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90
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
[Ch. III
Consecration Ceremony
The Bhsi presents a graphic account of colourful consecration ceremony of a new king celebrated and attended by the retiring king and all the high dignitaries of his state. This august function of coronation was presided over and conducted by the retiring king himself with great pomp, grandeur and dignity,
The king, being surrounded by many leaders of corporation ((gananāyakas), judge (dandanāyaka),' chief police officer (talavara), frontier guard-officer (sandhipāla), ambassador (data), etc., made the heir-apparent seated on the best throne and then consecrated him with royal unction (rājyābhiseka) of 800 golden and 800 earthen jars, hailing him with the great cry of 'victory'. Having caused the heir-apparent to bathe, the king wiped off and made his limbs (the former's) dry with a very soft hairy cloth (towel) dyed with fragrant saffron (pamhasākṣmagandhakāśāyika), besmeared his body with the juicy essence of Gośīrsa sandal, adorned and decorated him with best clothes, precious ornaments and garlands, and then congratulated him with the cry of 'victory'. After the consecration and decoration were over, the retiring king declared the crown-prince 'king', holding before him the lofty ideals of kingship thus "protect the kingdom, being surrounded by wellwishers of cities, towns and villages”. 3
Then the coronation ceremony was concluded with the cry “victory, victory".
This kind of pompous and colourful consecration ceremony of king as revealed in the BhS is also described in the Jambuddīvapannatti-, the Nāyādhammakahão” and the Mahāpurana' in a vivid manner.
In the Jambūddīvapannatti? the coronation of Bharata, the universal monarch is depicted in a colourful style.
1 Bhs, 11, 9, 417; 13, 6, 491.
Sanskrit English Dictionary, Monier-Williams, p. 466. Col. 3. 8 Bhs. ii, 9, 417; 13, 6, 491. 4 Jambuddivapannati, 3, 68, pp. 267a-280. 6 Nāyādhammakahão, 1., p. 28f.
Mahāpurāna, (see the following pages). ? Jambu. Sú, 3, 68., pp. 267a-270.
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