Which of the following terms in the Later Vedic literature specifically refers to the royal coronation ritual wherein the king was consecrated and sprinkled with holy water to assume sovereign authority?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Rajasuya sacrifice was a elaborate royal consecration ritual performed to legitimize a king's supreme sovereignty and divine authority. The Ashwamedha involved the letting loose of a consecrated horse to claim territorial supremacy, whereas the Vajapeya was a chariot race and sacrifice associated with the renewal of royal vigor. Ritual texts known as Brahmanas provide meticulous procedural details regarding these grand Vedic sacrifices. The Satapatha Brahmana contains extensive descriptions of the Rajasuya ceremony.