Political Concepts in Ancient India /128

108
 
Politicalthe prevention of fire and for civic measures
against such disasters as famine, flood and
plague. One such governor was Concepts in Ancient India
 
the prevention of fire and for civic measures
against such disasters as famineakrapalita, flood and
plague. One such governor was Cakrapalita,

during the reign of Skanda Gupta in C. 455 A.D.³
Basham, The Wonder that was India, p. 104.
Cf. Junagarh Rock Inscription of Skandagupta,

line 27.
 

(2) Same as Naāgaraka or Naāgarika.
 

 
PUSTA --A Record book or account book. Cf. AS
Ś
II. 7.
 
-
 

 
PUROHITA --(1) The Royal Chaplain.
 

(2) In Vedic age the Purohita was one of the

eleven Ratnins (Vide, SŚatapatha-Brāhmaṇa, V.

3.1).
 

(3) Yaājnñavalkya Smrṛti (I. 312) suggests that

the King should consult privately with the

Purohita before coming to a final decision on
important matters.
 

important matters. Cf. "taiḥ sārdhaṁ cintayed rājyaṁ vipreṇātha tatah svayam"
(Yājñavalkya, I. 312), where Vipreṇa-brāhmaṇena=purohitena,
according to the Miṭākṣarā Com. The qualities of a Purohita
are given in the following two verses of the Yājñavalkya Samṛti.
(4) According to AÁpastamba Dharma Sūtra (II.5.

10. 13-14) the Purohita was expected to be well

versed in both sacred law and politics. He was

to judge cases where some Prāyaścitta was in-

volved as the punishment or where some brah-
min stood as the accused.
 

min stood as the accused.
(5) Kautṭilya maintains a difference between

Mantrī and Purohita as indicated by the title

of the Chapter AŚ I. 9 (i.e., Mantri-purohitot-

patti). According to Kautṭilya, the Purohita

should be learned in Vedas and Vedanāṅgas, astro-
2. Basham, The Wonder that was India, p. 104.
 
3. Cf. "taiḥ sārdhaṁ cintayed rājyaṁ vipreṇātha tatah svayam"
(Yajnavalkya, I. 312), where Viprena-brāhmaṇena=purohitena,
according to the Miṭākṣarā Com. The qualities of a Purohita
are given in the following two verses of the Yajnavalkya Samrti.
 
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