The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s5.601

Language: English

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We may here consider more particularly some of the weapons appearing most fire-like. The ‘wheel of fire’ is a quoit-disc, which we have seen among heaps of ordinary arms on the *astram āindram* is more common, vii. 157, 37-39 (see below). The arrow cast by Arjuna, in viii. 90. 103, is ‘fire-like, terrible, with snake-like poison, stone-hearted (*aҫmasāra*), and divine,’ for he discharged this ‘saying a prayer over it’ (*abhimantrya*). So in vii. 201. 16 ff., a weapon incanted becomes an *āgneyam astram*, ‘a fire weapon,’ but it is only a ‘glowing arrow’ for the bow (*abhimantrya ҫaraṁ dīptam*). Arjuna’s specially divine weapons are a sword and a bow. But he has besides a number of others; and in fact they are unlimited; for, whenever he chooses, he says his incantation and makes ordinary arrows divine. Compare iii. 245. 17, 26, 25 (*divyāstrapramantritāḥ . . khacarāḥ*). Karṇa’s God-given earrings and mail (iii. 300-311) are exchanged for an ordinary spear (*ҫakti*), but so inspired that it returns to the hand when it has been discharged and slain many; this spear may only, like Pāҫupata, be used in extreme need (iii. 310. 33). Arjuna’s weapons, being most prominent, may be mentioned here in a group. He has the *sthūṇakarṇa*, *indrajāla*, *saura*, *āgneya*, *sāumya*, *ҫabdavedha* (loc. cit.). He has the sword of Ҫiva and the *antardhāna* of Varuṇa; the *vajram astram* and *aҫanis* (thunderbolts, lightnings); the *sammohana* that gives distraction;

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the self-discharging returning weapon called ‘Brahmā’s head.’ Compare iii. 40. 15; 41; iv. 66. 8; iii. 44. 4 (in ib. 100. 11, the *vajra* is *ṣaḍasri*); i. 133. 18 (*brahmaҫiro nāmā ’straṁ saprayoganivartanam*); other divine arms from Prajāpati, Indra, Agni, Rudra, in iv. 64. 23; the divine weapons of Arjuna, like those in the Rāmāyaṇa (R. i. 30. 23), turn and address their master, iv. 45. 26-27. By the *āgneya* or Fire-weapon he made fire; by the *vāruṇa* or Water-weapon, water; by the *vāyavya* or Air-weapon, air, i. 135. 19 (which shows the *āgneya* as Fire-weapon, not as fire-weapon); *pārjanya*, *bhāuma*, *pārvata* follow; the *antardhāna* causes disappearance; by their aid he becomes short, tall, etc. Arjuna gives an exhibition of his god-given arms, the bow, the arrows, the horn (Devadatta), etc., in iii. 175. 1 ff.; and in vii. 30. 15 ff., as an exhibition of magic, Ҫakuni showers down from the sky all sorts of weapons, *laguḍayoguḍāҫmānaḥ ҫataghnyaҫ ca saҫaktayaḥ*, (asthisaṃdhi is interpreted ‘with bone *phalaka*’), in all twenty-four, ‘and other weapons.’ Observe that clubs and spears as well as *ҫataghnis* characterize the downfall. The *bārhaspatyam āgneyam* given Arjuna by Droṇa is hurled at the Gandharva, and burns the car, glowing, i. 170. 31. But following this we see the magic reappear. In iii. 170. 20 a *mādhavam nāmā ’stram* is added to the list, and in v. 96.

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42 we find that all the divine tricks are placed in the bow Gāṇḍīva, for *kākudīka* (puts the foe asleep, in 183. 16-18 with waking, *sambodhana*), *ҫuka* (confuses), *nāka* (maddens), *akṣisaṃtarjana* (incantation), *saṃtāna* (uninterrupted flow of darts), *nartaka* (pāiҫāca, makes the foe jump), *ghora* (rākṣasa, horrible qualities), and *āsya modaka* (the foe kills himself by putting stones in his mouth), all rest in the bow. They are purely magical. There are, by the way, three especially divine bows: Varuṇa’s Gāṇḍīva, Indra’s Vijaya, Vishnu’s Ҫārṅga (horn-bow); but Gāṇḍīva is the best bow, as Sudarҫana (Vishnu’s discus) is the best general weapon (to unite two accounts in v. 158. 4-5; 54. 12). Droṇa’s arms are the *āindram*, *vāyavyam*, *āgneyam*, etc., iv. 58. 52. In R. we find a hero rather exhibiting disdain of these arms: ‘fie on my divine arms,’ he cries (R. v. 34. 15). The mantras used for any purpose of incantation are from the Atharva-Veda (*imam mantraṃ gṛhāṇa tvam āhvānāya divāukasām*; and *mantragrāmaḥ . . atharvaҫirasi ҫrutaḥ*, iii. 305. 16, 20). In R. i. 30. 4 ff. is a huge list of these and similar divine arms. Compare ib. 24. 12, where there are also ‘arms unknown to the gods’ (*devāҫ ca na vidur yānī*)!