Final answer:
The chief queen referred to as 'Madana' played a crucial role in the Ashvamedha, a Vedic ritual that legitimized the king's rulership through a ceremonial horse sacrifice. This practice had political and religious significance, symbolizing the king's dominion and his link with the supernatural realm.
Step-by-step explanation:
The king's chief queen or Madana played a ritual role in the Ashvamedha sacrifice, which was a key aspect of the political and religious life in Vedic India. In the detailed structure of the Ashvamedha, the horse sacrifice was a symbol of sovereign power and the expansion of dominion. Special rituals surrounding the Ashvamedha required royal participation, including the role of the queen who also held significant spiritual importance.
The Ashvamedha was a central rite in ancient Vedic India, symbolically asserting the king's dominion over the territories through which the sacrificial horse freely roamed for a year. If the horse survived all challenges and returned, the king then performed the sacrifice to ratify his rule over the traversed lands. This practice tied the monarchy closely with the divine and endorsed the king as the undisputed ruler.
This horse sacrifice was not unique to India but was a ritual found in various Eurasiatic cultures, each with their own specific set of beliefs and practices. It reflects a common ideology that the royalty was connected to a supernatural realm, with responsibilities extending to the realm of the divine, assuring order and success for their people.