Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c9.8

v1.c9.8

¹ Ratha is seldom found here. See iii, 293.19; iv, 22.11. Yāna, so far as I know, does not denote a litter in the MBh.; this is called çibikā or perhaps nṛi-(nara-) yukta yāna, and is used especially for carrying out dead bodies, but also for women. See i, 127.7, 9; xi, 10.1 f.; 16.13; xii, 37.41; xv, 22.20; 23.12; xvi, 7.19; cp. xvi, 7.11 and 33. On the other hand, at least Rām., vi, 114 uses yāna and çibikā as equivalent to one another. Cp. too MBh., iii, 69.21, 23. The ladies' chariot is drawn by horses, the most distinguished or typical beast of the Kshattriyas (cp. also Baudh., ii, 2; 3.4, 9), and by she-mules, sometimes by oxen (the Brahmans' beasts), asses, or camels (xvi, 7.11, 33; iv, 22.11), while according to the law writings the ass and the camel are tabu as draught and saddle beasts (see, for instance, Viṣṇu, liv, 23; Manu, xi, 202; Yājñav., i, 151; iii, 291; Jahn, Saurapurāṇa, p. 141); and it is an ill omen also for the man in the Epic, if he in a vision drives with asses (southwards). But see also ix, 35.23. According to the Çiçupālavadha the women ride on asses or horses in the army, or drive in light chariots (v, 7; xii, 20; xii, 14). That in particular the 'circulating beauties' (vāramukhyā) drive along in yāna we learn for instance from Bhāgavatapur., i, 11.20.