Bajendralala Mitra — An Imperial Assemblage 



[No. 3, 



378 



tendent-generals, and to see that nothing went amiss. To Kripa, " another 

 saintly personage", fell the duty of distributing presents of gold and 

 jewels. Bahlika, Dhritarashtra, Somadatta, and Jayadratha, were reques- 

 ted to act as masters of the ceremony ; Duryodhana was requested to see to 

 the due receipt of the presents and tributes brought by the assembled 

 guests ; and Krishna undertook to wash the feet of the Brahmans. 



Passing over some fulsome panegyric on the profusion of wealth 

 brought by the tributaries, and the lavish way in which it was distributed 

 among Brahmans and others, we come to the last day of the ceremony, 

 when Yudhishthira sat amidst the assembled guests in imperial magni- 

 ficence ready to receive the homage of all as the sovereign lord of India. 

 The enthusiasm all round was overflowing, and the praises of the great 

 chief resounded on every side. The priests had offered their last obla- 

 tions on the sacred fire, and all eyes were turned towards " the observed of 

 all observers", " the cynosure of every eye", to behold the crowning act of this 

 majestic ceremony, the acknowledgement of allegiance to the noble chieftain. 

 Bhishma, at this moment, rose from his seat, and, advancing to the foot of 

 the throne, addressed the chief, saying, " It is your duty, O chief, first to 

 show your respect to the assembled guests. Six are the persons, who 

 receive, on such occasions, that mark of respect, the arghya ; and these are 

 the tutor, the chief priest, the brother-in-law, the sprinkler of the holy 

 water, the king, and the dearest friend. They have all assembled here, and 

 abided with us for a year ; let an arghya be prepared for each of them, and 

 it is for you to select whom you would honour most."* 



The offering proposed was not a part of the religious ceremony, but a 

 mark of social distinction, and it consisted of flowers, sandal paste, a few 

 grains of rice, and a few blades of Durva grass sprinkled with water. From 

 what time this offering has been current in this country, it is impossible 

 now accurately to determine ; but there is no doubt that it has been known 

 from a very early period, for it is named in old ritualistic works as an 

 offering meet for gods. Ordinarily this is preceded by another offering 

 called Pddya, or water for washing the feet. To a guest coming from a 

 distance nothing is more refreshing in a hot climate, like that of India, 

 than a wash, and essences and flowers immediately after it, cannot but be 

 grateful. And what were at first necessities soon assumed the character of 

 formal ceremonial acts, and to this day the offerings are regularly made in 

 the orthodox form to bridegrooms and priests. In a modified form the 

 arghya appears under the name of mdlya-ehandana or " flower garlands and 

 sandal paste", which are offered to all guests on quasi-religious ceremonial 

 occasions, such as marriages, sraddhas, &c, social distinction being indicated 

 by the order in which the offering is made, the noblest guest getting it 

 * Mahabharata, Book IT, chapter 35. 



