The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s5.64

Language: English

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∗ The four-fold army (*balaṃ caturaṅgam* or *vāhinī caturaṅginī* or *-sainya*, e. g. i. 69. 4; v. 5. 17; ib. 19. 1; vii. 164. 9; iv. 68. 13: in iv. 52. 17 *caturbhāga* is merely a quarter of the army) is composed of all the men making the day’s battle-order: *vihito vyūhaḥ padātyaśvarathadvipāḥ* (vii. 20. 14, cf. 9). In later portions the army is spoken of as ‘six-fold’ (*ṣaḍaṅginī*), where to the fighting force is added the ‘treasure’ and ‘machines,’ brought to the camp (*koça* and *yantra*, M. vii. 185; Mbh. v. 96. 16; xii. 103. 38), although the two additions are by some commentators explained as the ‘general and workmen,’ or even ‘carts and camels:’ thus showing the lateness of the change (compare the commentators on Manu, loc. cit.) In the Puranic literature we have four- or six-fold indifferently (Var. P. 10. 61; 27. 12; Ag. P. 10. 7; 14. 9; 241. 2, etc.), but generally four-fold. In the battle-scenes (below) the army is assumed to be four-fold. An eight-fold division of all the forces is given in xii. 121. 44 (compare below, and above p. 103). A three-fold division (*trivi-dham balam*) is only found of force, not forces (i. e. the realm’s resources in council, wealth, and officers: ii. 5. 57). Unexplained by our text is ‘the army of four-fold forces composed of eight members,’ but the commentator thus explains this *aṣṭāṅgasaṃyuktā caturvidhabalā camūḥ* (ii. 5. 63, with which compare xv. 7.

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7: *māula, mitra, aṭavibalam, bhṛtam, çreṇibalam*): ‘the “four-fold force” means the native veterans (*māula*), the allied troops (*māitra*), the hired men (servants, slaves, etc., *bhṛtya*), and foresters (who help clear the roads, etc., *āṭavika*). The army, again, is distributed into eight parts, chariots, elephants, horses, fighters (*yodhāḥ*, i. e. all but the foot?), foot-soldiers, workmen, spies, and topographical leaders (those that can tell about places, *dāiçikāmukhyāḥ*).’ A comparison of the epithets given to the army in the Rāmāyaṇa shows that the ‘four-fold’ army is here also the more common, if not the only term employed (*caturaṅgabala*: R. i. 23. 14; *aṅga* or *aṅginī* also ib. i. 71. 3, 6; 76. 6; 78. 3; 79. 26; ii. 33. 7; 36. 2; 48. 7; 73. 11; 78. 22; 86. 13; 94. 9; (100. 54, *camū*); 106. 9; iii. 42. 18; v. 78. 12; 81. 23; in 83. 2 defined *ṣaḍaṅginī*: i. 52. 21, v. 1. Bomb. 51. 21: *varūthinī*). Comparing M. vii. 185 and Kām. Nit. 18. 2, 22, we see that this last division of ‘six’ is not unknown to late Epic and later literature; but it is very rare against the common use of ‘four.’ The comparison points again (as I have shown on another theme) to the synchronic completion of the Manavic code and the Çāntiparvan of the Epic. The commander’s proper title is *senāpati*; his office is *sāināpatya*. The title *vāhinīpati* is, however, common. The whole army is designated by *camū* (‘four-fold’) as well as by the proper name.

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Thus, Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s whole force of eleven *akṣauhiṇī* is called *vīratamā mahācamūḥ* (viii. 60. 92; ix. 64. 9). Other irregular names for the whole army are found vi. 72. 34 (*vāhinī*); vi. 50; 100. 24, 34; 105. 15 (*pāṇḍavī camūḥ*); vii. 161. 18; 168. 1 (*mahācamūḥ* and *camūḥ* of Kurus); *pṛtanāpati* is the same as *akṣauhiṇīpati* (viii. 73. 15; vi. 87. 15). Poetical names abound: *dhvajinī*, vii. 92. 5; vi. 54. 91; *ripuvāhinī*, vi. 109. 10, etc. The ‘lines’ deserve notice, although, as far as I have observed, no use or effect of orderly lines is perceivable in the battle-scenes. The rule that fighting must cease when a priest appears between two lines of battle (*anīkayoḥ*) means of course only the opposing acies (xii. 96. 8); *anīkavelāyām* (where a brave should fight) is ‘on the van of the front line’ (ib. 97. 18). The real unit of battle-order is not the line, but the group, *çreṇi*, viii. 73. 16. The battle itself is called *saṃkhya*, *saṃgara*, *saṃgrāma* (collision, conflict) or simply ‘fighting’ (*yuddha*, or *yudh*, e. g. i. 19. 14: cf. R. ii. 94. 12, *çakyaḥ soḍhuṃ yudhi*, etc.), but has also its poetical side, and is termed *āhava*, *ākranda*, *āmarda*, ‘challenging,’ ‘advance,’ ‘crush’; or, still