Yantras or Mechanical Contrivances in Ancient India c2.46

c2.46

Yantras for actual warfare are generally touched upon in several contexts: II.3 and 18 mention the need to equip forts with *yantras*. In X. 4, yantras on the field are said to be attended to by special labourers and workers. In IX.2, Kauṭilya deals with counter-manœuvres for tackling particular kinds of enemy forces; here, among the things to be used against elephants yantras or probably *Hasti-yantras* are included; these are machines in general or special machines designed to scare elephants; Bhoja, in his *Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra*, mentions that one of the uses of the aerial vehicle is to create a terrific noise and frighten elephants. In XIII.4, Kauṭilya advocates the use of yantras for devastating an enemy place which is full of defence-erections.