अभिषेक (abhiSeka)
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शब्दसागरः
Englishअभिषेक (-कः) Bathing, sprinkling.
अभि before सिच् to sprinkle,
and घञ् 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.
Capeller Eng
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Spoken Sanskrit
Englishअभिषेक - abhiSeka - - coronation
राज्याभिषेक - rAjyAbhiSeka - - coronation
महाभिषेक - mahAbhiSeka - - great coronation
अभिषेकशाला - abhiSekazAlA - - hall of coronation
स्कन्ध - skandha - - any article used at the coronation of a king
राजसूय - rAjasUya - - great sacrifice performed at the coronation of a king
अभिषेक abhiSeka anointing
अभिषेक abhiSeka religious bathing
अभिषेक abhiSeka coronation
अभिषेक abhiSeka inaugurating or consecrating
अभिषेक abhiSeka ablution
अभिषेक abhiSeka sprinkling
अभिषेक abhiSeka inauguration of a king
अभिषेक abhiSeka bathing of the divinity to whom worship is offered
अभिषेक abhiSeka watering
अभिषेक abhiSeka royal unction
अभिषेक abhiSeka consecration
अभिषेक abhiSeka water or liquid used at an inauguration
अभिषेक abhiSeka connotation
Wilson
Englishअभिषेक
(-कः) Bathing, sprinkling.
अभि before सिच to sprinkle, and घञ् 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.
Apte
Englishअभिषेकः [abhiṣēkḥ], 1 Sprinkling, watering, wetting.
Anointing, inaugurating or consecrating by sprinkling water (a king, idol ). ततो हि नः प्रियतरं नान्यत्किंचिद्भविष्यति । यथाभिषेको रामस्य 2.17.11
अग्निहोत्राभिषेकौ Kau. 1.3.
(Particularly) Coronation, inauguration, installation (of kings)
royal unction
अथाभिषेकं रघुवंशकेतोः 14.7.
The (holy) water required at inauguration, coronation water
अमात्यपरिषदं ब्रूहि संभ्रियतामायुषो राज्याभिषेक इति 5
यौवराज्य ˚
17.14.
Bathing
ablution, holy or religious bathing
अभिषेकोत्तीर्णाय काश्यपाय 4
अत्राभिषेकाय तपोधनानाम् 13.51, 1.85, 1.63, 13.58, 14.82
22, 36, 96
5.16
7.11
7.12
4.87.
Bathing or sprinkling with water (of a divinity to whom worship is offered).Comp. -अहः day of coronation. -शाला coronationhall.
Apte 1890
Englishअभिषेकः 1 Sprinkling, watering, wetting.
2 Anointing, inaugurating or consecrating by sprinkling water (a king, idol &c.).
3 (Particularly) Coronation, inauguration, installation (of kings)
royal unction
अथाभिषेकं रघुवंशकेतोः R. 14. 7.
4 The (holy) water required at inauguration, coronation water
अमात्यपरिषदं ब्रूहि संभ्रियतामायुषो राज्याभिषेक इति V. 5
यौवराज्य° ibid.
R. 17. 14.
5 Bathing
ablution, holy or religious bathing
अभिषेकोत्तीर्णाय काश्यपाय Ś. 4
अत्राभिषेकाय तपोधनानां R. 13. 51, 1. 85, 10. 63, 13. 58, 14. 82
K. 22, 36, 96
Ku. 5. 16
7. 11
Ś. 7. 12
H. 4. 87.
6 Bathing or sprinkling with water (of a divinity to whom worship is offered).
Comp.
अहः day of coronation.
शाला coronation-hall.
Monier Williams Cologne
EnglishMonier Williams 1872
Englishअभि-षेक, अस्, 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.
—अभिषेक-शाला, f. the hall of coronation.
—अभि-
षेकार्द्र-शिरस् (°क-आर्°), आस्, आस्, अस्, wet on the
head with the royal unction.
—अभि-षेकाह (°क-
अह्°), अस्, m. day of inauguration.
Goldstucker
Englishअभिषेक Tatpur. m. (-कः) Sprinkling over
hence 1. Sprinkling
consecrated liquid over a sacrificer, inaugurating or conse-
crating him
e. g. (in reference to the sacrifice अभिषेचनीय
q. v.) Śatapathabr.: षट्पुरस्तादभिषेकस्य जुहोति
or Mādh.
Jaim. nyāy.: राजसूये सोमयागस्याभिषेचनीयस्य संनिधौ वि-
देवनशौनःशेपाख्यानाभिषेकाः क्रमेणाम्नाताः. 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.: उक्तं द्वात्रिंशदध्यायैः कर्म वर्णत्रयान्वितम् । अथ
त्वष्टभिरध्यायैर्वर्ण्यते राजकर्तृकम्, 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.: ये राजानो राजसूयाभिषिक्ता धर्मा-
त्मानो रक्षितारः प्रजानाम् । ये चाश्वमेधावभृथे प्लुताङ्गास्तेषां
लोका धृतराष्ट्रो न तत्र
or Harivanśa: भवान्राजास्तु मान्यो
मे यदूनामग्रणीः प्रभुः । विजयायाभिषिच्यस्व स्वाराज्ये राज-
सत्तम
or राजसूयाभिषिक्तस्तु पृथुरेभिर्नराधिपैः वेददृष्टेन
विधिना राजराज्ये नराधिप ॥).
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 पुनरभिषेक 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 अभिषेक 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 (दीक्षा), 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 (आसन्दी) of
the wood of the Udumbara (ficus glomerata), resting on
four legs a span (प्रादेश) high, with boards placed on
them (शीर्षण्य
see below page 277b, line 6 ff.) and side boards
(अनूच्य
see ibid.) of the dimension of a cubit (or two spans
अरत्नि, Sāyaṇa: प्रादेशद्वयमरत्निः)
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 (चमसः
Sāy. at a later occa-
sion: = चतुष्कोणो दण्डयुक्तः पात्रविशेषः) of Udumbara wood
and a branch of the same
in the ladle have been put eight
things: curd (दधि), honey (मधु), clarified butter (सर्पिस्),
water proceeding from rain during sunshine, before it has fallen
down (आतपवर्ष्या आपः
Sāy.: = आतपयुक्तवर्षभवाः)
blades
of Syāma grass (शष्याणि
Sāy.: = श्यामतृणानि), sprouts
(तोक्मानि
Sāy.: = अङ्कुराणि), spirituous liquor (सुरा) and
Dūb grass (दूर्वा, 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.: श्रीर्वै संपद्रूपैव). 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 (ऊर्ज् Sāy.:
= क्षीरादिरसः) 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
तेजस्)
and (rain being the consequence of oblations to the gods)
holiness (ब्रह्मवर्चसम्
Sāy.: = श्रुताध्ययनसंपत्तिः)
grass
and sprouts typify food (इरा
they being the food of cattle),
hence prosperity (पुष्टि, increase) and progency (प्रजा)
spi-
rituous liquor is the type of a Kshatriya's power (on ac-
count of its fierceness or hotness
Sāy.: सुरया क्षत्रियस्यैव
मदयोगात्क्षत्ररूपत्वम्) and of the essence of food (or rice,
liquor being made of rice
comp. अन्नरस
अन्नस्य रसः
Sāy.:
अन्नजन्यत्वादन्नरसत्वम्)
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 (राज्यम्
Sāy.: = देशाधिपत्यम्), righteous govern-
ment (साम्राज्यम्
Sāy.: = धर्मेण पालनम्), increase of en-
joyment (भौज्यम्
Sāy.: = भोगसमृद्धिः), independent rule
(स्वाराज्यम्
Sāy.: = अपराधीनत्वम्), attainment of more
distinguished qualities than those possessed by other kings
(वैराज्यम्
Sāy.: = इतरेभ्यो भूपतिभ्यो वैशिष्ट्यम्), coming
(after death) into the world of Brahman (पारमेष्ठ्यम्
Sāy.:
एतदुक्तमैहिकम्--i. e. what precedes--अथामुष्मिकमुच्यते ।
पारमेष्ठ्यं प्रजापतिलोकप्राप्तिः) and obtaining there dominion
(राज्यम्
Sāy.: = तत्र राज्यमैश्वर्यम्), a mighty rule (माहा-
राज्यम्
Sāy.: = तत्रत्येभ्य इतरेभ्य आधिक्यम्), mastership
(आधिपत्यम्
Sāy.: = तानितरान्प्रति स्वामित्वम्), indepen-
dence (स्वावश्यम्
Sāy.: = अपारतन्त्यम्) and a long resi-
dence there (आतिष्ठम्
Sāy.: चिरकालवासित्वम्). [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 (योगः
Sāy.: = अप्राप्तस्य लाभस्य प्राप्तिः) and
the preservation of what he has obtained (क्षेमः
Sāy.: = प्रा-
प्तस्य वस्तुनो रक्षणम्).] 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’: दारिद्र्यादिरोगस्य भेषजीः)
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 (तेजस्
Sāy.: = शारीरकान्तिः), with the radiance of Sūrya (वर्चस्
Sāy.: = वाह्यप्रकाशः) and with the (sharp) senses of Indra
(इन्द्रियम्
Sāy. ‘with the sharpness of the eyes’ &c.: =
चक्षुरादिपाटवम्), for the sake of strength (बलम्), prospe-
rity (श्रीः
Sāy.: = हस्त्यश्वादिसंपद्), glory and increase of
food (अन्नम्
Sāy.: = अन्नसमृद्धिः)’. 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 (द्विपुरुष) 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 (त्रि-
पुरुष), 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: ब्रह्म प्रपद्ये स्वाहा क्षत्रं
प्रपद्ये स्वाहा 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 (ऊर्ज्) 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 (प्राण and अपान), 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 (जितिः), of victory every-
where (अभिजितिः
Sāy.: = अभितः सर्वेषु देशेषु जितिः)
of
victory over strong and weak enemies (विजितिः
Sāy.: =
प्रबलदुर्बलशत्रूणां तारतम्येन विविधो जयः) and of complete
victory (संजितिः
Sāy.: = शत्रुत्वराहित्याय सम्यग्जयः)
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 प्रपदम्, 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 भूर्ब्रह्म प्राणममृतं प्रपद्यतेऽयमसौ शर्म वर्माभयं स्वस्तये
सह प्रजया सह पशुभिः between the second and third syl-
lables of the word वृत्राणि in the second Pāda of Ṛgv. 9.
110. 1.
the words भुवो ब्रह्म &c. …पशुभिः between the
second and third syllables of the word समर्यराज्ये in the
second Pāda of Ṛgv. 9. 110. 2.
and the words स्वर्ब्रह्म &c.
…पशुभिः between the first and second syllables of the
word शक्मना in the second Pāda of Ṛgv. 9. 110. 3.
the
sense of these words is: ‘he (the king) seeks the protection
of earth (भूर्
in the second verse…of भुवस् or the inter-
mediate region
in the third of स्वर् 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 शोर्षण्य and renders the word
‘boards placed on the legs of the throne-seat’: तेषां पा-
दानां शिरस्युपरिभागेऽवस्थितानि शीर्षण्यानि
in the pre-
sent passage the text has the dual शीर्षण्ये which Sāyaṇa
explains as the board where the head of Indra and, by
implication, as the board where his feet rest upon: आस-
न्द्यां शयानस्येन्द्रस्य शिरोदेशस्थं फलकं शीर्षण्यम् । तच्च पाद-
देशाविकृतस्य फलकस्याप्युपलक्षणम्
Sāyaṇa likewise speaks
in his comm. on the first passage of several अनूच्य, while
the text of the latter mentions distinctly two, viz. अनूच्ये
the former explanation of शीर्षण्य 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 शीर्षण्यानूच्यानि 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 (साम्राज्य), the Rudras for
increase of enjoyment (भौज्य), the Adityas for independent
rule (स्वाराज्य), the Viśve-Devas for the attainment of dis-
tinguished qualities (वैराज्य), the Sādhyas and Āptyas for
dominion (राज्य), the Maruts and Āṅgirasas for coming into
the world of Brahman (पारमेष्ट्य), superiority (माहाराज्य),
mastership (आधिपत्य), independence (स्वावश्य) and a long
residence there (आतिष्ठ), 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 साम्राज्याय and
सुक्रतुः the words भौज्याय, स्वाराज्याय &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 (साम्राज्य), 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
(भौज्य), 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 (स्वाराज्य), 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 (वैराज्य), 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 (राज्य), 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 (पारमेष्ठ्य), his mighty rule there over every one
(माहाराज्य), as well as his mastership (आधिपत्य), inde-
pendence (स्वावश्य) and long residence there (आतिष्ठ), hence
he attained the supreme abode (परमेष्ठिन्) and became
united with Prajāpati (प्राजापत्य). ‘Thus inaugurated by
that great inauguration Indra conquered all conquerable
battle grounds (जितीः
Sāy.: = जेतव्याः सर्वा युद्धभूमीः),
took possession of all worlds, obtained the highest dignity
amongst gods (श्रैष्ठ्यम्
Sāy.: = अतिशयेन प्रशस्तत्वम्), trans-
cendent rank (अतिष्ठाम्
Sāy.: = सर्वानतिक्रम्यावस्थानम्)
and preeminence (परमताम्
Sāy.: = उत्कृष्टत्वम्), 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
(अमृतः
Sāy.: = इतरमनुष्यवदल्पकाले मरणरहितः), and
in the other world having obtained all his desires, he be-
came entirely exempt from death’ (or liberated
अमृतः
Sāy.: = मरणरहितो मुक्तः).
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 (अयं
समन्तपर्यायी स्यात्
Sāy.: देशतः कालतः सर्वव्यापी स्यात्),
all land up to the seashore and all life to infinity (lit.
to the amount परार्ध
सार्वभौमः सार्वायुष आन्तादा प-
रार्धात्
Sāy.: समुद्रतीरपर्यन्तं सार्वभौमत्वं देशव्याप्तिः । आ
परार्धात्परार्धशब्दाभिधेयकालसंख्यापर्यन्तं सार्वायुषत्वं काल-
व्याप्तिः), and that he should become a sole ruler over the
whole earth up to the ocean (पृथिव्यै समुद्रपर्यन्ताया एक-
राट्), 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 (इष्टापूर्तम्
Sāy.: श्रौतस्मार्तद्वयम्) 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 (औषधानि
…तोक्मकृतानि
Sāy.: अङ्कुरनिमित्तान्यौषधिद्रव्याणि):
rice with small grain (व्रीद्दीणाम्
Sāy.: सूक्ष्मवीजरूपा व्री-
हयः), rice with large grain (महाव्रीहीणाम्
Sāy.: प्रौढ-
वीजरूपा महाव्रीहयः), 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’, राजकर्तारः
Sāy.: = पितृभ्रात्रादयः ‘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 (क्षत्रम्), 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 (भौज्यम्),
the fruit of the Aśvattha and rice with large grains the
type of righteous government (साम्राज्यम्), the fruit of the
Plaksha the type of independent rule (स्वाराज्यम्) and at-
tainment of more distinguished qualities than those pos-
sessed by other kings (वैराज्यम्), barley the type of mi-
litary commandership (सैनान्यम्)
curds typify the sharpness
of senses (इन्द्रियम्
Sāy.: ‘because they make the senses
sharp’: इन्द्रियपाटवहेतुत्वात्), honey typifies the essence
of plants and trees (रस ओषधिवनस्पतिषु
Sāy.: ‘because
it originates in flowers’: पुष्पजन्यत्वेन)
clarified butter, the
brightness of cattle (तेजः पशूनाम्
Sāy.: ‘on account of its
oily gloss’: स्निग्धभास्करत्वेन) and the water, freedom from
death or long life (अमृतम्
Sāy.: ‘because it nourrishes’
आप्यायनहेतुत्वात्).--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 (चतुष्पाद्
Sāy.: गवादिकम् 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
(द्विजानाम्
comm.: = ब्राह्मणानाम्), 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 (पार्थिवानाम्
comm.: = भूधराणाम् । नागाः सर्पा-
श्चानेकफणत्वे भिन्नाः), 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 (सर्प)
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 (तिथि) and holy days
(पर्वन्), 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: वसिष्ठो वा-
मदेवश्च &c. …अभ्यषिञ्चन्नरवरं प्रसन्नेन सुगन्धिना । सलि-
लेन सहस्राक्षं वसवो वासवं यथा) 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.: शास्त्रदृष्टेन विधिना स तदा विधिवद्द्विजः राघ-
वस्याभिषेकार्थं स द्विजेभ्यो न्यवेदयत्
Śāntiparv.: जुहाव पा-
बकं धीमान्विधिमन्त्रपुरस्कृतम् or पूजयामास तांश्चापि विधि-
वद्भूरिदक्षिणः), 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…’ (राष्ट्रस्यैतत्कृत्यतमं राज्ञ एवा-
भिषेचनम्…इन्द्रमेव प्रवृणुते यद्राजानमिति श्रुतिः &c.
Arjunam. राष्ट्रस्य = अस्य देशवासिनो लोकस्य). 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 (वि-
धिवत्), 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 (भद्रासन or सिं-
हासन, also called in other passages भद्रपीठ
the vaidik
term is आसन्दी) 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 (पद्मोत्पल), Ruchakas (citrons?) and
Rochanas (pomegranates?), clarified butter, honey, milk,
curd, as well as soil, water and other propitious objects
taken from places of pilgrimage (तीर्थ), a white pearl
sceptre, a chowri (चामर), a fan, and a white parasol
decorated with beautiful garlands
besides, a white bull, a
white horse and a splendid, furious elephant (मत्तो गजवरः),
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 (लाजाः), 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 (क्षीरिभिश्छन्नाः)
and various lotus flowers
besides a white, jewelled chowrie
(बालव्यजन), 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 (निस्त्रिंश), a
bow, a litter (वाहनं नरसंयुक्तम्
comm. = शिविकादि), a gol-
den vase (भृङ्गारं हिरण्मयम्) 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 (आचार्याः), 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
(रत्नमयं पीठम्) 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 (? अङ्गदकेयूरैः).--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 (परमासन),
his face turned towards the east
in front of him took their
seat on a beautiful golden stool (पीठ) 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’
दान्ते सिंहासने, Arju-
nam.: दान्ते संहर्षक्षमे), 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
(स्वस्तिकान्), fried grain (अक्षतान्), 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 (लाजाः), sacrificial
grass (बर्हिस्), cow's milk, fuel of Śami (Acacia suma)-,
Aśvattha (Ficus religiosa)-, and Palāśa (Butea frondosa)-
wood, honey and clarified butter, a ladle (श्रुव) made of
Udumbara-wood, and a conch (शङ्ख) 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 (प्रागुदक्प्लवने वेदीं लक्षणेनोपलिख्य
च), requested the noble king and the dark daughter of
Drupada to be seated on the white, solid-legged throne-seat
(सर्वतोभद्र आसने
comp. भद्रासन, भद्रपीठ) which was
brilliant like fire and covered over with a tiger-skin, and
made a libation into fire while reciting the appropriate
mantras (जुहाव पावकं धीमान्विधिमन्त्रपुरस्कृतम्). 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 युवराज (also युवराजन्) 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 राजकर्तारः ‘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.: ततोऽभिषिषिचुः प्रीत्या द्युमत्सेनं पुरोहिताः । पुत्रं
चास्य महात्मानं यौवराज्येऽभिषेचयन्).
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 (सांवत्सर), his family-priest
(पुरोहित), his officiating-priest (ऋत्विज्), his ministers
(मन्त्रिन्) and his queen (महिषी). [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 (तिलैः सिद्धार्थकैः
स्नानम्)
the astrologer and the family-priest hail the king
with the cry of ‘victory’, and he being seated on a throne-
seat (भद्रासन) 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:
पुरोधसाभिषेकस्तु कार्येंद्रीशांतिरिव च । उपवास्याभिषेकाहे वै-
द्याग्नू जुहुयान्मनून् । वैष्णवानेंद्रमंत्रास्तु सावित्र्यान्वैश्वदेवतान् ।
सौम्यान्स्वस्त्ययनं धर्म आयुष्याभयदान्मनून् । अपराजितां च
कलशं वह्नेर्दक्षिणपार्श्वगे । शम्या च वंतुं हैमं च पूजयेद्गंधपुष्पकैः
the Ms. of the Royal S. in Bengali char.: पुरोधस्याभिषेक
प्राक्कार्येन्द्रीशान्तिरेव च । उपधास्यभिषेकाद्वेत्यग्नौ जुहुयादमून् ।
वैष्णवमैत्रमन्त्रास्तु सावित्रान्वैश्वदेवतान् । सौम्यावस्वायनं शर्म
चर्मायुष्याभयान्मनून् । अपराजितं च कलसं वह्नेर्दक्षिणपार्श्वगं ।
सदाभरणहैमञ्च पूजयेद्गन्धपुष्पकैः.--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.: प्रदक्षिणावर्तशिखस्तु तप्तजाम्बुनदप्रभः । रथौ-
घघोषनिर्घोषो (R. A. S. रथौषमेघनिर्घोषो) विधूमश्च हुता-
शनः । अनुलोमः सुगन्धिश्च स्वस्तिकाकारसंनिभः । प्रसन्नाक्षिर्म-
हाज्वालः (R. A. S. प्रसक्तार्चिर्म°°) स्फुलिङ्गरहितो हितः
(R. A. S. ऽर्चितः) । न व्रजेयुश्च मध्येन मार्जारमृगपक्षिणः].--
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 (वल्मीकाग्रमृदा),
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 (नृपाजिरात्), his right arm with soil thrown
up by the horns of a bull (वृषशृङ्गोद्धृतमृदा), 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
(वेश्याद्वारमृदा राज्ञः कटिशौचं विधीयते), his thighs with
soil from a sacrificial spot (यज्ञस्थानात्
but Ms. R. A. S. from
a cowpen: गोस्थानात्, 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 […भद्रासनगतं नृपम् ।
अभिषिञ्चेदमात्यानां चतुष्टयमथो घटैः । पूर्वतो हेमकुम्भेन घृत-
पूर्णेन ब्राह्मणः । रूप्यकुम्भेन याम्येन क्षीरपूर्णेन क्षत्रियः । दध्ना
च ताम्रकुम्भेन वैश्यः पश्चिमगेन च । मृन्मयेन जलेनोदक्शूद्रा-
मात्योऽभिषेचयेत्]. 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.: संपी-
तवन्तं कलसं तथागत्य पुरोहितः । विधाय वह्निरक्षां तु सद-
स्येषु यथाविधि ॥ राजस्त्रियाभिषेके च ये च मन्त्राः प्रकीर्तिताः ।
तैस्तु दद्यान्महाभागब्राह्मणानां शनैस्तथा
sic.--R. A. S.:
शम्यातवंतं कलशं तथा गत्वा पुरोहितः । संविधायांगरक्षां तु
सदस्येषु यथाविधि । राज्रश्रियाभिषेकाय ये मंत्राः परिकीर्ति-
ताः । तैस्तु दद्यन्महाभागब्राह्मणानां स्तुतैस्तथा
sic.] Having
done so, he repairs to the part of the sacrificial ground
where the throne stands (?, liter. to the वेदिमूलम्, 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: या ओषधीः, …पुष्पवती, ब्राह्मण°,
आशु शिशानः, ये देवाः &c., is open to doubt
Mss.: ततो
पुरोहितो गच्छेद्वेदिमूलं तदैव तु (R. A. S.: °मूलं तु देवितुं) ।
शतच्छिद्रेण सौवर्णेनाभिषिञ्चेन्नृपोत्तमम् (R. A. S.: अतः छ-
द्रेण पात्रेण सौवर्णेनाभिषेचयेत्) । या ओषधीश्चोषधीभिरथे
चाद्येन गन्धकैः (R. A. S.: ॐ या ओषधीद्योषधीभिरथे
अक्षेति गंधकैः) । रथैः (R. A. S.: पुष्पैः) पुष्पवतीत्येव ब्राह्मणेति
च वीजकैः । रत्नैराशु (R. A. S.: रत्नैरायुः) शिशानश्च ये
देवाश्च कुशोदकैः । यजुर्वेदथर्ववेदी (R. A. S.: यजुर्वेद्यथ च-
क्रादी) गन्धद्वारेति संस्पृशेत् । शिरः कण्ठं (R. A. S.: कटिं)
रोचनाया (sic in both Mss.) सर्वतीर्थोदकैर्द्विजाः । गीतवा-
द्यादिनिर्घोषैश्चामरव्यजनादिभिः । सर्वौषधीमयं कुम्भं धारये-
युर्नृपाग्रतः
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.: तं
पश्येद्दर्पणं राजा घृतं वै मङ्गलादिकम् । अभ्यर्च्य विष्णुं ब्रह्माणं
मन्त्रादींश्चं ग्रशकने (R. A. S.: अभ्यर्च्य विष्णुमिंद्रादं ब्राह्म-
णांश्च ग्रहांस्तथा) । व्याघ्रचर्मोत्तरां शव्यामुपविष्टं पुरोहितः ।
मधुपर्कादिकं कृत्वा पट्टबन्धं प्रकारयेत् । राज्ञो मुकुटबन्धं च
पञ्चचर्मोत्तरं छदे (R. A. S.: त्तरछदे) । प्रवाद्याविति च वि-
शेद्वृषभं विषदं गजम् (R. A. S.: ध्रुवाद्या इति च विशेत् वृषदं
वृषदं शज्रं) । द्वीपिजं सिंहजं व्याघ्रजातं चर्म तदासने
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.’
अमात्यसचिवादींश्च प्रतीहारः प्रदर्शयेत् । गोजाविग्रहदानाद्यैः
प्रार्च्य सर्वान्विसर्जयेत्
Ms. R. A. S.: अमात्यसचिवादिस्तु प्रति-
हार प्रदर्शये (sic) । गोजाविग्रहदानाद्यैः सांवत्सरपुरोहितौ
पूजयित्वा द्विजान्प्रार्थ्य (°न्प्रार्च्य?) ह्यन्यान्भृंगोतूमुख्यकैः (sic) ।
वह्निं प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य गुरुं नत्वाथ पृष्टतः । वृषमालभ्य गां मंत्रं
पूजयित्वाथ मंत्रितं (sic) । अश्वमारुह्य नागं तु पूजयेत्तु (पूज-
येन्न?) समारुहेत् । परिभ्रम्राजामर्गं (sic) बलयुक्तं प्रदक्षिणः ।
पुरं विशेच्च दानाद्यैः प्रार्थ्य (प्रार्च्य?) सर्वान्विसर्जयेत्.]--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 (राजदेवाद्यभिषेकमन्त्रान्वक्ष्ये
ऽघमर्दनान् । कुम्भात्कुशोदकैः)--R. A. S.: कुम्भान्कुम्भोदकैः--
सिञ्चेत्तेन संर्वं हि सिध्यति). 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 (श्रद्धा), 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. तूष्मंतः and दुच्छन्तः)
…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 (तीर्थ): 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
(कपिलस्याश्रमः), Gaṅgādvāra, Kuśāvarta, Vinduka (v. l.
Vilwaka), the mountain Nīla (नीलपर्वतः), 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 (सिन्धुसा-
गरसंगमः), 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 (ज्योतिषां गतिः) and
Chhandas [see s. v. अङ्ग], the Vedas [here mentioned again,
like the Angas], the Mīmānsā-and Nyāya-systems (मी-
मांसान्यायविस्तरः), and the old Dharmaśāstra (धर्मशास्त्रं
पुराणं च)
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 (पाशुपतं वेदाश्च--sic--पाञ्चरात्रकम्),
for these are the five doctrines
the auspicious verse Gā-
yatrī (q. v.), the Durgā-science and the science of music[?]
(कृतान्तपञ्चकं ह्येतद्गायत्री च शिवा तथा । दुर्गाविद्या च गा-
न्धारी पान्तु त्वां शान्तिदाश्च ते).--
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 (यागमण्डपे सौम्ये तु सिंहासनस्य चो-
परि । नृपालं तत्र संस्थाप्य अभिषेकं समारभेत्
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
(सरित्समुद्रसलिलकुम्भैः पूर्णविमाधवैः (sic) । अथर्व-
सामगीतैश्च चान्यैश्चागममन्त्रकैः)
the king marks his fore-
head with the sign Tripuṇḍra (q. v.: पश्चात्तु होमनिष्ठां च
दर्भं दत्त्वा त्रिपुण्ड्रकम् । ललाटसारणं कुर्याद्भूपतिस्तु यथावि-
धि), 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 (रत्नसंतुष्टमुकुटमूर्ध्वं राजोपधारयेत्). This
ceremony having been performed under ‘benedictions and
all manner of auspicious noises’ (सर्वमङ्गलघोषैश्च स्वस्तिवा-
चनपूर्ववत्) 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 (कुर्यादारोहणं पश्चाद्राजा त्वैरावतोपरि । नगरी-
प्रदक्षिणं कुर्यात्सर्वमङ्गलघोषकैः). 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.: ततः प्रभाते विमले
मुहूर्तेऽभिजिति प्रभुः । वसिष्ठः पुष्ययोगेन ब्राह्मणैः परिवा-
रितः । रामं रत्नमये पीठे…उपवेश्य &c.).--The Agni-P.
merely forbids the inauguration to take place at night
time, but makes no further restriction (सांवत्सरो नृपं काले
ससंभारोऽभिषेचनम् । कुर्यादृते रात्रिकालं कालस्य नियमः
स्मृतः).--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 )
(मैत्रशाक्रकरपुष्यरोहिणीवैष्णवेषु तिसृषूत्तरासु
च । रेवतीमृगशिरोऽश्विनीष्वपि क्ष्माभुजां समभिषेक इष्यते).--
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’
[राजाभिषेकः शुभ उत्तरायणे गुर्विन्दुशुक्रैरुदितैर्बला-
न्वितैः । भौमार्कलग्नेशदशेशजन्मपैर्नो चैत्ररिक्तारनिशामलिम्लु-
चैः ॥ ९ ॥ पापैस्तनौ रुग्निधने मृतिः सुते पुत्रार्त्तिरर्थव्ययगैर्द-
रिद्रता । स्यात्खेऽलसो भ्रष्टपदो द्युनाम्बुगैः सर्वं शुभं केन्द्रगतैः
शुभग्रहैः ॥ २ ॥ गुरुर्लग्नकोणे कुजोऽरौ सितः खे स राजा
मोदते राजलक्ष्म्या । तृतीयायगौ सौरिसूर्यौ खबम्ध्वोर्गुरुश्चेद्ध-
रित्री स्थिरा स्यान्नृपस्य ॥ ३ ॥ इति राजाभिषेकप्रकरणम् ॥
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: सैना-
पत्येन वरये त्वामहं मातुलातुलम् । सोऽस्मान्पाहि युधां श्रेष्ठ
स्कन्दो देवानिहाहवे । अभिषिच्यस्व राजेन्द्र देवानामिव पा-
वकिः । जहि शत्रून्रणे वीर महेन्द्रो दानवानिव.--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.: ततोऽभिषेक-
संभारान्सर्वान्संभृत्य शास्त्रतः । वृहस्पतिः समिद्धेऽग्नौ जुहावाग्निं
यथाविधि । ततो हिमवता दत्ते मणिप्रबरशोभिते । दिव्यर-
त्नाचिते पुण्ये निषण्णं परमासने । सर्वमङ्गलसंभारैर्विधिमन्त्रपुर-
स्कृतम् । आभिषेचनिकं द्रव्यं गृहीत्वा देवतागणाः &c. …।
बहुलत्वाच्च नोक्ता ये विविधा देवतागणाः । ते कुमाराभिषे-
कार्थं समाजग्मुस्ततस्ततः । जगृहुस्ते तदा राजन्सर्व एव दिवौ-
कसः । आभिषेचनिकं भाण्डं मङ्गलानि च सर्वशः । दिव्यसंभा-
रसंयुक्तैः कलसैः काञ्चनैर्नृप । सरस्वतीभिः पुण्याभिर्दिव्यतोया-
भिरेव तु । अभ्यषिञ्चन्कुमारं वै संप्रहृष्टा दिवौकसः । सेनापतिं
महात्मानमसुराणां भयंकरम् । पुरा यथा महाराज वरुणं वै
जलेश्वरम् । तथाभ्यषिञ्चद्भगवान्ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः &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
(वरुणं देवताः सर्वाः समेत्येदमथाब्रुवन् । यथास्मा-
न्सुरराट्शक्रो भयेभ्यः पाति सर्वदा । तथा त्वमपि सर्वासां
सरितां वै पतिर्भव ।…अभिषिक्तस्ततो देवैर्वरुणोऽपि
महायशाः । सरितः सागरांश्चैव नदांश्चापि सरांसि च । पाल-
यामास विधिना यथा देवाञ्छतक्रतुः ।). 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: कुत्रचिद्भौमवारोऽप्युक्तः । स सेनापत्य-
भिषेकपरो ज्ञेयः । भौमस्य सेनापतित्वात्).
2. The water or liquid used at the ceremony of inau-
guration
e. g. Kātyāy. Śrautas.: कण्डुयन्याभिषेकेण प्रलि-
म्पते (Śrīdeva: अभिषेकेण = अभिषेकोदकेन)
or Ādip. Ma-
hābh.: कर्णोऽभिषेकार्द्रशिराः शिरसा समवन्दत. 3. The
name of the sacrificial building where the inauguration of
a king takes place
(Mānasāra: सर्वालंकारसंयुक्तमभिषेका-
ख्यमण्डपम् &c.). 4. Bathing, washing
e. g. Sāṅkhya Prav.:
दुःखादुःखं जलाभिषेकवन्न जाड्यविमोक्षः (Vijnānāch.: यथा
जाड्यार्त्तस्य जलाभिषेकाद्दुःखानिवृत्तिरेव भवति न तु जाड्य-
विमोक्ष इत्यर्थः)
esp. for religious purposes, ablution
e. g.
Śatātapa: सुरापः…शर्करायास्तुला सप्त दद्यात्पापविशु-
द्धये । जपित्वा तु महारुद्रं दशांशं जुहुयात्तिलैः । ततोऽभिषेकः
कर्तव्यो मन्त्रैर्वरुणदेवतैः &c.
or Vanap. Mahābh.: प्लक्षा देवी
स्मृता राजन्पुण्या देवी सरस्वती । तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत वल्मी-
कान्निःसृते जले । अर्चयित्वा पितॄन्देवानश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
or
Anuśāsanap. Mahābh.: स्कन्द उवाच । ममाप्यनुमतो धर्मस्तं
शृणुध्वं समाहिताः । नीलषण्डस्य शृङ्गाभ्यां गृहीत्वा मृत्तिकां तु
यः । अभिषेकं त्र्यहं कुर्यात्तस्य धर्मं निबोधत &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 (कुशोदकम्), of Śaṅkha (a perfume, apparently
a dried shell-fish
शङ्खोदकम्), of sandal (चन्दनोदकम्),
of saffron (कुङ्कुमोदकम्), of fruits and flowers (फलोद-
कम् and पुष्पोदकम्), an unguent prepared of the powder
of sandal wood and of emblic myrobalan (चन्दनपिष्टाम-
लक्युद्वर्तनम्)
scented water (सुगन्धिजलम्) 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 (गन्धोदकम्) with which
five ablutions are made
water taken from places of pil-
grimage (तीर्थजलम्), Ganges-water, water proceeding from
an ant-hill, infusion of small annuals (सर्वौषधिजलम्),
Sahasradhārā-water (सहस्रधाराजलम्), 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 (दर्पणप्रतिबिम्बे) 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 (इक्षुरससागरोदके), an
infusion of small and large annuals mixed together (सर्वौ-
षधिमहौषधिजलम्), water containing five kinds of extracts
(पञ्चकषायोदकम्), eight sorts of earth (अष्टमृत्तिकाः? pro-
bably अष्टौ मृ°), infusion of fruits, hot water, Sahasra-
dhārā-water, various kinds of water in eight jars, viz.
atmospheric water in one jar (व्योमगङ्गाम्बुपूर्णाद्यकलसः),
cloud-water in a second (मेघतोयपूर्ण°), water of the Sara-
svatī in a third (सारस्वततोयपूर्ण°), sea-water in a fourth
(सागरोदकपूर्ण°), water mixed with lotus-pollen (पद्मरेणु-
मिश्रितजलपूर्ण°) in a fifth, cascade-water in a sixth (निर्ज्झ-
रोदकपूर्ण°), water from various places of pilgrimage in a
seventh (सर्वतीर्थाम्बुपूर्ण°) and pure water in an eighth jar
शुद्धजलपूर्णाष्टमकलसः). 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 (पञ्च-
शस्यजलम्), 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 (वराहदन्तमृत्तिका), earth from
the door of a brothel (वेश्याद्वारमृत्तिका), from the gate of
a palace (राजद्वारमृत्तिका), 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 (पारावारमृत्तिका),
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
(नागरमृत्तिका), from a cowpen and a trivium
others
name infusions of the five articles of Pañchāmṛta severally,
of the small and the large annuals severally (सवौषधि-
महौषधी पृथक्), 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 (पद्म,
कह्लार, कुमुद), of sugar-cane, lac (अलक्तक), 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. अभिषेक.--At the installation of a domestic idol
(देवप्रतिष्ठा) 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 (पञ्चकषायोदकम्), 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 (तिलकल्क), or of rice
(शालितण्डुल), or of Vilwa (Ægle marmelos.) -leaves, or of
emblic myrobalan (आमलक)
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. सिच्
with अभि, kṛt aff. घञ्. Comp. also अभिषेचनीय.
Benfey
EnglishApte Hindi
Hindiअभिषेकः
- अभि+सिच्+घञ्
"छिड़कना, पानी के छींटे देना"
अभिषेकः
- अभि+सिच्+घञ्
"राज्यतिलक करना, राजा या मूर्ति आदि का जलसिंचन द्वारा प्रतिष्ठापन"
अभिषेकः
- अभि+सिच्+घञ्
"राजाओं का सिंहासनारोहण, प्रतिष्ठापन्न, पदरोहण, राज्यतिलक सम्स्कार"
अभिषेकः
- अभि+सिच्+घञ्
प्रतिष्ठापन के अवसर पर काम आने वाला पवित्र जल
अभिषेकः
- अभि+सिच्+घञ्
"स्नान, आचमन, पवित्र या धर्म स्नान"
अभिषेकः
- अभि+सिच्+घञ्
उस देवता पर जल छिड़कना जिसकी पूजा की जा रही है
Shabdartha Kaustubha
Kannadaअभिषेक
पदविभागः - > पुल्लिङ्गः
कन्नडार्थः - > ಪಟ್ಟಾಭಿಷೇಕ /ಮುಕುಟಾಭಿಷೇಕ
निष्पत्तिः - > अभि + षिच (क्षरणे) - भावे "घञ्" (३-३-१८)
प्रयोगाः - > "अथाभिषेकं रघुवंशकेतोः प्रारब्धमानन्दजलैर्जनन्योः"
उल्लेखाः - > रघु० १४-७
अभिषेक
पदविभागः - > पुल्लिङ्गः
कन्नडार्थः - > ಸ್ನಾನ
प्रयोगाः - > "कृताभिषेकैर्दिव्यानां त्रिसोतसि च सप्तभिः"
उल्लेखाः - > रघु० १०-६३
अभिषेक
पदविभागः - > पुल्लिङ्गः
कन्नडार्थः - > ಶಾಂತಿಗಾಗಿ ಮಾಡುವ ಪ್ರೋಕ್ಷಣೆ
अभिषेक
पदविभागः - > पुल्लिङ्गः
कन्नडार्थः - > ದೇವತಾಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠೆಗಾಗಿ ಮಾಡುವ ವಿಗ್ರಹದ ಅಭಿಷೇಕ
अभिषेक
पदविभागः - > पुल्लिङ्गः
कन्नडार्थः - > ಪ್ರೋಕ್ಷಣೆ /ನೀರು ಚಿಮುಕಿಸುವುದು
अभिषेक
पदविभागः - > पुल्लिङ्गः
कन्नडार्थः - > ಜಲ /ನೀರು
निष्पत्तिः - > अभि + षिच (क्षरणे) - कर० "घञ्" (३-३-१२१)
व्युत्पत्तिः - > अभिषिच्यतेऽनेन
L R Vaidya
EnglishaBizeka {% m. %} 1. Inauguration (of a king or an idol), अथाभिषेकं रघुवंशकेतोः R.xiv.7
2. consecration by sprinkling water
3. water used at an inauguration
4. bathing (in general), कृताभिषेकां हुतजातवेदसम् K.S.v.16, or अत्राभिषेकाय तपोधनानाम् R.xii.51
5. bathing of the divinity to whom worship is offered.
Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid
EnglishIndian Epigraphical Glossary
EnglishSanskrit Tibetan
Tibetanmngon par dbang bskur ba
अभिषेक
Vedic Reference
EnglishAbhi-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.
1) i. 7, 5.
2) xviii. 8 et seq.
3) v. 3, 3 et seq.
4) viii. 5 et seq.
5) Taittirīya Saṃhitā, i. 8, 11
Kāṭh-
aka Saṃhitā, xv. 6
Maitrāyaṇī Saṃ-
hitā, ii. 6
Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, x. 1-4.
6) Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, v. 3, 5, 10-15,
7) Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, xiii. 4, 2, 17.
8) Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, xxx. 12
Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, iii. 4, 8, 1.
शब्दकल्पद्रुमः
Sanskritअभिषेकः, (अभि + सिच् + भावे घञ् ।) स्नानं ।इति त्रिकाण्डशेषः ॥
(“एकदा सोऽभिषेकार्थमाजगाम महानदीं” ।इति विष्णुपुराणे ।“निर्वृत्तपर्य्यन्यजलाभिषेकां ।वासोवसानामभिषेकयोग्यं” ।इति कुमारसम्भवे ।)अथ ँदोलयात्राभिषेकद्रव्याणि लिख्यन्ते । शी-तलजलं १ गोमयं २ गोमूत्रं ३ दुग्धं ४ दधि ५घृतं ६ कुशोदकं ७ शङ्खोदकं ८ चन्दनोदकं ९कुङ्कुमोदकं १० फलोदकं ११ पुष्पोदकं १२ चन्दन-पिष्टामलक्युद्वर्त्तनं १३ सुगन्धिजलं १४ तेनाष्ट-वारस्नानं तत्र द्वितीयसप्तमाष्टमवारेषु दुग्धघृत-मधुयोजनं । गन्धोदकं १५ । तेन पञ्चधा स्नानं ।तीर्थजलं १६ गङ्गोदकं १७ वल्मीकतोयं १८सर्व्वौषधिजलं १९ सहस्रधाराजलं २० घटो-दकं २१ केषाञ्चिन्मते अष्टोत्तरशतघटोदकं ।इति उत्कलखण्डं ॥
* ॥
अथ वृहन्नन्दिकेश्वरपुरा-णोक्तानि ँदुर्गापूजाभिषेकद्रव्याणि लिख्यन्ते ।पिष्टामलकीयुक्तहरिद्रा १ । तया दर्पणप्रतिविम्बेदेवीमुद्वर्त्त्य यथाक्रमं वक्ष्यमाणप्रत्येकद्रव्येण मन्त्रंपठित्वा स्नापयेत् । शुद्धजलं २ शङ्खजलं ३ गङ्गा-जलं ४ गन्धोदकं ५ पञ्चगव्यं प्रत्येकं यथा --गोमूत्रं ६ गोमयं ७ दुग्धं ८ दधि ९ घृतं १०कुशोदकं ११ पञ्चामृतं १२ शिशिरोदकं १३मधु १४ पुष्पोदकं १५ इक्षुरससागरोदके १६सर्व्वौषधिमहौषधिजलं १७ पञ्चकषायोदकं १८अष्टमृत्तिकाः १९ फलोदकं २० उष्णोदकं २१सहस्रधाराजलं २२ अष्टकलसोदकं यथा । व्योम-गङ्गाम्बुपूर्णाद्यकलसः २३ मेघतोयपूर्णद्वितीयक-लसः २४ सारस्वततोयपूर्णतृतीयकलसः २५ सा-गरोदकपूर्णचतुर्थकलसः २६ पद्मरेणुमिश्रितजल-पूर्णपञ्चमकलसः २७ निर्झरोदकपूर्णषष्ठकलसः २८सर्व्वतीर्थाम्बुपूर्णसप्तमकलसः २९ शुद्धजलपूर्णा-ष्टमकलसः ३० ॥
* ॥
नानापद्धतिषु द्रव्याणां व्युत्-क्रमपुनरुक्त्याधिक्यानि सन्ति यत्र यान्युक्तातिरि-क्तद्रव्याणि तानि लिख्यन्ते । यथा । नदी १ नारि-केल २ रत्न ३ वृष्टि ४ कर्पूर ५ चन्दन ६ अगुरु ७स्वर्ण ८ रजत ९ गोरोचना १० कुङ्कुम ११ श्रीफल१२ धान्य १३ दूर्व्वा १४ शर्करा १५ सरोवर १६अस्त्र १७ गङ्गासागर १८ पञ्चशस्य १९ तिल २०ह्रद २१ पुष्करिणी २२ कूप २३ फलमूल २४अर्घ्य २५ घटचतुष्टय २६ -- जलानि । शीतलज-लञ्च २७ ॥
तिलतैलं १ गन्धतैले २ ॥
नदीकूल १वराहदन्त २ वेश्याद्वार ३ राजद्वार ४ वृषशृङ्ग ५वल्मीक ६ चतुष्पथ ७ पारावार ८ देवद्वार ९गङ्गा १० -- मृत्तिकाः ॥
गजदन्त ११ नद १२ उभय-कूल १३ नागर १४ गोष्ठ १५ त्रिपथ १६ --मृत्तिका इति केचित ॥
पञ्चामृतं प्रत्येकं सर्व्वौ-षधिमहौषधी पृथक् ॥
पञ्चकषायाः प्रत्येकं ॥
पञ्चामृतातिरिक्तमधुघृतदुग्धानि ॥
उद्वर्त्तनद्रव्येकेवलहरिद्रा इति केचित् ॥
तैलहरिद्रा इतिकेचित् ॥
गन्धपिष्टपञ्चशस्यचूर्णमिति केचित् ॥
कालीपुराणदेवीपुराणोक्तपद्धतिष्वपि तथा । तासांमध्ये पूर्व्वोक्तातिरिक्तद्रव्याणि लिख्यन्ते । यथा ।प्रबाल १ मरकत २ पद्मराग ३ मुक्ता ४ मा-णिक्य ५ वैदूर्य्य ६ पद्म ७ कह्लार ८ कुमुद ९खण्ड १० अलक्त ११ वापी १२ रक्तचन्दन १३नानातीर्थ १४ हरिद्रा १५ पिष्ट १६ शालि-तण्डुल १७ सिद्धार्थ १८ -- जलानि ॥
पञ्चतीर्थ-मृत् १ ॥
विष्णुतैलं १ ॥
उद्वर्त्तनद्रव्यं तैलहरिद्रा-युक्तामलकी १ ॥
* ॥
अथ वृहन्नन्दिकेश्वरदेवी-कालोपुराणपद्धत्युक्ताष्टकलसस्नानकालीनरागिणीरागवाद्यानि ॥
प रागरागिण्यौ । वाद्यं ।वृं । मालसी १ मङ्गलोत्सवः १दें । वाराडी १ इन्द्रविजयः १कां । मालवः १ विजयः १वृं । देवकीरी २ भुवनविजयः २दें । मालवगौडः २ मङ्गलविजयः २कां । ललिता २ दुन्दुभिः २वृं । वाराडी ३ विजयः ३दें । मालवः ३ देवोत्सवः ३कां । विभाषा ३ दुन्दुभिः ३वृं । देशालः ४ राजाभिषेकः ४दें । देशालः ४ घनतालः ४कां । भैरवी ४ वंशी ४वृं । धानुषी ५ मधुरी ५दें । मालवी ५ मधुकरः ५कां । कोडा ५ इन्द्राभिषेकः ५वृं । भैरवी ६ करतालः ६दें । भैरवी ६ ढक्का ६कां । वाराडी ६ शङ्खः ६वृं । गुज्जरी ७ वंशी ७दें । वसन्तः ७ शङ्खः ७कां । वसन्तः ७ पञ्चशब्दः ७वृं । वसन्तः ८ पञ्चशब्दः ८दें । कोडा ८ मृदङ्गः ८कां । धानुषी ८ विजयः ८अथ देवप्रतिष्ठाभिषेकद्रव्याणि । नदी १ नद २सागर ३ निर्झर ४ -मेघजलानि ५ पञ्चामृतं ६कुशोदकसहितपञ्चगव्यं ७ अश्वखुर ८ गजदन्त ९पर्ब्बत १० कुश ११ वल्मीकमृत्तिकाः १२ तिलतैलं१३ घृतं १४ पञ्चकषायोदकं १५ आम्र १६ चम्पक१७ शमी १८ पद्म १९ -- करवीरपुष्पाणि २०तुलसी २१ कुन्द २२ -- श्रीफलपत्राणि २३ तिल-कल्कशालितण्डुलविल्वपत्रामलकचूर्णान्यतममार्ज-नद्रव्यं २४ उष्णोदकं २५ तीर्थोदकं २६ अष्टो-त्तरशतकुम्भाः तदर्द्धंवा विंशतिर्व्वा एको वा २७ ।बैदिकाष्टोत्तरशतपलेन लौकिकषष्ट्यधिकशत-त्रयतोलकमितेन जलेन पृथक् पृथक् घटेन द्रव्य-मालोड्य कार्य्यं ॥
अशक्तौ तु । वल्मीकमृत्तिका ।गोमयं । शुष्कगोमयं । भस्मयुक्तपरिमितजलं ।गन्धयुक्तजलञ्च । इति देवप्रतिष्ठातत्त्वं ॥
* ॥
अथराजाभिषेकद्रव्याणि । मृगचर्म्मास्तीर्णालङ्कृत-स्वर्णभद्रासनं १ गङ्गायमुनासङ्गमजलं २ यावत्-पुण्यनदीजलं ३ पूर्व्वमुखनदीजलं ४ पश्चान्मुखनदी-जलं ५ तिर्य्यङ्नदीजलं ६ सर्व्वसमुद्रजलं ७ क्षी-रिवृक्षप्रबालयुक्तपठ्मोत्पलविमिश्रितालङ्कृतकाञ्चन-पूर्णकुम्भाः ८ रुचकः ९ रोचना १० घृतं ११मधु १२ दुग्धं १३ दधि १४ पुण्यतीर्थमृत्तिका १५पुण्यतीर्थजलं १६ मङ्गलद्रव्यं १७ मणिदण्डश्वेत-चामरव्यजनं १८ माल्यभूषितश्वेतच्छत्रं १९ श्वेत-वृषः २० श्वेताश्वः २१ महागजवरेः २२ वराभ-रणभूषिताष्टकन्याः २३ सर्व्ववादित्राणि २४ अ-लङ्कृतवन्दी २५ । इति वाल्मीकरामायणे अयो-ध्याकाण्डं ॥
* ॥
अथ राजाभिषेकविधिः । पुरो-हितो राज्ञः प्रजापालनाधिकारसिद्ध्यर्थं परदिने-ऽभिषेके कर्त्तव्ये पूर्व्वदिने गणेशमातृकापूजन-पुण्याहवाचननान्दीप्रभृति पूर्व्वाङ्गं कुर्य्यात् । राजाराज्ञी च नियमं कृत्वा उपवासं कुर्य्यात् । पर-दिने अमात्यसामन्तसहितः पुरोहितः कृतमङ्गल-स्नानौ राज्ञीराजानौ मणिकाञ्चनपृथिवीपुष्पाणिस्पर्शयित्वा नानारत्नचन्द्रातपोपशोभितमण्डप-मध्ये व्याघ्रचर्म्माच्छादितासने उपवेशयेत् । ततःपूर्व्वोत्तरनीचां वेदीं कृत्वा तत्र स्वगृह्योक्तविधि-नाग्निं संस्थाप्य घृताक्ताः पलाशाश्वत्थशमीसमिधोवैदिकैर्म्मन्त्रैर्जुहुयात् । तत औडुम्बरस्रुवेण वैदि-कमन्त्रैर्घृताहुतीर्जुहुयात् । ततः सर्व्वतोभद्रम-ण्डपे स्थापितस्वर्णरजतताम्रमृण्मयकलसस्थसर्व्वौ-षधिपल्लवैलालवङ्गादि-सुगन्धिद्रव्यसंवासितपुण्य-नदीतोयं सुवर्णविभूषितशङ्खेन ऋत्विग्भिः सहगृहीत्वा तूर्य्यघोषैर्मङ्गलपाठैः राजसूयवाजपेय-महाभिषेकोक्तसूक्तमन्त्रैः सस्त्रीकं राजानं प्राङ्-मुखं मूर्द्ध्नि कन्याभिः सहाभिषिञ्चेत् । ततोऽमा-त्यादयः सर्व्वे अभिषिञ्चेयुः । ततः पुरोहित-मन्त्रिसामन्तप्रकृतिपुरुषा अलङ्कृताभिः कन्याभिःसह सुवासोगन्धमाल्याद्यलङ्कृतराज्ञीराज्ञोर्ललाटेकुङ्कुमागुरुकस्तूर्य्यादिद्रव्यैस्तिलकं दद्युः । ततोराज्ञो मूर्द्ध्नि किरीटं दत्त्वा छत्रचामरादिराज-चिह्नद्रव्याणि समुपकल्पेयुः । ततो दुन्दुभिस्वस्ति-पुण्याहचतुर्व्वेदधोषैः स्वकुलक्रमागतनाम्ना अमुकत्वं राजा भव इत्युक्त्वा राजोपरि श्वेतकुसुम-लाजाक्षतादि विकिरेयुः । ततो वन्दिनो माग-धाश्च स्तुतिं कुर्य्युः । ततो ब्राह्मणा आशिषंकुर्य्युः । ततः अमात्यादयः राज्ञे उपायनानि दत्त्वानमस्कुर्य्युः । इति महाभारतादयः ॥
* ॥
वाचस्पत्यम्
Sanskritअभिषेक अभि + सिच--घञ् । १ विधिना शान्त्यर्थं, सेचने, २ अधिकारप्राप्त्यर्थं स्नाने, यथा “अथाभिषेकं रघुवंशकेतोः”रघुः । मन्त्रादिना शिरसि जलप्रक्षेपमात्रेण ३ मार्जने ।४ स्नानमात्रे च । “कृताभिषेकां हुतजातवेदसम्” कुमा० ।“निष्यन्दिनीरनिकरेण कृताभिषेकाः” माघः “तत्राभिषेकंकुर्वाणो गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्” । “तत्राभिषेकं कुर्व्वीत पितृ-देवार्चने” रतः “तत्राभिषेकं कुर्व्वीत नागतीर्थे नराधिप ।भा० व० प० । ५ कर्म्मान्ते शान्त्यर्थं स्नाने च । “सुरास्त्वाम-भिषिञ्चन्तु इत्यादिमन्त्रैर्स्नाने तच्च मत्कृततुलादानादिप-ड्वतौ २०६ पृष्ठे दृश्यम् । ६ प्रतिष्ठादौ देवादेः स्नपने च ।करणे घञ् । ७ जले ।
Burnouf
FrenchNo entries for this word is found.
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