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1. The Royal Treasury (bhandagaria) and Store-House (koshtagara) The royal treasury was probably situated on the ground floor of the palace. It was well guarded and an officer named Bhandagarika was appointed to supervise over the transactions carried in it. The treasuries of 301 302 303 Vikramaditya, Bahubala, 306 many Kings such as Lakshadatta, 304 305 Ugrabhatta, Trivikramaditya, Prithvipati etc. are mentioned. The treasury of King Ugrabhatta was handed over to his 307 son before he abdicated the throne. The 'Superintendent of Treasury! (Koshadhika: of Treasury' (Koshastadhikari) of King Trivikramaditya 300. Nirnaya Sagar 17.1.51. 301. Ibid. 9.3.27. 302. Ibid. 7.4.48. 303. Ibid. 7.9.32. 304. Ibid. 12.7.60,74. 305. Ibid. 12.8.24,466. 306. Ibid. 10.10.117. 307. Ibid. 12.7.74.

1 308 86 of Pratisthana is mentioned. Pratisthana The rich treasuries of the King of Kanchi and Prassanagit of Kosala are also 309 mentioned. These treasuries were full of gold, jewels 310 and currancy as is seen from the various references. From the rich treasury of King Vinitamati of Ahichhattra he is said to have given ten crores of gold (Svarna Koti) 311 Mudras. Other Offices Very few references to the various offices in the kings palace are found in Kathasaritsagara But mention of royal servants like the grant-writer (shasana-Lekhaka), the 313 312 officers (adhikaris) the writer in the department of 314 315 Foreign Affairs (Samdhivigrahakayastha), the calculators and craftsmen (ganakah and takshakan), the record-keeper 316 317 (Kayastha), Clerk (lekhaka), etc. give us some idea about 308. Nirnaya Sagar 12.8.24. 309. Ibid. 7.8.31, 6.7.146. 310. Ibid. 10.1.21, 6.7.146. 10.7.158, 12.5.106, 9.3.83. 311. Ibid. 12.5.106. 312. Ibid. 18.5.62. 313. Ibid. 12.8.24, 17.5.102. 314. Ibid. 7.8.91. 315. Ibid. 12.12.49. 316. Ibid. 12.5.323. 317. Ibid. 18.5.62. i 1

87 the working of these offices. The secretary of the foreign affairs department of a certain kings is mentioned to have been bribed by his queen with instructions to write a false letter to the C-in-C of his army to murder her rival queen's sons who were with him on 318 the battle-field. The chief ministers and Purohitas 319 are always mentioned. The Satradhipati i.e. the superintendent of the alm house in the palace is also mentioned. The various appendages The description of the king's palace, as gleaned from the foregoing pages would be incomplete without the description of the royal-garden, the stable, the lake, the royal-zoo, the almhouse etc. which were indeed necessary for his dignity and probably appear to have been attached to it or at times inside it. 1. The Royal-Garden The kings and the members of the royal family used to amuse themselves in the afternoon hours of rest in the royal-park or garden. To most of the palaces of 320 the various kings from Kathasaritsagara, are attached these parks. The princesses played and amused themselves in the company of their friends and attendants and also met their 318.Nirnaya Sagar 7.8.91. 319.Ibid. 6.7.58, 18.3.62, 12.5.99, 14.2.160. 320. Ibid. 7.1.37, 4.2.19, 1.6.88, 6.2.52,54, 74, 3.2.26.

88 lovers in these gardens. Sometimes royal festivals were celebrated in these gardens. Kings roamed in the se gardens in the company of their favourite queen and also sported in these gardens. It is mentioned that Padmavati, the daughter. of the king of Magadha, was roaming in the garden attached to the palace with two guards. Prince Naravahandatta also went in the garden attached to his 322 palace to amuse himself with his ministers. The palace of a certain Vidyadhara king had many gardens attached 323 to it. Also many gardens were attached to the palace of king Kalingadatta in which his daughter played with 324 her maidens. The garden of King Mahasena's palace is 325 mentioned. The concert-hall in the palace of the king 326 of Vatsa was situated in a garden (Udayanavartini). King Brahmadatta of Varanasi used to amuse himself in the garden of his palace in a pleasure-pavilion in the 327 company of his wives and ministers. A lake-garden of a 328 Chitrakuta King is mentioned. 321. Nirnaya Sagar 3.2.17. 322. Ibid. 7.1.6. 323. Ibid. 5.3.285. 324. Ibid. 6.2.99. 325. Ibid. 12.14.64 and 8.6.5. 326. Ibid. 6.8.170. 327. Ibid. 17.1.51. 328. Ibid. 6.2.52-54.

2. The Stables 89 The stables of elephants and horses were probably attached to the palace or at times accommodated in the palace-grounds or the palace proper. The palace of King Prasanjit of Sravasti is said to be full of 329 elephants and horses. An elephant stable in the palace 330 of a certain king is also mentioned. These elephantstables were supervised by superintendents designated 331 as 'Hastimahamatra' or 'Hastyaroha'. .A king who had troops of elephants was called as 'Gajapati'. 3. The Lakes (Saras or Vapis) 332 Water-sport appears to have been one of the favourite games of the kings from Kathasaritsagara Therefore lakes were naturally attached to the palaces or at times inside them. The palaces of the most Vidyadhara kings had lakes invariably attached to them. Their steps were made of 333 jewels. King Brahamadatta caused a lake to be constructed near his palace and a Sarahpala was appointed to look 334 after it. A pleasure- pavilion was also constructed on 329. Nirnaya Sagar 14.2.46. 330. Ibid. 9.2.118. 331. Ibid. 17.46.18, 2.5.15-17, 8.4. 332. Ibid. 7.4.4. 333. Ibid. 5.3.285. 334. Ibid. 17.1.51.

90 its bank for his amusement. A royal tank, with blue 335 lotuses grown in it, of a certain king, is mentioned. 4. The alm-house (rajasatra) These were run by the Kings. Cooked food to Brahmins and travellers was served in these alm-houses. The king was supposed to achieve great 'punya' by such a 336 pious act. The alm-house of King Vasantsena is mentioned. Also the alm-house of King Adityasena, Vinitamati, Vikramaditya and many more kings are mentioned. 337 5. The Royal - Zoo We are not sure of the royal-zoo attached to the palace. But the mention of a monkey who escaped from and the hands of his keeper (rakshaka) in a palace entered 338 the kings court, do suggest this possibility. Birds such as parrots (sukas), and sarikas, were kept in the palace It is mentioned 329 in cages near the entrance of apartment. that many parrots were kept in cages near the entrance 340 of the palace of queen Madana sundari. On the occasion of the coronation ceremony of prince Mrigankadatta, it is mentioned that the royal parrots and mainas 335. Nirnaya Sagar 10.6.228-229. 336. Ibid. 6.7.54. 337. Ibid. 18.3.62,74,77, 12.5.99, 14.2.160. 338. Ibid. 12.8.26. also see, SalatoreR.N. op.cit. p.113. 339. Ibid. 9.5.123. 340. Ibid. 13.1.55.

91 341 (Sukasarika) were even fed. A certain king is said to have ordered the construction of a lake to feed birds of 342 all kinds near his palace.