War in Ancient India c6.s2.18

c6.s2.18

The next weapon is the Pāśa,⁵⁶ which is a noose killing the enemy at one stroke, of two or three ropes used as a weapon attributed to the god Varuṇa. It was triangular in shape and embellished with balls of lead. It was associated with three kinds of movements. Four different ways of throwing a noose are mentioned. In the Agni Purāṇa are described eleven ways of turning it to one's own advantage by dexterity of hand: some of them are turning back, advancing forward, using it lightly and also extraordinarily quickly and rending asunder. In this Purāṇa a noose is ten cubits long made of cotton, thread, muñja grass, leather, or sinews of animals. It may be thirty cubits long and folded up in three rings. It was held on the left side and then taken to the right and whirled over the head. It could be easily thrown from a horse in trot. It is said that by the performance of the Varuṇa-Prakāśas, the sons of Prajāpati were released from the noose of Varuṇa.⁵⁷