A History of Sanskrit Literature c31.s5.1

c31.s5.1

The term Arthaçāstra at least in the later Indian view covers a number of minor sciences the results of which appear in part in the *Arthaçāstra*. In the case of practically all of these we have no certainly early works, and those extant are probably the results of long developments which, however, produced nothing of commanding influence. Archery, Dhanurveda, was naturally an old and respectable science among a warlike people, but none of the extant works can be assigned with any certainty to an early date; their authors include Vikramāditya, Sadāçiva, and Çārṅgadatta. Architecture, Çilpa- or Çilpi-çāstra, Vāstuvidyā, is represented by various anonymous works including the *Mayamata*, *Sanatkumāravāstuçāstra*, *Mānasāra*, and Çrīkumāra’s *Çilparatna* (16th cent.); many of the texts are written in a mere pretence of Sanskrit and their verses are extremely rude.¹ Elephants have been more fortunate in that the *Hastyāyurveda* in the form of a dialogue between king Romapāda of Aṅga and the ancient sage Pālakāpya² has been preserved; the age of this curious compilation is quite uncertain. The *Mātaṅgalīlā*³ of Nārāyaṇa on the other hand has a distinctly modern form, being written in part in elaborate metre; it recognizes Pālakāpya's claim to be the father of the science. The science of horses, Açvaçāstra, is ascribed to another sage Çālihotra, who sometimes figures in a more general way as a patron of learning in respect of elephants and other animals. It bears also, in its aspect as dealing with their diseases, the styles of Açvacikitsā, Açvavaidyaka, or Açvāyurveda. Of personal authors we have the *Açvāyurveda* of Gaṇa, the *Açvavaidyaka* of Jayadatta and of Dīpaṃkara, the *Yogamañjarī* of Vardhamāna, and the *Açvacikitsita* of Nakula.⁴ Bhoja again is credited with a *Çālihotra*,⁵ which treats in 138 verses of the care of horses and their diseases.