Who among the following performed a ritual called 'hiranya-garbha'?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option 1- Dantidurga
Dantidurga, the founder of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, performed a ritual called hiranya-garbha.
The hiranya-garbha ritual was a Vedic sacrifice in which the donor (sacrificer) would be reborn as a Kshatriya (warrior). The ritual was performed by placing the donor in a golden womb and then pouring gold and other precious metals over them. The donor would then emerge from the womb reborn as a Kshatriya.
Dantidurga performed the hiranya-garbha ritual to legitimize his claim to the throne. He was born into a family of non-Kshatriya landlords, but he wanted to be recognized as a Kshatriya ruler. By performing the hiranya-garbha ritual, Dantidurga was able to symbolically cleanse himself of his non-Kshatriya origins and be reborn as a Kshatriya.