War in Ancient India c4.s6.t3.1

c4.s6.t3.1

War is a school of strenuous life and heroism.¹² War and adventure assuredly keep all who are engaged in them from treating themselves too tenderly. The knights of ancient India were known as Śūras and sometimes Vīras, both the terms connoting that they were valorous. The Śūras and Vīras held a much higher rank than the ordinary run of warriors. In the *Atharva Veda Samhita*, Indra is addressed as a Śūra, and is said to possess heroism hundredfold. He pulled down the strongholds of Dasyus and scattered their army by slaying a hundred, a thousand, a ten thousand, and a hundred thousand millions.¹³ In fact the burden of the song in many a hymn of this Veda is heroism in exploits.¹⁴ Still above these were Rathis¹⁵ and Mahārathis.¹⁶ The terms themselves are evidence of the fact that such Knights were expert charioteers, who earned such titles by their valorous deeds displayed in previous engagements. Among those that won the laurel of a Rathi were Yayāti and Kārtavīrya Arjuna, both famous rājarṣis. The Mahārathas were there in numbers and all the five sons of King Ayuṣa who