History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.462

v4.c62.462

²⁶⁶ हस्तिप्रधानो विजयो राज्ञाम्। कौटिल्य II. 2; हस्तिप्रधानो हि परानीकबधः । कौटिल्य VII. 11; नागेषु हि क्षितिभुजां विजयो निबद्धस्तस्माद्गजाधिकबलो नृपतिः सदा स्यात्। कामन्दक XIX. 62; मुख्यं दन्तिबलं राज्ञां समरे विजयैषिणाम् । तस्माद्द्विजवले कार्या बहवो द्विरदा नृपैः।। मानसोल्लास II. 8. verse 678 p. 90; यतो नागास्ततो जयः । बुधभू. p. 42; बलेषु हस्तिनः प्रधानमङ्गं स्वैरवयवैरष्टायुधा हस्तिनो भवन्ति । नीतिवा० (बलसमुद्देश) p. 207. The four feet, the two tusks, the trunk and the tail are the eight weapons of an elephant. Though the Budhabhūṣaṇa (p. 42) contains a glowing eulogy of elephants, the नीतिवाक्यामृत holds that elephants, if not properly trained, cause loss of wealth (because they eat vast quantities of fodder and grains) and of lives (they trample down their own soldiers through fright) ' अशिक्षिता हस्तिनः केवलमर्थप्राणहराः ' 22. 5 p. 208. The यशस्तिलक III. p. 491 notes ' न विनीता गजा येषां तेषां ते नृप केवलम् । क्लेशायापि विनाशाय रणे चारप्रधाय च ॥. This has often been illustrated in battles against early Moslem and other invaders e. g. vide Elphinstone's History of India (5th ed. of 1866) p. 309 (the fate of Dahir king of Sindh against Mohammed bin Casim, when the former's elephant was struck with a fireball) and p. 329 (Anangpal against Mahmud of Gazni) and also Cambridge History of India, vol. III. (1928) pp. 5 and 16 for the same.