Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c18.94

v2.c18.94

³ Of course here, too, a "hornless ox" of Brahmanic race has been eager to hold its court in the shrine—the following strophe is then smuggled in: "Like a rutting elephant let the man of great self go about the world, but before the Brahmans and the law let him always bow, O Sañjaya." Very remarkable, too, is the relationship with the çloka which after the same utterance in v, 127.20 has been dragged into Duryodhana's splendid speech. But it is left uncertain whether our "elephant" (mātaṅga) begot the Muni Mātaṅga, or the other way round; but probably the first is the case. Mātaṅgavacana might even barbarously perhaps mean "The elephant's word". Then the mutual relation would be clear. The third repetition (xii, 133.9 ff.) also brings our utterance about the hero into relation with the beasts of the forest; he can be broken, indeed, but never bent. Here the clumsy botchery is not found.