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166 INDIA AS DESCRIBED IN EARLY TEXTS
The majesty of his person, brightness in his appearance, stateliness in his presence, power in his will, force in his command and pomp attaching to his court made the position of the king a highly coveted one among men; so also was the case of the queen among women. The tasting of sumptuous food and drink, dalliances with the ladies of the harem, sleeping on a rich and costly bed, entertainment given by the courtezans excelling in the art of dancing, singing and instrumental music, and unrestrained joy in a processional drive to the royal pleasure-garden are mentioned and described as the five private enjoyments by which a person might be attracted to kingship.1
In theory a king of a Khattiya family was to marry a princess from the royal house of equal social rank. In practice, however, he could or did actually marry girls and women from all social grades at his sweet will and promote them to the rank of his queens. The number of queens did not generally exceed three or five. When a vacancy occurred, specially in the rank of the chief queen, it was filled up by promotion or
1 Jätaka, v, p. 505f.
2 King Udena of Varpsa, for instance, had five queens: Samāvatī, the adopted daughter of his treasurer Ghosaka, Māgandiya, a Brahmin girl, Gopalamătă, daughter of a peasant, Vasuladatta, daughter of Candapajjota and Sagarika, daughter of a Sinhalese king. See Malalasekera, op. cit., i, p. 379f; Law, Ancient Mid-Indian Ksatriya Tribes, p. 136.
