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Bhāṣya
1. Without Indra and Purohita
In the present Sütra, there are two words- anindra and apurohita. There are ten ranks among gods: chiefs, co-chiefs, ministers, counsellors, sentinels, custodians, army chiefs, citizens, attendants and menials. There is no mention of priest (Purohita) among them. In the TBh., the ministers (Trayastrimsa) have been identified as priest (Purohita). The Vṛtti has described the function of Purohita as maintaining peace. According to it, the Purohita is attached to Indra (chief). In the absence of Indra, there is no Purohita. So, we find the mention of two words: anindra and apurohita together.'
In the present context, the argument of the Vṛtri deserves scrutiny. If, in the absence of Indra, there is the absence of Purohita, how could then the ranks of cochiefs etc. be possible? How would the chief queens be possible? Here Purohita should be taken as an adjective qualifying Indra. The Asurakumāra gods focus on the absence of Indra with considerable force, when they exclaim: "We have no Indra-there is nobody to rule us, there is no Purohita, there is none occupying the position of the chief. It is clearly evident from such utterances that Indra and Purohita are not two distinct persons. It is also not relevant to discuss the question of Purohita in connection with Indra. In sutra 38, there are three phrases: 'under the control of Indra', 'controlled by Indra', 'working under the control of Indra'-which strongly support our contention.
The Vitti has explained Purohita as a 'maintainer of peace'. But the expression Purohita has also the following meanings as pointed out by Apte's "The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary': placed in front, appointed, charged, one charged with a business, an agent, a family priest, one who conducts all the ceremonial rites of the family.*
Bhagavai 3:1:37-38
1.Ta. Sũ. 4.4 indrasāmānikatrāyastrimsapariṣadyatmarakṣalokapälän kaprakirṇakäbhiyogyakilvişikāścaikasah.
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2. Ta. Bhā. 4/4-trāyastrimśā mantripurohotasthānīyāḥ.
3. Bha. Vr. 3/37-animda' tti indrābhāvāt 'apurohiya' tti sāntikarmakarirahitā anindratvadeva purohito hindrasya bhavati tadabhāve tu näsäviti.
4. Apte.
Text
3.38 tae nam te balicamcarayaḥa nivatthavvaya bahave asurakumārā devā ya devio ya tamalim balatavassim ohiņā ābhoemti, abhoettä aṇṇamaṇṇam suddāvemti, saddavettä evam vayasi-evam khalu devāṇuppiyā! balicamcā rāyahāṇī aṇimdā apurohiya, amhe ya nam devāṇuppiyā! imdāhīṇā imdāhiṭṭhiyā imdāhīṇakajjā, ayam ca nam deväṇuppiya! tämall balatavassi tämalittie nagarie bahiya uttarapuratthime disibhäge niyattaniya-mamḍalam alihittā samlehaṇā-jhūsaṇā-jhūsie bhatapāṇapaḍiyāikkhie pãovagamaṇam nivanne, tam seyam khalu devānuppiya! amham tamilam bälutavassim balicamcde rüyahāṇie thitipakappam
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