War in Ancient India c5.s2.88

c5.s2.88

18. He should not be killed who gets up on an eminence or a tree, who is an eunuch or a war-musician.⁹² The *Śilappadikāram* refers to warriors escaping from the field of battle in disguise as ascetics, Brahmans, musicians, and, last but not least, hermaphrodites. Most of them were allowed to run away, though some were captured and sent to far-off lands. When these captives were presented before the Pāṇḍya and Coḷa monarchs the latter spoke disparagingly of Śeṅguṭṭuvan as having trangressed the limits of fair fighting (CH. XXVI).