The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s5.604

Language: English

c2.s5.604.1

We may turn now, having seen how purely poetical are the divine arms, to those instruments of war the names of which a later age employed to designate powder-weapons. The iron ball, *ayoguda*, which, we have seen, is not to be differentiated from the mass of ordinary projectiles,† is claimed as a ‘cannon’-ball, because there is mention made of ‘machines.’ But we can safely leave the ball till we establish the ‘machine.’ We saw in the paragraph on the Hindu city that these machines, *yantra çataghni*, were posted as part of a city’s defense, and in all probability were employed to cast heavy shafts or let fall stones, as they are posted so as to command approaches below. They are (when their position is specified) not at the gates, but above them. That the *yantra* or *mahāyantra* is found in the camp is, when we remember that the camp is conceived of as a miniature city, not enough to make us believe it a field-machine for projectiles; that it is rarely found on the field, and then not possibly used as a cannon, substantiates its powderless character. On the other hand, negatively, it is inconceivable that such primitive arms as are used throughout the war in the Epic account should have been employed contemporaneously with powder, guns, and cannon; it is further inconceivable that, had they been used, they should not have been mentioned as such in a way to leave no doubt in the reader’s mind.

c2.s5.604.2

Of this perfect silence in regard to the use of guns and cannon on the part of the poet Oppert gives a very naïve explanation. He says of the use of gun-powder, that it ‘was so common that it was not worth mentioning.’ Finally, it is positively against the use of these arms as described to explain them as fire-arms. A good conclusive instance is found in the use of the word that Oppert takes to mean a gun—really one of the barbed arrows we saw so frequently used. The barb called the ‘ear’ Oppert cleverly explains as the lock, trigger, etc.; but when we read ‘they cannot draw the arrow of speech out of a man’s body, although they draw out barbed reed arrows and iron arrows,’ we refuse from the connection alone to think that ‘barbed reed arrows’ has already passed into the meaning ‘guns.’* To take these weapons in order: the ‘fire-weapon’ or ‘fire-wheel’ I have already shown to be a divine weapon, and the fire transferred to the ordinary discus, which is constantly used as a common hand-projectile. The *nālīka*, *karṇinālīka*, constantly in connection with *nārāca*, the ordinary iron arrow, is nothing but the genus to a species called ‘boar-ear arrow’ (*varāhakarṇa*), and is used by knights standing in their chariots shooting with their bows.† The *çataghnī* (or *-ghni*) has often been noticed in the groups of projectiles. The gunpowder-champion assures us that it is a rocket or something of the sort in late literature, or even a cannon, and must be the same in the Epic.

c2.s5.604.3

It means a ‘hundred killer,’ against the spear as a ‘single-killer’ (see above). We saw, however, just now, that if a spear is properly spiritualized it can also kill its hundreds and return to its owner. In the Epic use it is a simple projectile. It is flung by hand (Wilson denies this), and, like a sword or a spear, is ‘split to pieces’ by the arrows of the foe. Just as a sword or spear is ornamented with bells, so a *çataghnī* is ornamented with bells. It forms one of a group of missiles, darts, arrows, etc. As common arrows are called glowing, so the *çataghnī* is ‘bright’ and ‘horrible’; but even a bow is like ‘a wheel of fire.’ Fire-comparisons are employed for poetic effect. Only a prosaic or forced interpretation would allow us to render ‘fiery’ as really ‘of fire.’ A knight seizes a quantity of *çataghnīs*, along with quoits, balls, and stones, for throwing purposes. The demons, indeed, employ these, but so they do all other mortal arms. The name is used as a strong argument, but we must not forget that, if ‘hundred-killer’ seems to imply a projectile that explodes, a common hook is called an ‘all-killer.’ Moreover, this very name is applied to Bhīma’s ordinary club.*