Purohita

Purohita · puras-hita, “the one placed in front”

Grammar: masculine noun; puras (in front) and hita (placed): “the one placed in front”.

Meaning: the priest who performs the rites for a household or a kingdom; above all the king’s own priest, who performs his homas, śānti rites and abhisheka.

In the scriptures:

  • The royal purohita. In the rāja-nīti which Śrī Rāma told Lakshmaṇa, the purohita is well-versed in the three Vedas and skilled in the use of daṇḍa-nīti (the science of rule). He performs for the king the śānti-karma (rites that pacify troubles) and the pushṭi-karma (rites for increase) by the method taught in the Atharva Veda (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 239).
  • The rājyābhisheka. In the rāja-dharma that Pushkara told Paraśurāma, the king chooses a brāhmaṇa learned in jyotisha, who tells the fruit of the year, and a purohita. Through the jyotishī and the purohita the king bathes with tila, white mustard and the other materials. Before the abhisheka (the royal consecration) he has the purohita perform a śānti for Indra and the other devatās. At the abhisheka the purohitas go up to a golden kalaśa with many holes, perform the protection of the fire (agni-rakshā) among the members of the assembly as the śāstra lays down, and bathe the king with the abhisheka mantras while the brāhmaṇas recite the Veda. Then the purohita goes to the vedi and begins the abhisheka with a golden kalaśa of a hundred holes, with the oshadhis, gandhas, flowers, seeds, gems and kuśa-water, each with its own mantra. When the king has worshipped Vishṇu, Brahmā, Indra, the other devatās and the grahas, the purohita offers him madhuparka and the other honours and places the kirīṭa (crown) on his head. After the abhisheka the king gives cows, goats, sheep and houses as dāna and honours the jyotishī and the purohitas (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 218).
  • The war march. In the rite of the war march, on the second of the seven days before the march, when the king prays to Bhagavān Śiva to show him in a dream what the battle will bring, the purohita recites the mantra printed “yajjāgrato dūram udaiti”. On the day of the march the king sees the fire in which the purohita has made homa, offers homa himself, honours the brāhmaṇas, and, holding bow and arrows and mounted on an elephant, goes to battle (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 236).
  • In the household rite. In the rite of the pūjā of Kapilā and the rest, the sādhaka keeping the vrata and the purohita offer bali to the Vāstu devatā, and then eat from a golden vessel or on lotus leaves (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 77).
  • A gift to the purohita. In the teaching on dāna, the fruit of a gift grows with the worth of the one who receives it: a gift to a purohita, a yājaka (officiating priest) and the like gives akshaya (imperishable) fruit (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 209).

Related terms: Yājaka · Jyotishī · Abhisheka · Śānti · Pushṭi · Daṇḍa-nīti

Sources

  • Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 77, 209, 218, 236, 239