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Bath
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SŪTRA
There were two kinds of bath, viz. private and ceremonial. The first one was an essential part of the regular daily duty of an individual for maintaining cleanliness of his body, while the second one was given to those who resolved to renounce the worldly life or who were chosen as new rulers to ascend the throne.
It has been a sacred thing and synonym for ascending the throne (abhiseka) since the birth of kingship in ancient India.
The BhS presents a few colourful pictures of pompous ceremonial consecrations of some princes, like Jamālī1 and Mahābala", and kings, like Śiva of Hastinapura", and Udayana of SindhuSauvira on the eve of their renouncing the world to undertake the state of houselessness.
[Ch. IV
Similarly there are evidences to show that the princes Sivabhadra and Mahabala of Hastinapura and Keśīkumāra' of Sindhu-Sauvira were given ceremonial baths by the retiring kings, Siva, Bala and Udayana in their respective cases.
Here are presented the features of this ceremonial bath in connection with the leaving of the worldly life by the prince, Jamali and others.
The parents of this prince caused him twice to bathe with the water of eight hundred golden and earthen jars each time and made his limbs dry with a very soft hairy fragrant scented towel and then besmeared his body with the juicy essence of gośīrsa sandal and caused him to put on an auspicious white silken cloth embroidered with gold and endowed with the chief colour and touch. Next he was decorated with various kinds of ornaments and garlands.
Exactly in the same manner, prince Mahabala1, kings Śiva11 and Udayana1 were given ceremonial baths and adorned with
1 BhS, 9, 33, 385.
8 Ib, 11, 9, 417.
5 Ib, 11, 9, 417,
7 Ib, 13, 6, 491.
9 Ib, 9, 33, 385.
11 Ib, 11, 9, 417.
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2 Ib, 11, 11, 431.
4 Tb, 13, 6, 491.
6 7b, 11, 11, 431.
8 lb, 9, 33, 385; 11, 9, 417.
10 76, 11, 11, 431.
12 Ib, 13, 6, 491.
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