[q] Seeking information on "hiraNyagarbha" ceremony

[Sreenivas Paruchuri]

Thanks to Drs. Drozdzowicz, Jayabharati, and Ganesan for the valuable
information they provided!

In fact it is in "tanjaavoori aandhra raajula charitra" I read about this
ceremony, Vijayaraaghava naayaka undergoing it, for the first time. Also,
V. Narayana Rao, D. Shulman and S. Subrahmanyam referred to it in
"Symbols of Substance - Court and State in Nayaka Period Tamilnadu"
(OUP, 1992). I could even get hold of Satyanatha Aiyar's (History of the
Nayaks of Madura & Tamilaham in the 17th  century. In later he cites the
Jesuit missionary; Antao de Proenca's description of the ceremony from
1665) and Vriddhagirisan's (Nayaks of Tanjore). Even Gene Roghair in his
_The Epic of palnaaDu_ (OUP, 1982) has a brief reference to it.

But, recently I heard that it was performed even before; i.e. during Chola
period also. I am looking for earlier; pre-naayaka, references if any. Are
there any instances from northern India too?

I am more interested in Sastra-ic references (providing base/legitimation)
to this ceremony. Dr. Drodzowicz provided one so far.

Thanks once again.

Regards,                --Sreenivas

P.S. I just saw Prof. Hiltebeitel's message. Thanks for the _Bayly_ ref.!
In fact a book I once read. Bad memory :-( ).

--
E-Mail: sreeni at ktp.uni-paderborn.de