Rajasuya

E106387

Rajasuya is an ancient Vedic royal consecration ritual performed to legitimize and exalt a king’s sovereignty and supreme status.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Rajasuya canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Vedic ritual
royal consecration ritual
associatedConcept dharma of the king
royal sovereignty
universal kingship
associatedWithText Atharvaveda
surface form: Atharva Veda

Brahmana texts
Mahabharata
Rigveda
Samaveda
surface form: Sama Veda

Shatapatha Brahmana
Taittiriya Brahmana
Yajurveda
classification shrauta ritual
cosmologicalFunction linking king with cosmic order (rita)
culturalContext ancient India
includesRite abhisheka (anointing)
chariot drive or royal procession
dakshina (gifts to priests)
soma sacrifice
symbolic royal games or contests
languageOfRitualTexts Vedic Sanskrit
legitimizes political authority of the king
mentionedIn Sabha Parva
surface form: Mahabharata Sabha Parva
notablePerformer Yudhishthira
ancient Kuru kings
performedBy Brahmin priests
Vedic priests
performedFor king
performedOnOccasion accession to the throne
assertion of imperial status
purpose establishment of supreme royal status
exaltation of king’s sovereignty
legitimization of kingship
royal consecration
region Indo-Gangetic Plain
surface form: Indo-Gangetic plain
relatedRitual Ashvamedha
Vajapeya
religion Hinduism
religiousTradition Vedic Hinduism
surface form: Vedic religion
requires substantial material resources
support of subordinate chiefs
ritualStructure complex multi-day ceremony
status major royal Vedic sacrifice
symbolizes divine sanction of kingship
integration of the realm under one king
king’s supremacy over other rulers
timePeriod Vedic period

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Yajurveda usedIn Rajasuya