the damsels, the military

chiefs and the citizens, the gods shedding over him from

the sky the essence of all plants’; for although the Vasus

and other gods sprinkled Indra with the liquid, to inau-

gurate him as king of the several heavenly quarters, no

mention is made in the vaidik ceremony, as applied to a

mortal king, that any one else but the officiating priest

inaugurated the king with the sacred liquid, or that the

active share of the assembly in the ceremony goes beyond

their eulogizing the good qualities of the king. A com-

parison, besides, between the implements of inauguration

at the two periods and between the ingredients which con-

stitute the consecration-liquid of the vaidik and that of

the epic ceremony, show that the typical quality of the

former had, in a great measure, been lost sight of at the

period of the epic poems.--The same and other de-

viations are apparent in the account which is given in

the Śāntiparvan of the Mahābhārata, of Yudhisṭhira's inau-

guration: ‘Free from anger and pain the royal son of Kuntī

sat down joyfully on the golden throne-seat (paramāsana),

his face turned towards the east; in front of him took their

seat on a beautiful golden stool (pīṭha) the valiant Sātyaki and

Vāsudeva; at either side of him, on fine-shaped jewelled

stools the noble Bhīmasena and Arjuna; on a sumptuous

ivory throne-seat embellished with gold (but acc. to a comm.

‘on a sumptuous solid throne-seat’; dānte siṃhāsane, Arju-

nam.: dānte saṃharṣakṣame), Prithā with Sahadeva and Nakula,

and on seats as brilliant as fire separately Sudharman (the

priest of Duryodhana) Vidura, Dhaumya and Dhṛtarāṣṭra,

as well as the pugnacious Sanjaya and the illustrious

Gāndhārī, all entering from the side whence came Dhṛta-

rāṣṭra. But the righteous king having taken his seat,

touched with his fingers white flowers, auspicious emblems

(svastikān), fried grain (akṣatān), the soil, gold, silver

and a pearl; when all his subjects, headed by the house

priest, became aware that he had thus possessed himself in

an auspicious manner of earth, gold and the various kinds of

jewels. The implements of the inauguration prepared and

ready, were: filled jars made of gold, Udumbara wood,

silver and clay, flowers, fried grain (lājāḥ), sacrificial

grass (barhis), cow's milk, fuel of Śami (Acacia suma)-,

Aśvattha (Ficus religiosa)-, and Palāśa (Butea frondosa)-

wood, honey and clarified butter, a ladle (śruva) made of

Udumbara-wood, and a conch (śaṅkha) ornamented with gold.

Then, in obedience to the orders of Kṛṣṇa, Dhaumya, the

family priest, marked the sacrificial ground with a line in

the direction of north-east (prāgudakplavane vedīṃ lakṣaṇenopalikhya

ca), requested the noble king and the dark daughter of

Drupada to be seated on the white, solid-legged throne-seat

(sarvatobhadra āsane; comp. bhadrāsana, bhadrapīṭha) which was

brilliant like fire and covered over with a tiger-skin, and

made a libation into fire while reciting the appropriate

mantras (juhāva pāvakaṃ dhīmānvidhimantrapuraskṛtam). Upon

this Kṛṣṇa took his venerated conch and sprinkled (with

its contents) Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, (inaugurating

him thus) as lord of the earth, and after him Dhṛtarāṣṭra,

the royal Ṛṣi (sprinkled the king) and then all his sub-

jects’.--The present made at this occasion by Yudhi-

ṣṭhira consisted of a thousand Nishkas he gave to the

Brāhmaṇas (somewhat in conformity with the injunction of

the Aitar. Br.); but the liberality of Rāma was more re-

markable: he gave the Brāhmaṇas a million milch cows,

ten thousand bulls and three hundred millions Nishkas, be-

sides carts, ornaments, cloths, beds and seats, and nu-

merous villages; he made liberal presents, too, to the

monkey chiefs and the monkeys, his allies.--It is, worthy

of note, that a custom is met with, in the epic poems, the

origin of which cannot with certainty be traced to the in-

junctions of the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, viz. a king's having a son

or relative of his inaugurated as yuvarāja (also yuvarājan) or

‘junior king’. For, although Sāyaṇa's commentary speaks

of ‘a father, brother &c.’ who eulogize the king before the

priest sprinkles him with the sacred liquid, and although the

presence of the father at the ceremony might countenance

the inference that the vaidik text implies also the inau-

guration of a Yuvarāja, it must be observed that the text

of the Brāhmaṇa does not contain the quoted words

but in their stead the term rājakartāraḥ ‘king-makers’,

which may or may not comprise the paternal relationship.

On the other hand it must be admitted that the vaidik in-

junction is not at variance with this ceremony, which, once

performed, seems to hold good for the inauguration of the

prince at his accession to the throne, after the father's

death, since no mention is made, in the epic poems, of a

repetition of the ceremony. The object of the inauguration

of a prince as Yuvarāja is to secure to him the right of

succession, and, besides, the advantages supposed to arise

from the religious ceremony, as mentioned before, a share

in the government, or perhaps all the privileges of a

reigning king. For when Daśaratha intends to make his

son Rāma a Yuvarāja, he addresses him with these words

(in the Āyodhyākāṇḍa): ‘Rāma, I am old; I have lived

long and enjoyed every pleasure I desired; hundreds of

sacrifices I have performed when I distributed food and

liberal presents; thou wast born the son of my desire, for

no one is equal to thee on earth; thus I have paid my

debt to the gods, the Ṛṣis, my deceased ancestors, the

Brāhmaṇas and my own self; nothing remains for me to

be done save inaugurating thee; therefore what I am about

to tell thee, thou must do. To day all my subjects want

thee for their king; therefore, my son, I shall inaugurate

thee as junior king’; and Rāma reports to his mother:

‘mother, I am ordered by my father to undertake the

government of the country; to-morrow my inauguration

will take place, for such is the behest of my father’. An-

other instance of the installation as Yuvarāja is that of

Yudhiṣṭhira by Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Ādip. v. 5517), or of Bhīma-

sena by his brother Yudhiṣṭhira (Śāntip. v. 1475); one of

a simultaneous inauguration of a king and of his son, is

that of Dyumatsena as king and of his son as Yuvarāja;

(Vanap.: tato'bhiṣiṣicuḥ prītyā dyumatsenaṃ purohitāḥ . putraṃ

cāsya mahātmānaṃ yauvarājye'bhiṣecayan).

The inauguration ceremony at the Paurāṇic period has

but little affinity with the vaidik rite; it is a series of pro-

ceedings which are founded on late superstitions and reflect

scarcely any of the ideas which are the groundwork of the

ceremony of the Aitar. Br. A description--though a

loose and desultory one--of the Paurāṇic Abhisheka oc-

curs in the 209^th chapter of the Agni-Purāṇa. It commences

with the injunction that a king should before his inaugura-

tion choose his astrologer (sāṃvatsara), his family-priest

(purohita), his officiating-priest (ṛtvij), his ministers

(mantrin) and his queen (mahiṣī). [Comp. Manu 7. 77 &c.]

The astrologer fixes the proper time for the inauguration

(comp. page 284b, line 51 ff.); the king takes a bath prepared

with Sesamum and white mustard seeds (tilaiḥ siddhārthakaiḥ

snānam); the astrologer and the family-priest hail the king

with the cry of ‘victory’, and he being seated on a throne-

seat (bhadrāsana) makes a proclamation of peace or public

safety and grants freedom to his prisoners. Then before

his inauguration by the family-priest takes place, he ad-

dresses a propitiatory prayer to Indra, and fasting on the

day of the inauguration makes libations to the Manus &c. (?)

and pays respect to a sacrificial jar which is placed on the

right or southern side of the sacrificial fire, with perfumes

and flowers. [The text of this passage in the two Mss. of

the Agni-P. at London, that alone contain a description of

the ceremony and could be consulted by me, is very cor-

rupt; the Ms. of the Royal As. Soc. in Devan. char. reads:

purodhasābhiṣekastu kāryeṃdrīśāṃtiriva ca . upavāsyābhiṣekāhe vai-

dyāgnū juhuyānmanūn . vaiṣṇavāneṃdramaṃtrāstu sāvitryānvaiśvadevatān .

saumyānsvastyayanaṃ dharma āyuṣyābhayadānmanūn . aparājitāṃ ca

kalaśaṃ vahnerdakṣiṇapārśvage . śamyā ca vaṃtuṃ haimaṃ ca pūjayedgaṃdhapuṣpakaiḥ;

the Ms. of the Royal S. in Bengali char.: purodhasyābhiṣeka

prākkāryendrīśāntireva ca . upadhāsyabhiṣekādvetyagnau juhuyādamūn .

vaiṣṇavamaitramantrāstu sāvitrānvaiśvadevatān . saumyāvasvāyanaṃ śarma

carmāyuṣyābhayānmanūn . aparājitaṃ ca kalasaṃ vahnerdakṣiṇapārśvagaṃ .

sadābharaṇahaimañca pūjayedgandhapuṣpakaiḥ.--This extract may serve

at the same time, as a specimen of the indifferent state of

both Mss.--that of the R. S. being however the better

of the two--which made it necessary to renounce a

literal translation of the whole chapter.] The flame of this

fire should go rightwards, it should be bright like melted

gold, crackle like carts or thunder(?), be clear (or smoke-

less), scent the air, be like the sign Swastika, have an

uninterrupted, large flame and be free from sparks; no

cats, wild beasts or birds should pass over the sacrificial

ground [Mss.: pradakṣiṇāvartaśikhastu taptajāmbunadaprabhaḥ . rathau-

ghaghoṣanirghoṣo (R. A. S. rathauṣameghanirghoṣo) vidhūmaśca hutā-

śanaḥ . anulomaḥ sugandhiśca svastikākārasaṃnibhaḥ . prasannākṣirma-

hājvālaḥ (R. A. S. prasaktārcirma°°) sphuliṅgarahito hitaḥ

(R. A. S. 'rcitaḥ) . na vrajeyuśca madhyena mārjāramṛgapakṣiṇaḥ].--

The king, to prepare himself for the inauguration, purifies

his head with soil taken from the top of a mountain, his

ears with soil from the top of an ant-hill (valmīkāgramṛdā),

his mouth with soil from a temple of Viṣṇu, his neck with

soil from a temple of Indra, his breast with soil from a

royal court yard (nṛpājirāt), his right arm with soil thrown

up by the horns of a bull (vṛṣaśṛṅgoddhṛtamṛdā), his back with

soil from a lake, his belly with soil from the two banks

of a river, his hips with soil taken from the door of a brothel

(veśyādvāramṛdā rājñaḥ kaṭiśaucaṃ vidhīyate), his thighs with

soil from a sacrificial spot (yajñasthānāt; but Ms. R. A. S. from

a cowpen: gosthānāt, which word however occurs im-

mediately again), his knees with soil from a cowpen, his

legs with soil from a horse-stable, his feet with soil from

a cart-wheel; and the soil itself he washes off with Pancha-

gavya (a compound of five articles derived from the cow:

milk, curd, clarified butter, cow's urine and cow-dung). After

this purification four ministers sprinkle the king who is

seated on the throne: first the Brāhmaṇa minister with

clarified butter out of a golden jar which stands east of the

throne, then the Kshatriya minister with milk out of a

silver jar which stands south, next the Vaiśya minister

with curds out of a copper jar which stands west, and

lastly the Śūdra minister with water out of an earthen jar

which stands north of the throne […bhadrāsanagataṃ nṛpam .

abhiṣiñcedamātyānāṃ catuṣṭayamatho ghaṭaiḥ . pūrvato hemakumbhena ghṛta-

pūrṇena brāhmaṇaḥ . rūpyakumbhena yāmyena kṣīrapūrṇena kṣatriyaḥ . dadhnā

ca tāmrakumbhena vaiśyaḥ paścimagena ca . mṛnmayena jalenodakśūdrā-

mātyo'bhiṣecayet]. After them a Brāhmaṇa versed in the

Ṛgveda sprinkles him with honey and one who knows

how to chant the Sāmaveda with Kuśagrass-water. Then

the family-priest goes to the golden jar (mentioned above

page 282b, line 2) and commits the sacrificial fire in the

prescribed manner and with the appropriate hymns to the

care of the Brāhmaṇas who assist him. [Ms. R. S.: saṃpī-

tavantaṃ kalasaṃ tathāgatya purohitaḥ . vidhāya vahnirakṣāṃ tu sada-

syeṣu yathāvidhi .. rājastriyābhiṣeke ca ye ca mantrāḥ prakīrtitāḥ .

taistu dadyānmahābhāgabrāhmaṇānāṃ śanaistathā; sic.--R. A. S.:

śamyātavaṃtaṃ kalaśaṃ tathā gatvā purohitaḥ . saṃvidhāyāṃgarakṣāṃ tu

sadasyeṣu yathāvidhi . rājraśriyābhiṣekāya ye maṃtrāḥ parikīrti-

tāḥ . taistu dadyanmahābhāgabrāhmaṇānāṃ stutaistathā; sic.] Having

done so, he repairs to the part of the sacrificial ground

where the throne stands (?, liter. to the vedimūlam, root

of the sacrificial ground), and sprinkles the head of the

king with the liquid out of a golden vase perforated with

hundreds of holes while reciting verses referring to the sub-

stances which together with water, constitute the liquid,

viz. herbs, perfumes, flowers, seeds, jewels (or pearls,

probably reduced to powder) and Kuśagrass; and his throat

(Ms. R. A. S.: his hip) with water taken from various

places of pilgrimage and mixed with Rochanā; the Brāhma-

ṇas holding before the king, while the music plays, the

jar which contains the annuals, together with the chowrie,

the fan and the other emblems of royalty. [The greater

portion of the passage describing this rite is again so cor-

rupt in both Mss. that the meaning of some words and the

exact nature of the verses alluded to by the quotation of

their beginning words: yā oṣadhīḥ,…puṣpavatī, brāhmaṇa°,

āśu śiśānaḥ, ye devāḥ &c., is open to doubt; Mss.: tato

purohito gacchedvedimūlaṃ tadaiva tu (R. A. S.: °mūlaṃ tu devituṃ) .

śatacchidreṇa sauvarṇenābhiṣiñcennṛpottamam (R. A. S.: ataḥ cha-

dreṇa pātreṇa sauvarṇenābhiṣecayet) . yā oṣadhīścoṣadhībhirathe

cādyena gandhakaiḥ (R. A. S.: oṃ yā oṣadhīdyoṣadhībhirathe

akṣeti gaṃdhakaiḥ) . rathaiḥ (R. A. S.: puṣpaiḥ) puṣpavatītyeva brāhmaṇeti

ca vījakaiḥ . ratnairāśu (R. A. S.: ratnairāyuḥ) śiśānaśca ye

devāśca kuśodakaiḥ . yajurvedatharvavedī (R. A. S.: yajurvedyatha ca-

krādī) gandhadvāreti saṃspṛśet . śiraḥ kaṇṭhaṃ (R. A. S.: kaṭiṃ)

rocanāyā (sic in both Mss.) sarvatīrthodakairdvijāḥ . gītavā-

dyādinirghoṣaiścāmaravyajanādibhiḥ . sarvauṣadhīmayaṃ kumbhaṃ dhāraye-

yurnṛpāgrataḥ; sic.] Then the king having looked on clarified

butter and other auspicious objects placed before a looking

glass (? comp. page 286a, line 29), his family-priest, after a

prayer to Viṣṇu, Brahman and other divinities and having

prepared dishes of curds, clarified butter, honey &c., binds

the head of the king with a fillet and fastens on it the

tiara, while the king is seated on a couch covered over

with a tiger-skin. He then orders a (white?) bull, a white

horse (?) and an elephant to be led in, caparisoned severally

with a panther- (?), a lion-and a tiger-skin. [Mss.: taṃ

paśyeddarpaṇaṃ rājā ghṛtaṃ vai maṅgalādikam . abhyarcya viṣṇuṃ brahmāṇaṃ

mantrādīṃścaṃ graśakane (R. A. S.: abhyarcya viṣṇumiṃdrādaṃ brāhma-

ṇāṃśca grahāṃstathā) . vyāghracarmottarāṃ śavyāmupaviṣṭaṃ purohitaḥ .

madhuparkādikaṃ kṛtvā paṭṭabandhaṃ prakārayet . rājño mukuṭabandhaṃ ca

pañcacarmottaraṃ chade (R. A. S.: ttarachade) . pravādyāviti ca vi-

śedvṛṣabhaṃ viṣadaṃ gajam (R. A. S.: dhruvādyā iti ca viśet vṛṣadaṃ

vṛṣadaṃ śajraṃ) . dvīpijaṃ siṃhajaṃ vyāghrajātaṃ carma tadāsane; sic.]

Presently the door-keeper ushers in the ministers, coun-

sellors &c.; the king presents the astrologer and the family-

priest with cows, goats, sheep and similar gifts, offers to

the other Brāhmaṇas gold and such like presents, circum-

ambulates the fire in keeping his right side towards it and

makes a bow before his Guru. He further salutes respect-

fully the bull, in patting it on the back, also the elephant,

which he does not mount; but the horse he mounts, and

having rode on it round his city (in keeping his right side

towards it), while the royal passage is lined with soldiers,

he enters it and dismisses gracefully all the people with

marks of his favour. [The Ms. of the R. S. however con-

denses the latter passage thus: ‘the door-keeper ushers in

the ministers, counsellors &c. and he dismisses gracefully

all the people with gifts of cows, goats, sheep &c.’;

amātyasacivādīṃśca pratīhāraḥ pradarśayet . gojāvigrahadānādyaiḥ

prārcya sarvānvisarjayet; Ms. R. A. S.: amātyasacivādistu prati-

hāra pradarśaye (sic) . gojāvigrahadānādyaiḥ sāṃvatsarapurohitau

pūjayitvā dvijānprārthya (°nprārcya?) hyanyānbhṛṃgotūmukhyakaiḥ (sic) .

vahniṃ pradakṣiṇīkṛtya guruṃ natvātha pṛṣṭataḥ . vṛṣamālabhya gāṃ maṃtraṃ

pūjayitvātha maṃtritaṃ (sic) . aśvamāruhya nāgaṃ tu pūjayettu (pūja-

yenna?) samāruhet . paribhramrājāmargaṃ (sic) balayuktaṃ pradakṣiṇaḥ .

puraṃ viśecca dānādyaiḥ prārthya (prārcya?) sarvānvisarjayet.]--The

following, 210^th chapter of the Agni-Purāṇa contains the

invocations or, as the text calls them, mantras which are

to be recited at the inauguration (rājadevādyabhiṣekamantrānvakṣye

'ghamardanān . kumbhātkuśodakaiḥ)--R. A. S.: kumbhānkumbhodakaiḥ--

siñcettena saṃrvaṃ hi sidhyati). These mantras have nothing in

common with those recited at the vaidik ceremony; they

contain merely an enumeration of gods, demons, saints,

mountains, rivers &c. even of literary works, which are

asked to sprinkle the king, to grant him victory and to

protect him; the order in which all these beings and objects

are paraded, is of the same senseless kind, and the nomen-

clature of the same tedious description as they not uncom-

conly occur in those works which exhibit a caricature of

the ancient Hindu religion,--in the Purāṇas. It will suf-

fice to give as a specimen the following verses of the forty

and some Ślokas which form the subject of this chapter:

‘may the gods sprinkle thee, and Brahman, Viṣṇu, Śiva,

Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha; may the

ten elephants of the regions give thee victory, and Rudra,

Dharma, Daksha, the Sun, religious Belief (śraddhā), Bhṛgu,

Atri, Vaśiṣṭha &c. &c…; may the sons of Kṛśāśva

protect thee, and the wives of Ariṣṭanemin, of Chandra

and of Pulastya, Bhūtā (a female goblin), Kapidanṣṭrī

…Syeṇī (a female hawk), Bhāśi (a water-fowl), Krauñchī

(a curlew), Dhṛtarāṣṭrī (a goose); Śukī (a female parrot;

this and the preceding being probably names of female

imps);…the Gandharvas Hāhā, Hūhū, Nārada, Viśvā-

vasu, Tumburu;…the Apsarasas Anavadyā, Sukeśī,

Menakā, Sahajanyā, Kratusthalā, Ghṛtāchī, Viśvāchī

Puñjikasthalā, Pramlochā, Urvaśī, Rambhā, Pañchachūḍā,

Tilottamā, Chitralekhā, Lakṣmaṇā, Puṇḍarīkā and Vā-

ruṇī;…the Ṛ4ṣis Bālakhilyas, Vyāsa, Valmīki &c.,

the kings Prithu, Dilīpa, Bharata, Dushyanta (written Ms.

R. A. S. tūṣmaṃtaḥ and ducchantaḥ);…the mountains Hima-

vat, Hemakūtā, Nishadha, Nīla, Sweta, Śṛṅgavat, Meru,

Mālyavat, Gandhamādana, Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya,

Śuktimat (v. l. Śaktimat), Ṛkṣavat (v. l. Vṛkṣavat),

Śivi (?), Vindhya and Pāripātra;…the four oceans; the

following sacred places of pilgrimage (tīrtha): Pushkara,

Prayāga, Prabhāsa, Naimisha, Gayāśīrṣa, Brahmaśiras,

Uttaramānasa (v. l. Uttamamānasa), Kālodaka, Nandikuṇḍa,

Panchanada (the Panjab), Bhṛgutīrtha, Prabhāsa, Amara-

kāṇṭaka, Jambumārga, Vimala, the hermitage of Kapila

(kapilasyāśramaḥ), Gaṅgādvāra, Kuśāvarta, Vinduka (v. l.

Vilwaka), the mountain Nīla (nīlaparvataḥ), the mountain

Varāha, Kanakhala (v. l. Kanashala), Kālañjara, Kedāra,

Rudrakoṭi, Vārāṇasi (Benares), Badaryāśrama (v. l. Pada-

ryāśrama), Dvārakā, Śrīgiri, Purushottama, Śāligrāma

(v. l. Śalagr.), Vārāha, the mouth of the Indus (sindhusā-

garasaṃgamaḥ), Phalgutīrtha, the lake Vindu, the hermitage

of Karavīra; the rivers Gaṅgā, Saraswati, Śatadru, Gaṇḍa-

kī, Achchhodā, Vipāsā, Vitastā, Devikā, Kāverī, Va-

radā, Niśchīrā, Gomatī, Pārā, Charmanvatī, Rūpā, Mandā-

kinī, Tāpī (v. l. Nīpā), Payoṣṇi, Veṇā, Gaurī, Vaitaraṇī,

Godāvarī, Bhīmarathī, Tuṅgabhadrā, Raṇī (? v. l. Praṇī),

Chandrabhāgā, Śivā and Gaurī, may they sprinkle thee.’

The Sanskṛt works which are invoked to protect the king

stand, in the text, between the mountains and the oceans,

in the following order and selection: the Ṛg-and the other

Vedas, the six Angas, Itihāsas and Purāṇas, the Upa-

vedas, viz. Āyurveda, Gandharvaveda, and Dhanurveda,

the Angas, viz. Śikṣā, Kalpa, Vyākaraṇa, Nirukta, the

science of the luminous bodies (jyotiṣāṃ gatiḥ) and

Chhandas [see s. v. aṅga], the Vedas [here mentioned again,

like the Angas], the Mīmānsā-and Nyāya-systems (mī-

māṃsānyāyavistaraḥ), and the old Dharmaśāstra (dharmaśāstraṃ

purāṇaṃ ca); for these are the fourteen sciences [i. e. the four

Vedas, the six Angas, the Purāṇas as eleventh, the Mī-

mānsā, Nyāya and law]; the Sāṅkhya-and Yoga-systems,

the system of the Pāsupatas, the Vedānta and the system

of the Pāñcharātras (pāśupataṃ vedāśca--sic--pāñcarātrakam),

for these are the five doctrines; the auspicious verse Gā-

yatrī (q. v.), the Durgā-science and the science of music[?];

(kṛtāntapañcakaṃ hyetadgāyatrī ca śivā tathā . durgāvidyā ca gā-

ndhārī pāntu tvāṃ śāntidāśca te).--

Another account of a royal inauguration, which is si-

milar to that of the Agni-Purāṇa and perhaps belongs to

a still more recent period than the latter, is that of the

Mānasāra, a work on Architecture and reputedly the com-

pletest of its kind. [The high antiquity which is ascribed

by the Hindus to this work will become more than doubt-

ful, from a comparison, for instance, of this portion of it

with the 209^th ch. of the Agni-P. The only Ms. of this

work, I could consult, is hopelessly incorrect and does

not permit to make a reliable translation of it; it is a copy

of an ancient Ms. in Tamul characters which was discovered

at Trichinopoly, is imperfect at the beginning and at the

end, was written out under the direction of Mr. Ch. P.

Brown and is now in possession of the E. I. H.; its ex-

treme rareness in India as well as in Europe makes it ad-

viseable to draw attention to some particulars of its de-

scription of a royal inauguration which may be rendered

in a safe manner.] The Mānasāra puts forward two per-

sonages in the inauguration ceremony who do not make

their appearance in the foregoing accounts: the Sthapati or

the architect, and the Sthāpaka or (probably) the master

of the ceremonies. According to this work, the throne is

placed in a handsome sacrificial building where the inau-

guration takes place (yāgamaṇḍape saumye tu siṃhāsanasya co-

pari . nṛpālaṃ tatra saṃsthāpya abhiṣekaṃ samārabhet; some such

building seems to be implied also by the description of the

Agni-Purāṇa, since a ‘door-keeper’ is mentioned, but it

is not expressedly named); the inauguration liquid, which

consists of river and sea-water is consecrated by chanting

hymns from the Atharvaveda, Sāmaveda and other sacred

works; (saritsamudrasalilakumbhaiḥ pūrṇavimādhavaiḥ (sic) . atharva-

sāmagītaiśca cānyaiścāgamamantrakaiḥ); the king marks his fore-

head with the sign Tripuṇḍra (q. v.: paścāttu homaniṣṭhāṃ ca

darbhaṃ dattvā tripuṇḍrakam . lalāṭasāraṇaṃ kuryādbhūpatistu yathāvi-

dhi), anoints his body with sandal and saffron, and the

Sthapati purifies him with the compound called Pancha-

gavya (see above page 282b, line 45); them the family-priest

places on his head the tiara, and this toilet being com-

pleted, the Sthapati and the Sthāpaka invite the king to

take place, with his queen, on the throne when the sacred

liquid is sprinkled on his forehead while he bears the

jewelled tiara (ratnasaṃtuṣṭamukuṭamūrdhvaṃ rājopadhārayet). This

ceremony having been performed under ‘benedictions and

all manner of auspicious noises’ (sarvamaṅgalaghoṣaiśca svastivā-

canapūrvavat) the king mounts on an elephant and, under the

sounds of a similar music, rides round his city, keeping

his right side towards it, and distributes gifts amongst the

spectators (kuryādārohaṇaṃ paścādrājā tvairāvatopari . nagarī-

pradakṣiṇaṃ kuryātsarvamaṅgalaghoṣakaiḥ). These gifts which consist

in corn and the like, cow's and other milk, weapons, and

generally in any thing whether auspicious or not, the king

should throw before himself and touch with his own hand,

for in doing so he will not merely acquire strength, victory

and glory but abundance of food &c. [A modern treatise on

the royal inauguration, called Rājyābhiṣekapaddhati,--with-

out either date or name of the author--is very prolix in the

enumeration of the mantras; it quotes the Śatapathabr. and,

among the Purāṇas, chiefly the Agni-P.; but it is rather

an uncritical compilation from various books, than an au-

thoritative source of information.]

The time of the inauguration must be an auspicious one.

Rāma was inaugurated when the moon entered the asterism

Pushya, in the hour Abhijit; (Yuddhak.: tataḥ prabhāte vimale

muhūrte'bhijiti prabhuḥ . vasiṣṭhaḥ puṣyayogena brāhmaṇaiḥ parivā-

ritaḥ . rāmaṃ ratnamaye pīṭhe…upaveśya &c.).--The Agni-P.

merely forbids the inauguration to take place at night

time, but makes no further restriction (sāṃvatsaro nṛpaṃ kāle

sasaṃbhāro'bhiṣecanam . kuryādṛte rātrikālaṃ kālasya niyamaḥ

smṛtaḥ).--According to the astrological work Jyotishara-

tnamālā, the inauguration of a king may take place when

the moon enters either of the following asterisms: Anu-

rādhā (17^th ), Hasta (13^th ), Pushya (8^th ), Rohiṇi (4^th ), Śra-

vaṇa (23^d ) and the three next to it (viz. Dhaniṣṭhā, Śata-

bhiṣā, Pūrvabhādrapadā), Revatī (28^th ), Mṛgaśiras (5^th )

or Aśvinī (1^st ); (maitraśākrakarapuṣyarohiṇīvaiṣṇaveṣu tisṛṣūttarāsu

ca . revatīmṛgaśiro'śvinīṣvapi kṣmābhujāṃ samabhiṣeka iṣyate).--

Another astrological work, the Muhūrtachintāmaṇī, lays

down the following rules: ‘the inauguration of a king is

auspicious, if it takes place at the period of the sun's pro-

gress to the north of the equator, when Jupiter, the Moon

and Venus have risen or those powerful planets: Mars, the

Sun, the predominant or the minor planet which rule the

(king's) nativity; but not on the fourth, ninth or fourteenth

day of the month Chaitra, on a Tuesday, during the night

or in an intercalary month. If it is performed at the

conjunction of ill-omened planets with the first asterism

(reckoned from that under which the king is born) their

influence brings him illness; with the eighth, death; with

the fifth, affliction of his sons; with the twelfth, poverty;

with the tenth, it deprives him of energy; with the seventh

or fourth, it destroys his sovereign power. All is au-

spicious, however, if an auspicious planet enters into the

circle. If Jupiter enters into conjunction with the ninth

or fifth asterism (reckoned from that under which the king

is born) or Mars with the sixth, or Venus with the tenth,

the king will always enjoy royal happiness; if Saturn

enters into conjunction with the third, the Sun with the

eleventh or Jupiter with the tenth or fourth asterism (and

the inauguration then takes place), his empire will remain

firm’; [rājābhiṣekaḥ śubha uttarāyaṇe gurvinduśukrairuditairbalā-

nvitaiḥ . bhaumārkalagneśadaśeśajanmapairno caitrariktāraniśāmalimlu-

caiḥ .. 9 .. pāpaistanau rugnidhane mṛtiḥ sute putrārttirarthavyayagairda-

ridratā . syātkhe'laso bhraṣṭapado dyunāmbugaiḥ sarvaṃ śubhaṃ kendragataiḥ

śubhagrahaiḥ .. 2 .. gururlagnakoṇe kujo'rau sitaḥ khe sa rājā

modate rājalakṣmyā . tṛtīyāyagau saurisūryau khabamdhvorguruśceddha-

ritrī sthirā syānnṛpasya .. 3 .. iti rājābhiṣekaprakaraṇam ..;

the technical terms are rendered, in the given translation,

according to the comment of the author, Daivajnarāma].

B. INAUGURATION OF A MILITARY COMMANDER. This

ceremony, the object of which is to ensure to the chief of

an army victory over his enemies, does not appear to have

been performed before the period of the Mahābhārata,

where the inauguration of Kārtikeya as commander of the

divine hosts is mentioned as the type of such a rite; comp.

e. g. the words addressed by Duryodhana to Śalya, the king

of Madra, when he chose him for his military chief: sainā-

patyena varaye tvāmahaṃ mātulātulam . so'smānpāhi yudhāṃ śreṣṭha

skando devānihāhave . abhiṣicyasva rājendra devānāmiva pā-

vakiḥ . jahi śatrūnraṇe vīra mahendro dānavāniva.--The pro-

ceedings at such an inauguration are not fully detailed in

the description given in the Śalyaparvan of the Mahābh.

(ch. 46), of the inauguration of Kārtikeya; but from the

rites which are mentioned, it may be inferred, that they

were substantially the same as those which took place

at the inauguration of a king; (comp. e. g.: tato'bhiṣeka-

saṃbhārānsarvānsaṃbhṛtya śāstrataḥ . vṛhaspatiḥ samiddhe'gnau juhāvāgniṃ

yathāvidhi . tato himavatā datte maṇiprabaraśobhite . divyara-

tnācite puṇye niṣaṇṇaṃ paramāsane . sarvamaṅgalasaṃbhārairvidhimantrapura-

skṛtam . ābhiṣecanikaṃ dravyaṃ gṛhītvā devatāgaṇāḥ &c. ….

bahulatvācca noktā ye vividhā devatāgaṇāḥ . te kumārābhiṣe-

kārthaṃ samājagmustatastataḥ . jagṛhuste tadā rājansarva eva divau-

kasaḥ . ābhiṣecanikaṃ bhāṇḍaṃ maṅgalāni ca sarvaśaḥ . divyasaṃbhā-

rasaṃyuktaiḥ kalasaiḥ kāñcanairnṛpa . sarasvatībhiḥ puṇyābhirdivyatoyā-

bhireva tu . abhyaṣiñcankumāraṃ vai saṃprahṛṣṭā divaukasaḥ . senāpatiṃ

mahātmānamasurāṇāṃ bhayaṃkaram . purā yathā mahārāja varuṇaṃ vai

jaleśvaram . tathābhyaṣiñcadbhagavānbrahmā lokapitāmahaḥ &c.); the

text (as results from the last quotation) professes at least

that they are analogous to those at the inauguration

of Varuṇa as king of the waters, and at the latter cere-

mony (mentioned Śalyap. chap. 48) reference is made to the

inauguration of Indra, which is the type of a royal inau-

guration; (varuṇaṃ devatāḥ sarvāḥ sametyedamathābruvan . yathāsmā-

nsurarāṭśakro bhayebhyaḥ pāti sarvadā . tathā tvamapi sarvāsāṃ

saritāṃ vai patirbhava .…abhiṣiktastato devairvaruṇo'pi

mahāyaśāḥ . saritaḥ sāgarāṃścaiva nadāṃścāpi sarāṃsi ca . pāla-

yāmāsa vidhinā yathā devāñchatakratuḥ .). There seems to

have been that difference, however, that the military com-

mander, his installation having been performed, did not

give but receive presents, for the Mahābh. exhibits a long

list of presents that were offered to Kārtikeya by the gods

who assisted at his consecration.--The time deemed au-

spicious or inauspicious is the same for the inauguration

of a military chief as for that of a king, except that Tuesday

is considered also amongst the lucky days of the former,

Mars being himself a military chief; (according to Daiva-

jnarāma in his comm. on the quoted first verse of the

Muhūrtachintāmaṇi: kutracidbhaumavāro'pyuktaḥ . sa senāpatya-

bhiṣekaparo jñeyaḥ . bhaumasya senāpatitvāt).

2. The water or liquid used at the ceremony of inau-

guration; e. g. Kātyāy. Śrautas.: kaṇḍuyanyābhiṣekeṇa prali-

mpate (Śrīdeva: abhiṣekeṇa = abhiṣekodakena); or Ādip. Ma-

hābh.: karṇo'bhiṣekārdraśirāḥ śirasā samavandata. 3. The

name of the sacrificial building where the inauguration of

a king takes place; (Mānasāra: sarvālaṃkārasaṃyuktamabhiṣekā-

khyamaṇḍapam &c.). 4. Bathing, washing; e. g. Sāṅkhya Prav.:

duḥkhāduḥkhaṃ jalābhiṣekavanna jāḍyavimokṣaḥ (Vijnānāch.: yathā

jāḍyārttasya jalābhiṣekādduḥkhānivṛttireva bhavati na tu jāḍya-

vimokṣa ityarthaḥ); esp. for religious purposes, ablution; e. g.

Śatātapa: surāpaḥ…śarkarāyāstulā sapta dadyātpāpaviśu-

ddhaye . japitvā tu mahārudraṃ daśāṃśaṃ juhuyāttilaiḥ . tato'bhiṣekaḥ

kartavyo mantrairvaruṇadevataiḥ &c.; or Vanap. Mahābh.: plakṣā devī

smṛtā rājanpuṇyā devī sarasvatī . tatrābhiṣekaṃ kurvīta valmī-

kānniḥsṛte jale . arcayitvā pitṝndevānaśvamedhaphalaṃ labhet; or

Anuśāsanap. Mahābh.: skanda uvāca . mamāpyanumato dharmastaṃ

śṛṇudhvaṃ samāhitāḥ . nīlaṣaṇḍasya śṛṅgābhyāṃ gṛhītvā mṛttikāṃ tu

yaḥ . abhiṣekaṃ tryahaṃ kuryāttasya dharmaṃ nibodhata &c.

5. Washing the image of a divinity, purifying it with

ablutions. This ceremony takes place either at a festival

held in honour of a divinity or at the installation of an

idol as a domestic and tutelary divinity; it consists in

rubbing it over with ointments and washing it with liquids

prepared of different substances under the recital of appro-

priate mantras. (According to the given quotation from

the Agni-Pur., the invocations mentioned in the latter, are

the same for the consecration of an idol as for that of a

king.) At the Dola festival held in honour of the juvenile

Kṛṣṇa the following materiels are used, according to the

Utkalakhaṇḍa (as quoted by Rādhākāntadeva): cold water,

cow-dung, cow's urine, cow's milk, curds, clarified butter

(i. e. the five substances of the Panchagavya), infusions of

Kuśa-grass (kuśodakam), of Śaṅkha (a perfume, apparently

a dried shell-fish; śaṅkhodakam), of sandal (candanodakam),

of saffron (kuṅkumodakam), of fruits and flowers (phaloda-

kam and puṣpodakam), an unguent prepared of the powder

of sandal wood and of emblic myrobalan (candanapiṣṭāma-

lakyudvartanam); scented water (sugandhijalam) with which the

idol is washed eight times, milk, clarified butter and honey

being added severally at the second, seventh and eighth

ablution; an infusion of perfumes (gandhodakam) with which

five ablutions are made; water taken from places of pil-

grimage (tīrthajalam), Ganges-water, water proceeding from

an ant-hill, infusion of small annuals (sarvauṣadhijalam),

Sahasradhārā-water (sahasradhārājalam), various kinds of

water in jars (according to some, in 108 jars).--At the

Durgā festival, according to the Vṛhannandikeśvara-Purāṇa

(also quoted by Rādhāk.) the image of the goddess is rubbed

over before a looking glass (darpaṇapratibimbe) with an oint-

ment prepared of turmeric and powder of emblic myro-

balan and then washed with the following things one after

the other, under the recital of mantras, with: pure water,

an infusion of Śaṅkha, Ganges-water, an infusion of per-

fumes, each article of the Panchagavya (successively, as

mentioned before), an infusion of Kuśa-grass, Pañchāmṛta

(a mixture of milk, curds, sugar, clarified butter and honey),

ice-water, honey, an infusion of flowers, sea-water mixed

with the juice of the sugar-cane (ikṣurasasāgarodake), an

infusion of small and large annuals mixed together (sarvau-

ṣadhimahauṣadhijalam), water containing five kinds of extracts

(pañcakaṣāyodakam), eight sorts of earth (aṣṭamṛttikāḥ? pro-

bably aṣṭau mṛ°), infusion of fruits, hot water, Sahasra-

dhārā-water, various kinds of water in eight jars, viz.

atmospheric water in one jar (vyomagaṅgāmbupūrṇādyakalasaḥ),

cloud-water in a second (meghatoyapūrṇa°), water of the Sara-

svatī in a third (sārasvatatoyapūrṇa°), sea-water in a fourth

(sāgarodakapūrṇa°), water mixed with lotus-pollen (padmareṇu-

miśritajalapūrṇa°) in a fifth, cascade-water in a sixth (nirjjha-

rodakapūrṇa°), water from various places of pilgrimage in a

seventh (sarvatīrthāmbupūrṇa°) and pure water in an eighth jar

śuddhajalapūrṇāṣṭamakalasaḥ). Besides these substances, other ri-

tual works mention: river-water, infusions of cocoa-nuts and

of (pounded) pearls, rain-water, infusions of camphor and

of sandal, aloe, gold, silver, Gorochanā, saffron, Śrīphala,

corn, Dūb-grass, sugar, lake-water, Ganges-and sea-water

mixed together, an infusion of five kinds of grain (pañca-

śasyajalam), of sesamum, tank-, lotus-pond-, and well-

water, infusions of fruits and roots, Arghya (q. v.) -water,

other kinds of water in four jars, and cold water; sesamum-

oil and fragrant-oil; earth from river-banks, earth stirred

up by the teeth of a boar (varāhadantamṛttikā), earth from

the door of a brothel (veśyādvāramṛttikā), from the gate of

a palace (rājadvāramṛttikā), earth stirred up by the horns

of a bull, earth from an ant-hill, from a quadrivium, from

the near and opposite banks of a stream (pārāvāramṛttikā),

from the door of a temple and from the Ganges; and accord-

ing to some, earth stirred up by the teeth of an elephant,

earth from a river, from its two banks, from a town-gate

(nāgaramṛttikā), from a cowpen and a trivium; others

name infusions of the five articles of Pañchāmṛta severally,

of the small and the large annuals severally (savauṣadhi-

mahauṣadhī pṛthak), of the five kinds of extracts severally, or

infusions only of two articles of the Pañchāmṛta (viz.

honey, butter and milk excepted); again some name an

ointment made of turmeric only, some one prepared of

sesamum-oil and turmeric, and others add an aromatic

powder and one made of five kinds of grain. In the ritual

works founded on the Kālī- and Devī-Purāṇas there are men-

tioned, besides, infusions of (pounded) corals, emeralds, ru-

bies, pearls, lapis lazuli, several varieties of lotusses (padma,

kahlāra, kumuda), of sugar-cane, lac (alaktaka), red sandal,

turmeric, flour, rice and white mustard, as well as pool-

water and water from various places of pilgrimage; earth

from five such places; oil made of the Viṣṇu plant, an

ointment made of emblic myrobalan together with sesamum-

oil and turmeric.--The ritual works founded on the

Purāṇas mention moreover eight melodies which are se-

verally played when the idol is washed with the eight kinds

of water in the eight jars (see above col. a, line 43), as

well as the instruments with which they are played. At

the washing with the atmospheric water the melody is (acc.

to the ritual of the Vṛhannandikeśvara-Pur.) Mālasī, played

with the instrument Mangalotsava, or (acc. to the ritual of

the Devī-Pur.) Vārāḍī, played with the instrument Indra-

vijaya, or (acc. to the ritual of the Kālī-Pur.) Mālava,

played with the instrument Vijaya; at the washing with

the cloud-water, the m. is Devakīrī, p. w. the instr. Bhu-

vanavijaya (Vṛh.-Pur.), or Mālavagauḍa, p. w. the instr.

Mangalavijaya (D.-Pur.), or Lalitā, played with the large

kettle drum Dundubhī (K.-Pur.); at the washing with the

water of the Sarasvatī, the m. is Vārāḍī, p. w. the instr.

Vijaya (Vṛh.-Pur.), or Mālava, p. w. the instr. Devotsava

(D.-Pur.), or Vibhāṣā, p. w. the drum Dundubhi (K.-Pur.);

at the washing with the sea-water, the m. is Deśāla, p. w.

the instr. Rājābhiṣeka (Vṛh.-Pur.), or Deśāla, p. w. the

instr. Ghanatāla (D.-Pur.), or Bhairavī, p. w. the flute

Vanśī (K.-Pur.); at the washing with the lotus pollen-water,

the m. is Dhānuṣī, p. the instr. Madhurī (Vṛh.-Pur.), or

Mālavī, p. w. the instr. Madhukara (D.-Pur.), or Koḍā,

p. w. the instr. Indrābhiṣeka (K.-Pur.); at the washing

with the cascade-water, the m. is Bhairavī, p. w. the cymbal

Karatāla (Vṛh.-Pur.), or Bhairavī; p. w. the double drum

Ḍhakkā (D.-Pur.), or Vārāḍī, p. w. the conch Śaṅkha

(K.-P.); at the washing with the Tīrtha-water, the m. is

Gujjarī, p. w. the flute Vanśī (Vṛh.-Pur.), or Vasanta,

p. w. the conch Śaṅkha (D.-Pur.), or Vasanta, p. w. the

instr. Pañchaśabda (K.-Pur.); at the washing with the pure

water the melody is Vasanta, p. w. the instr. Pañchaśabda

(Vṛh.-Pur.), or Koḍā, p. w. the drum Mṛdaṅga (D.-Pur.),

or Dhānuṣī, p. w. the instr. Vijaya (K.-Pur.). See Rādhāk.

s. v. abhiṣeka.--At the installation of a domestic idol

(devapratiṣṭhā) the following articles are recommended for

the ablution by the Devapratiṣṭhatattva (as quoted by

Rādhāk.): river-, torrent-, sea-, cascade- and cloud-water,

a mixture of milk, curds, sugar, clarified butter and honey,

Panchagavya mixed with an infusion of Kuśa-grass; earth

stirred up by the hoofs of a horse and the teeth of an ele-

phant, earth from a mountain, from Kuśa-grass and an

ant-hill, sesamum-oil, clarified butter, an infusion of five

extracts (pañcakaṣāyodakam), flowers of the mango-tree, of

the Champaka (Michelia champaca), of the Acacia suma,

lotusses and Oleander; leaves of holy basil, jasmin and

Śṛphala (Ægle marmelos.), a cleansing powder prepared

either of the refuse of Sesamum (tilakalka), or of rice

(śālitaṇḍula), or of Vilwa (Ægle marmelos.) -leaves, or of

emblic myrobalan (āmalaka); hot water, water from places

of pilgrimage. To prepare the liquid either a hundred and

eight, or fifty four, or twenty jars are required, or one

jar may suffice; the water is taken in the proportion of

a hundred and eight Pala-weight--such is the vaidik (!)

quantity--or, commonly, in the proportion of three

hundred and sixty Tola-weight, and the substances named

are mixed and shaken with it in each jar separately.--

If a person, however, cannot afford to provide all these

articles, he may take merely earth from an ant-hill, new

cowdung, dry cowdung, some water mixed with ashes and

scented water. (Comp. Rādhāk., Śabdak. s. v.).--E. sic

with abhi, kṛt aff. ghañ. Comp. also abhiṣecanīya.

abhiṣeka abhiṣeka, i. e. abhi-sic + a,

m. 1. Sprinkling with water, inau-

guration of a king, Pañc. iii. d. 267.

2. The water used for an inauguration.

3. Ablution, Śāk. 50, 16.

Abhi-ṣeka, as, m. sprinkling, anointing; inaugu-

rating or consecrating by sprinkling water; inaugu-

ration of a king, royal unction; the water or liquid

used at an inauguration; religious bathing; ablution;

bathing of the divinity to whom worship is offered.

—Abhiṣeka-śālā, f. the hall of coronation. —Abhi-

ṣekārdra-śiras (°ka-ār°), ās, ās, as, wet on the

head with the royal unction. —Abhi-ṣekāha (°ka-

ah°), as, m. day of inauguration.

abhiṣeká m. sprinkling over, bathing, religious, ablation, consecration, inauguration; the consecrated water itself.

abhi-ṣeká m. anointing, inaugurating or consecrating (by sprinkling water), inauguration of a king, royal unction

the water or liquid used at an inauguration, ŚBr. &c.

religious bathing, ablution, MBh. &c.

bathing of the divinity to whom worship is offered, L. (cf. mahābhiṣeka and mūrdhābhiṣeka.)

abhiṣeka

m. (-kaḥ) Bathing, sprinkling.

E. abhi before sic to sprinkle,
and ghañ affix; the word is often used for initiation, royal unction,
&c. sprinkling with the water of the Ganges, or water in which
various articles have been immersed, being an essential part of the
rites; also for a religious ceremony, including the presentation of
a variety of articles, fruits, gems, &c. along with water or fluid
substances for the bathing of the deity to whom worship is offered.

abhiṣeka abhiṣeka m. (sic) aspersion, sorte de baptême indien: abhiṣekārdraśiras (ārdraśiras) a. ayant la tête mouillée par l'eau de la consécration.

abhiṣecayāmi c. faire consacrer par l'aspersion.

Asperger: rājye dans la royauté, c-à-d. donner l'aspersion royale.

abhi-ṣeka- m. sacre, consécration royale; eau consacrée; ablution rituelle ou bain rituel.

abhiṣeká (von sic mit abhi) m.

1) Besprengung, Weihung durch Besprengung mit Wasser (namentl. zum Königthum) ŚAT. BR. 5, 3, 5, 6-9. u.s.w. AIT. BR. 8, 5. 21. u.s.w. KĀTY. ŚR. 15, 4, 39. 18, 5, 7. rāmasya R. 1, 3, 11. 1, 21. PAÑCAT. 158, 22. vibhīṣaṇābhi° R. 1, 3, 35. PAÑCAT. 157, 22. yadaiva rājye kriyate 'bhiṣekaḥ III, 267. rājyābhi° 158, 18. saināpatyābhi° KATHĀS. 20, 95. abhiṣekodaka R. 3, 61, 38. pādukāsvabhiṣekaḥ 1, 3, 16. Am Ende eines adj. comp. f. ā AK. 1, 1, 7, 13. 2, 6, 1, 5. H. 334. 520. - MADHUS. in Ind. St. 1, 21, 22. Verz. d. B. H. No. 1253. 1254. COLEBR. Misc. Ess. I, 39. LIA. I, 802. 811.

— 2) Weihwasser ŚAT. BR. 5, 4, 2, 4. KĀTY. ŚR. 15, 6, 8. 19, 4, 18. saṃbhriyatāmāyupo rājyābhiṣekaḥ VIKR. 85, 18. upanīyatāṃ mantreṇa saṃbhṛtaḥ kumārasyābhiṣekaḥ 87, 10.

— 3) religiöse Abwaschung TRIK. 2, 6, 32. kṛtābhiṣeko gaṅgāyām R. 1, 44, 30. so 'bhiṣekaṃ tataḥ kṛtvā tīrthe 2, 23. 3, 5. 6. MBH. 3, 6025. HIT. IV, 86. RAGH. 1, 85. KUMĀRAS. 7, 11 (°kā adj. f.). toye - dharmābhiṣekakriyā ŚĀK. 171.

abhiṣeka

3) tīrthābhi° BHĀG. P. 10, 78, 17.

— Vgl. mahābhiṣeka und mūrdhābhiṣeka .

abhiṣeká m.

— 1) Besprengung , Weihung durch Besprengung mit Wasser (namentlich zum Königthum).

— 2) Weihwasser.

— 3) vorgeschriebene Abwaschung 92,15. KĀD. 42,6.

abhiṣeká m. Besprengung, Weihe (bes. z. König) Weihwasser; Abwaschung (r.)

abhiṣeka m. (r. sic humectare s. a) actio conspergendi

(v. sic praef. abhi). HIT. 126. 10.

abhiṣeka pu0 abhi + sica—ghañ . 1 vidhinā śāntyarthaṃ, secane,
2 adhikāraprāptyarthaṃ snāne, yathā “athābhiṣekaṃ raghuvaṃśaketoḥ”
raghuḥ . mantrādinā śirasi jalaprakṣepamātreṇa 3 mārjane .
4 snānamātre ca . “kṛtābhiṣekāṃ hutajātavedasam” kumā0 .
“niṣyandinīranikareṇa kṛtābhiṣekāḥ” māghaḥ “tatrābhiṣekaṃ
kurvāṇo gosahasraphalaṃ labhet” . “tatrābhiṣekaṃ kurvvīta pitṛ-
devārcane” rataḥ “tatrābhiṣekaṃ kurvvīta nāgatīrthe narādhipa .
bhā0 va0 pa0 . 5 karmmānte śāntyarthaṃ snāne ca . “surāstvāma-
bhiṣiñcantu ityādimantrairsnāne tacca matkṛtatulādānādipa-
ḍvatau 206 pṛṣṭhe dṛśyam . 6 pratiṣṭhādau devādeḥ snapane ca .
karaṇe ghañ . 7 jale .

Abhi-ṣeka (‘besprinkling’). — The Vedic king was conse-

crated after his election with an elaborate ritual, which is fully

described in the Taittirīya,¹ Pañcaviṃśa,² Śatapatha,³ and

Aitareya Brāhmaṇas,⁴ and for which the Mantras are given in

the Saṃhitās.⁵ The consecration took place by sprinkling with

water (abhiṣecanīyā āpaḥ).⁶ Only kings could be consecrated,

the people not being worthy of it (anabhiṣecanīyāḥ).⁷ The

sprinkler (abhiṣektṛ) is mentioned in the list of victims at the

Puruṣamedha.⁸ The Abhiṣeka is an essential part of the

Rājasūya, or sacrifice of royal inauguration, being the second

of its component members.

9 Cf. Hillebrandt, Rituallitteratur,

143-147; Eggeling, Sacred Books of the

East, 41, xxvi; Weber, Über den

Rājasūya. [Footnote] 1) i. 7, 5. [Footnote] 2) xviii. 8 et seq. [Footnote] 3) v. 3, 3 et seq. [Footnote] 4) viii. 5 et seq. [Footnote] 5) Taittirīya Saṃhitā, i. 8, 11; Kāṭh-

aka Saṃhitā, xv. 6; Maitrāyaṇī Saṃ-

hitā, ii. 6; Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, x. 1-4. [Footnote] 6) Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, v. 3, 5, 10-15, [Footnote] 7) Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, xiii. 4, 2, 17. [Footnote] 8) Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, xxx. 12;

Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, iii. 4, 8, 1.

Abhiṣeka — The anointing ceremony: when Puru, the

last son was recommended by Yayāti, the people said that

it was dharma to anoint the eldest; defined the law that the

faithful son alone was fit for the throne; Puru having fulfilled

his father's wishes was to be regarded the faithful and

dutiful; this was agreed to; further it was endorsed by

Śukra.

Vā. 93. 76-87; 99. 451.

abhiṣeka , n. of the tenth (bodhisattva-) bhūmi in

one list (not the ordinary one, see bhūmi 4; see also next):

Mv i.76.18 daśamī tv abhiṣekāto; 124.20 °ka-bhūmi-

prāptānāṃ; Gv 472.25 °ka-bhūmi-sthita, said of Maitreya;

Gv 514.7 ekajāti-pratibaddhānām abhiṣekaprāptānāṃ.

abhiṣeka (EI 4), coronation; cf. abhiṣeka-kkāṇi, abhiṣeka-

kkāṇikkai (SITI), Sanskrit-Tamil; presents offered to the

king at the time of his coronation.