365bet娱乐

Hinduism, like most other religions, prescribes for its adherents excursions to holy and sacred places at least, once in a life-time. From quite early times such a practice appears to be in vogue obviously, to cultivate a sense of 'catharsis' in the mind of the world-weary people. Spiritual self- attainment being the goal of all religions, such prescriptions, aptly fulfil the required norms, as set down in sacred texts. The epics and the puranas are strewn with copious references to such sojourn to holy places, may it be a river stream or a slab of stone on a mount. Puranic texts

246 like Vayu (77.1.17) Kurma (2.37.49-50) Sankha (8.14) etc. go to the extent of declaring that "sacred are all the streams of water and so are the hills and mounts, a conglomerate of stones, all rivers are said to be sanctified and specially so the Jahnavi, through out her course", Preparations for pilgrimage : Keeping in line with such a profound tradition, Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika also prescribes pilgrimage for the king. Such an act, Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika continues, should be undertaken by the king, as it washes away all sins (sarva-papapra samana) and brings about fulfilment of one's desires (sarvabhIstaphalaprada). A king, who has planned out such a journey is required to follow a special code of conduct which runs as follows: In the early morning of the day previous to his day chores of actual starting, he should, after his daily (nitvakarma), worship Ksetrapala and vighnesa (lord of obstacles) which is to be preceded by Svasti and Punyahavacana in the company of a priest. Next, he entertains the brahmins at a feast and then partakes of his food which is free from alkali and salt (aksaralavanam ). After taking the prescribed diet or one according to his own taste, he r retires for the night (125.3-6). Leaving bed in early morning on the next day, he is required to pray to his tutelary deity. The real journey

247 should precede honouring of the brahmins and purandhris (women folk) and seeking their benediction (7). Resolve of austerity Such paraphernalia over, the king now broods over the journey and takes a vow to observe silence, to practise celibacy, to eschew articles of enjoyments like betel, oil, perfume and even slippers and to shun journey by conveyances of all description. He also resolves to take food for once a day during the period of peregrination. Besides such pledges of austerity on the physical level, Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika prescribes the intending pilgrim to be equally pure in mind. This we observe, is exemplified in the determination of the king to develop an anxiety for listening to good things (satkatha) only (8-10). Gift and donations : Such a resolve of the king is aptly followed by an elaborate ceremony of gift in which the brahmins are given articles, like rice, cooked in milk, gold, silver, precious jewels, clothes, perfumes, fruits, flowers, seats, carriages, umbrellas, fans and foot-wears besides, a variety of food and drink, followed by suitable donations, comprising of the things that are craved after in the world (11-15).

248 Invocation for his protection: After donating such delectable articles, the king 43 proceeds on his pilgrimage with his wife, when good omens surface and in an atmosphere that is charged with chants of the sakuna sukta (Rg-Veda 2.42-43) by the priests. Then he is also advised to recite a group of six verses himself (16). 8 44 These six verses are invocatory in nature wherein, the king prays to different forces of nature and gods to protect and purify him during the course of his pilgrimage. In order of preference, first to be prayed are the earth, water, light, air and ether to be followed by Brahma, Visnu, Mahesa, the dikpalas, the diggajas (elephants of quarters), the adityas,, Vasus, Rudras, Maruts and the matrs. 43. 44. The wife must accompany a pilgrim. Cp. 'bharvam vina hi yodharmah sa eva viphalobhavet' (Padma. (Bhumi)59.33. and 'nana narim nisphala tirthayatra' of unknown authorship. Some other works record references to show a different stand. For details see Kane vol.IV. p.563. The author mentions the number of the verses to be six but it is found that the printed text of Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika contains only five and the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute copy (B.6707), still one less.

249 Let the earth, water, light, air and ether (akasa) protect and purify me - one, who has started out on a pilgrimage'. 'Let Brahma, Visnu, Mahesa, the dikpalas and elephants of quarters (diggajas), protect and purify me - one, who has started out on a pilgrimage'. 'Let the Adityas, Yasus, Rudras, Maruts and the matrs, protect and purify me one, who has started out on a pilgrimage'. 'Let the rivers, seas, mountains, trees, serpents, the animals (mrgas) and the birds, protect and purify me who has started out on a pilgrimage'. - one, 'Let all the living-beings, the inanimate world and those capable of movements (cara) in the three worlds, protect and purify me one, who has started on a pilgrimage' (126. 3-7). Having thus addressed his prayers for his protection and purification, which he keeps on muttering, till he reaches the outskirts of town ship, he stirs out on hish holy journey being accompanied by a number of followers who are required to 'part company on reaching the end-limits of the city (8).

Journey on foot 250 45 Now, he proceeds alone, pure at heart, so as to cover daily a distance of one yojana or half. Throughout the course, intermittantly, he is urged upon to gratify the head-brahmins (vipramukhyas) with gifts of food and drinks en route (9). Duties on arrival at a tirtha: (First day) On arriving at a sacred tirtha (a river or a sanctified place), he should first of all, take a purificatory bath and say his prayers in honour of the concerned presiding deity. Now, he is advised to have a tonsure of his crown and beards, observe fast for the day and spend the night while listening to the glorification of the place (Ksetramahatmya) (10-12). (Second day) observances The next day, after the diurnal (ahniki-kriya) he offers oblations inhonour of the manes (pitrs) of his family for which special sacrifices called (1 sti) are caused to be performed by him. Then, he may have a diet in the company of his friends and a few elites (13-14). 45. One Yojana is said to tantamount to four krosas or about nine miles (Monier-Williams P.858).

251 (Third day) : The following day is spent by such a pilgrim in giving away a number of gifts of articles like land, sesame seeds and gold according to one's mite and sumptuously feeding the destitute and the poor. In the evening is performed a great bath-ritual (mahabhiseka) of either the presiding deity of that place or lord Siva or Visnu (15-16). Advised a hasty return with a pure mind : Thus, after having completed a stay spreading for a period of three days in a holy place, he is advised to hastily return home. One should not stay for long in such places for argues Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika that the nature of human mind (citta) being rash and wavering (cancala), it may not be possible to keep it under control for long and once gone out of control, it may commit some sin. And secondly, an atom I of sin commited at sacred places is said to multiply 46 to a mount. Thus, on completion of the required period of stay, he is advised to return home as soon as possible (17-18). The distance covered at the time of return journey is also to be done with a pilgrim-like-attitude; there should be no deviation from the path of austerity (19). 46. Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika - Punyaksetre krtan papamanu vapyacalavate /(186.18) Cp. a verse of unknown authorship : Sarvakse trekrtan papan dharmksetre vinasyati / dharmak setre krtam papan vairalepo bhavisyati //

252 On returning home: At propitious hours, he should reach the limits of his village and pay due respect to the village-deity (gramadevata). His arrival at the palace commences with his due obeisance offered to the tutelary deity and ksetrapala. A grand feast is hosted in honour of the brahmins and when they are satisfied only, the king is allowed to partake of his food (20). Thus are concluded the guidlines and instructions to a king on under taking excursion to a holy place. Eulogy : sacrifice. In patala (127) the author appears to be occupied in enumerating a number of merits that are accrued from undertaking such pilgrimages. A king who undertakes such a pilgrimage and abides by the instructions as appended above, gets the merits arising from the performance of an asvamedha Merits embedded in performance of vratas like Candravana Prajapatya, observance of fast for a month etc. with are poorly rated when compared to such undertakings. are equated with it a host of other meritorious acts like circumambulating a land, spread upto fifty crore- yojanas for three times as per rules, worshipping of Hari for Kalpa, a Also

253 making of gifts at Kuruksetra to suitable brahmins for times without number and donating cows with gilded horns, etc. during eclipse. Added to these merits, such an accomplished person is said to ascend to the heaven and is settled in the kingdom of Visnu permanently (127.3-13). Observation As already observed, Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika makes pilgrimmage to a holy place (tirtha) an obligatory act for aking because of the belief in its power of washing away host of sins and in fulfilling all forms of desire (125.2). Attaching holiness 47 to water is found to be enshrined in the Vedic texts. The places of such holy-waters are also considered to be 48 sacred and the Puranas glorify such sacred places. A visit to a sacred place had become so much important by the time of Mahabharata that merits obtaining from such an act is even 49 placed above sacrifices. While eulogising a visit to a 47. Cf. (Rg-Veda 7.49.1-4) the refrain of which invokes water to purify the devotees. See also Mai.san 4.1.9, Kathaka. 29.6; Aitareya Brahmana 8.20, Satapatha-Brahmana (Madhyandina) 1.9.3.7 etc. which attribute ambrosial properties to water. 48. See for a detailed treatment of this idea Kane , Vol. IV, pp. 560 ff. 49. tirthabhigamanam punyam vainairapi visisyate (Vana, 82.17).

254 i sacred place by a pilgrim, a lot of puritanical behaviour is also expected from him. 50 Such an emphasis, we find, also is reflected in Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika in which the intending pilgrim, namely, the king is made to take the vow of silence (mauna), celibacy (brahmacarya) and strict control of Even the details of account of Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika as we find in the above context, also closely resemble to the abstract of duties of a pilgrim as given in other texts. (Cf. Kane, Vol. IV. pp. 583-84). sense-organs (samyama) etc. (125.9-11). Curiously However, in the above account of Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika, intly, we do not find the name of any tirtha to which the king undertakes his pilgrimage. Thus, the treatment appears to be of a general nature only. austerity Our author appears to sound bold in prescribing pilgrimage for a king with all its concommitant (both in mind and body) which is expected of an ordinary pilgrim. Thus, here for the first time we observe a king shedding the cloak of power and pelf and taking a humble 50. Cf. Mahabharata 82.9-12,Tirthaprakasa of Viramitrodaya, Varanasi, 1917, p.13 and also Visnudharma sutra's definition of dharma (2.16-17) which alongwith tolerance, truthfulness etc. includes a visit to a sacred place also.

255 garb while traversing the dusty path to unknown lands. And lastly, in asking the king to hurry up to leave duties the tirtha (holy place) after duly finishing his tudies (126.17) for fear of violating the norms of a pilgrim and committing some sins, the author shows great insight into human nature with its strength and weaknesses. Judging from the conditions in which a king normally lives, it may not be difficult for us to imagine the veracity of such statements. Moreover, while devoting a chapter on merits of such a undertaking, he seems to have taken a stand which leans more in favour of the Vaisnava faith. This is proved by statements which describe such a pilgrim to ascend to the kingdom of Visnu (Vaisnavaloka) as a result of the accumulated merits obtained through such excursions (127.13).