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[Full title: Royal routine (3) Engagements at noon]

Listening to reports of spies:鈥�The king is now required to spend one ghatika with the royal officers while discussing various matters of state. He listens to reports of spies regarding his subjects city-dwellers and villagers (paurajanapada).

450 This is followed by reports on day-to-day work, sent by vassal kings from all directions which are read aloud before him by the royal scribe. We are informed that such reports used to abound in informations about happenings in their respective states. And, through such reports could the king keep himself abreast of the goings on in different part of the state (77.4-7). Acquaintance with latest position of treasury etc. : Thereafter, are summoned before him officers, responsible for daily affairs like the treasurer (bhaurika) the mint-master (naiskika), the superintendent of granaries (dhanvakosthadhyaksa) etc. who keep him informed about the income and expenditure for the day (8). Inspection of elephants, horses etc. Now are brought before him elephants, decorated with kutha (variegated cloth) and horses with saddle, alongwith their riders. The king makes a review of these and when satisfied, asks them to return with instructions to the concerned superintendents, to attend to the needs of the suffering, the under-nourished and the weak.

451 The next job he performs concerns with his personally attending the chariot-warriors and other fighters of fame. We learn that at such occasions, the king saw to it that under his direct supervision, the pay and allowances of those, were disbursed. And such personal care and attention of the king, could win for him unstinted loyalty of those heroes who fought for him even at the cost of their life. All this routine as described above, was meant to be completed well within noon (9-12). Company of the eassal kings, approache to khurali etc : The royal engagement which follows hereafter consists of giving audience to the vassal kings and other allies who are present in the Assembly on that day. Some time Spending at an bou (ghatika) with them, the king now enters the place of military exercise (khuralI). Such a hall is described to be quite massive, broad and imposing. It is fitted with windows on all sides, In one of its corners is spread out red-ochre soil (raktamrd) in a heap, some other looks profound with intwining pillars (aslesastambha), still some other, boasts of a large hog, filled with small pebbles and yet another, has stock of straw piled up in the shape of a small hill (13-16).

452 Arrival, Worship etc. On his arrival there, the first thing he does is 23 to invoke the Vetala with offering of flowers, perfume etc. (17). Prepares for practice of military exercises : Now, he wears a red girdle on his waist, ties sometime a woven-net (kulava) to his head and smears his body with red-ochre and ash and while holding a battle-sword (sadhanakhadga) in his right hand and a shield (khetaka) in the left, practises sword-fight for some time with other warriors by moving the sword from left to right, right to left and in a zig-zag manner. This is followed by his fighting with wrestlers in physical bouts and in blow to blow fights. Then he switches over to practise with the princes in sword and mace fights, often exhibiting extraordinary feats (18-22). The Second bath : Such practices over, the king departs for the royal bath where he is once again bathed, this time, by the wrestlers. And now he is conducted back to his palace 23. One of the attendants of lord Siva whose presence in war is attested by Bhagavata (10.63.10).

453 which while wearing two pieces of white garments only. He is enjoined to perform the mid-day rites (madhyahniki kriva) mainly constitute his worshipping of the tutelary deity and goddess Samrajya-lakshmi to the tune of blowing of conches and beating of drums etc. (23-25). Royal delicacies of dainty food stuff After undergoing the rigours of practices at the gymnasium (khuralI) and having accomplished his mid-day rituals of worship, the king is stated to prepare for lunch when it is past mid-day hour, being duly sounded by a lady attendent, while courteously folding her palms near her face (78.3). The dinning-hall and king's companions : On entering the dinning hall (mahanasa) which is boasting of a variety of gold plates and banana leaves, the king takes his gem-bedecked seat and then by gesture of his eyes, commands the ladies of the harem to Accupy select seats, in rows, together with the sons, grandsons, sons-in-law etc. whose seats are also decorated with precious jewels (4-7). In the meantime, we are informed that the king is variously served by the maids. One, standing near

454 him slowly fans from the flanks, another waits upon him while holding a water-jar (galanti) and the third attends to him from behind with a beautiful cloth-fan (patapalika) (7-10). Menu and mode of catering etc : Now, when the royal members are thus comfortably seated, a number of ladies serve delicacies from golden pots. The royal menu mainly consists of cooked sali-rice, a variety of sauces (supa), number of vegetable preparations (saka), manifold high and low (uccavaca) food-stuff like the ones, that are masticated (khadhya), others, that are chewed (casya) and still others, that are licked (lehya). These apart, a number of drinks, together with a good many varieties of fruits, constitute the main components of the lunch (11-14). All these are separately served (prthakparivesita) by the female caterers with ingenious remarks (caturokti), made intermittantly that make the occasion more lively. After food is eaten, it is customary to cleanse the mouth with perfumed water, served by the lady with water-jar, and then, wash the hands and feet and be fumigated with aromatic vapour (15-16).

455 Peculiar customs : Some peculiar customs of the day are found to be reflected in king's touching his belly while remembering sage Agasti and making a leisured (avyagra) walk about a hundred steps, soon after his food, which are believed to result in good digestion (Irnartha) (17). Listens to recitation of epic Ramayana : Another, religious obligation that awaits the king after the lunch is his listening the to the recitation of some chapters of epic Ramayana. We learn that this practice was adhered to with unfailing certainty by our king, the results of which are magically supposed to sever all sins. This session concluded with king's eating of one leaf of tulasi (Holy Basil) that is earlier offered to Visnu (18-19). The Chewing of betel : Now, the king was free to relax while partaking the pleasures of chewing a betel. The custom in this connection First, he was given camphored pieces is also worth noting. First, he was given of areca-nuts and then a betel-leaf, torn by points of finger-nails, spread with lime and folded, which was meant to be chewed. It is also gathered that the lady who prepared

456 the betel had to cover her little finger with a ribbon of cloth- possibly, for cleaning the leaf and then l spreading the Time on it (20-23). However, it may be noted that the ingredients of a betel were served separately and not together with the betel as is the custom today and also significantly enough we miss here other ingredients of betal like Khadiracurna (resin powder of Acacia (Catechu), cloves, cardamum etc. A brief nap: Being served by a number of servants like the massager now, he retires for a brief siesta while stretching himself for some time on bed and is coaxed to rest, though not fully asleep. Thus the king is stated to enjoy his brief leisure (24-29). Evening visits to the city : On resuming his duty after the siesta it was his duty to go round the Capital City, in full regalia, while moving through small and high roads, the market etc., followed by a small retinue. The author informs us that while the king made such routine visits to the city, beautiful ladies of the capital invariably stole a sight of the king through the doors and windows of high mansions (29-33) (cf. Buddhacarita 3.19).