War in Ancient India c6.s3.10

c6.s3.10

The Paraśu⁶⁷ is the battle-axe attributed to Paraśurāma, of great fame. Its blade was made of steel and it had a wooden handle. Another variety of it was a mighty staff holding the head of an ace at its end. Three kinds are distinguished.⁶⁸ It was used for cutting and rending. The Semitic origin assigned to this weapon of war cannot be taken as correct, for there is nothing in the Ṛg Vedic religion that has not an Aryan source.⁶⁹ The six ways of manipulating it to one's own advantage are raising aloft in a formidable manner, making it descend slowly or quickly, raising it rapidly, making it fixed, and making as if one had nothing in one's hand. The commentator on the Kauṭalīya says it is a scimitar and semi-circular and twenty-four inches long.