A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c47.97

v3.c47.97

NĪLAKAṆṬHA: *Mātaṅgalīlā*.⁵¹¹ This treatise on elephantology consists of 253 verses,⁵¹² arranged in twelve chapters. Chapter one (40 verses) deals with: the encounter of Romapāda, king of Aṅga,⁵¹³ with the sage Pālakāpya,⁵¹⁴ son of Sāmagāyana, who expounds to him the science of elephants; the mythical origin of elephants and their banishment to earth; the birth of Pālakāpya; the various natural types (jāti) of elephants,⁵¹⁵ the names for an elephant,⁵¹⁶ and related subjects. Chapter two (17 verses) is about favourable and chapter three (7 verses) about unfavourable marks.⁵¹⁷ Chapter four (6 verses) describes marks of longevity, and chapter five (23 verses) is about the stages of life.⁵¹⁸ Chapter six (13 verses) is concerned with the measurements of the various types of elephant⁵¹⁹ and with anatomy, chapter seven (3 verses) with their price, and chapter eight (25 verses) with their character types (sattva).⁵²⁰ Chapter nine (23 verses) describes the state of excitement in elephants, called must (mada), and its seven stages.⁵²¹ Chapter ten (14 verses) is about the capture of elephants,⁵²² chapter eleven (51 verses) about their keeping and their daily and seasonal regimen.⁵²³ Chapter twelve (31 verses) deals with elephant-drivers (mahouts)⁵²⁴ and related subjects. An authority referred to is Bṛhaspati (4.4). Gaṇapati Śāstrī, who edited Nīlakaṇṭha's treatise, says that it is very well known in Kerala, and guesses on this ground that its author may have been a native of that region.⁵²⁵