Rites of the God-King

Śānti and Ritual Change in Early Hinduism

Marko Geslani

Oxford Ritual Studies

Engages contemporary ritual theory and South Asian anthropology from the perspective of medieval texts
Comprises a formal history of a single ritual tradition over a long period
Offers a critical perspective on Hinduism through non-sectarian ritual history

Rites of the God-King

Śānti and Ritual Change in Early Hinduism

Marko Geslani

Description

Scholars of Vedic religion have long recognized the centrality of ritual categories to Indian thought. There have been few successful attempts, however, to bring the same systematic rigor of Vedic Scholarship to bear on later "Hindu" ritual. Excavating the deep history of a prominent ritual category in "classical" Hindu texts, Geslani traces the emergence of a class of rituals known as Śānti, or appeasement. This ritual, intended to counteract ominous omens, developed from the intersection of the fourth Vedathe oft-neglected Atharvavedaand the emergent tradition of astral science (Jyotiśāstra) sometime in the early first millennium, CE. Its development would come to have far-reaching consequences on the ideal ritual life of the king in early-medieval Brahmanical society. The mantric transformations involved in the history of śānti led to the emergence of a politicized ritual culture that could encompass both traditional Vedic and newer Hindu performers and practices.

From astrological appeasement to gift-giving, coronation, and image worship, Rites of the God-King chronicles the multiple lives and afterlives of a single ritual mode, unveiling the always-inventive work of the priesthood to imagine and enrich royal power. Along the way, Geslani reveals the surprising role of astrologers in Hindu history, elaborates conceptions of sin and misfortune, and forges new connections between medieval texts and modern practices. In a work that details ritual forms that were dispersed widely across Asia, he concludes with a reflection on the nature of orthopraxy, ritual change, and the problem of presence in the Hindu tradition.

Rites of the God-King

Śānti and Ritual Change in Early Hinduism

Marko Geslani

Oxford Ritual Studies

Preface
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction
1. The Inception of a Ritual Category
2. The Ritual Culture of Appeasement
3. Varahamihira's Astrological Ritualism
4. Kingship in a Portentous Age
5. Signs in the Gods, Gods in the Pots
6. Ritual Change and the Problem of Presence
Conclusion
Appendices
Glossary
Bibliography

Rites of the God-King

Śānti and Ritual Change in Early Hinduism

Marko Geslani

Oxford Ritual Studies

Author Information

Marko Geslani, Assistant Professor of Sanskrit and Premodern South Asian Religions, Emory University

Marko Geslani is Assistant Professor of Sanskrit and Premodern South Asian Religions at Emory University.

Rites of the God-King

Śānti and Ritual Change in Early Hinduism

Marko Geslani

Oxford Ritual Studies

Reviews and Awards

"Rites of the God-King is ambitious, not simply because it traces ritual innovation from forgotten millennia to the present in a single volume, but because it does so through deft attention to the texts themselves. ... [the book] is a model study of ritual change over time, one which I hope inspires future scholars to be as wide-reaching." - Caley Charles Smith, Reading Religion

"It is an understatement to say that Atharvavedic texts are difficult to understand; few scholars are equipped to guide us as Geslani is." - Timothy Lubin, Professor of Religion, Washington and Lee University

"Marko Geslani takes on one of the great persisting puzzles in the history of Hinduism: the complicated transition between Vedic sacrifice and later Hindu image-worship. Through meticulous reading of long-overlooked rituals of śānti, or appeasement, Geslani demonstrates how these pull together Indian astrology, kingship, royal consecration, and the rise of temple Hinduism. An exemplary work of scholarly reconstruction, this will be of great interest to all students of Indian religion." - Richard Davis, Professor of Religion, Bard College

"Geslani's close examination of the rites of appeasement in the ritual manuals of the Atharvaveda and the early Astral literature of Varahamihira's Bṛhatsaṃhitā has demonstrated a clear link between the domestic priest (purohita) and the astrologer (sāṃvatsara) in ancient India, resulting in a new way to understand the role of the royal priesthood in kingship rituals." - Kenneth Zysk, Professor of Indology and Indian Science, University of Copenhagen