Tbe Follovldg Is a List of the Weapons, Aientioned La the ^Urma Iuraija
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Appendix - list of Verpons, Tbe follovlDg is a list of the weapons, aientioned la the ^urma iuraija, arranged In alphabetical order: ^ 1 . /.si. It is 8 'Sword*. According to Dilcshitar it mepaures fifty I thumbs in length end four inches in width. It is also Known as hhadgs and is ooiiiiaouly worn on the left side, i-t is used in cutting, rending, loi>ping and striking the eneaty^, It is k mentioned in the HV^. to denote e sscrificjal knife, Its use in war is referred to in the a V^, la the Vs- its use la Bssocl- ated with iiva^. The Kurme mentions it os a wearo: of Visna-'^.« • 9 m. The sons of Karttsvirya, viz. ijurasena, etc. fou';bt with the demon Vldeha with this weapon^ It is also referrei to 83 8 « 7 weapon of K-j-sne V^sudeva . 2, Astra or ^astra. i ^ I Astra and Sastre both mesn * arrow*. It is nlqo known as *lsu’. The bows nnd arrows are frequently montionod in the • ti Samhltas and Brehme^es , They v/ere the chief weeports of war 1. WAl.pp. 116-118. 2. HV.I.162.20; X.7 0 .•!,ato., 3 , AV.XI.9,l;df.also VI. I. p.47. 4. t’HV.p. 102. 5. Kur.I. 6 . U . j 6 . Aur. I. 22.55. 7. ^Gr. I. 25.23; 25.?5. 8 . '*.AI. p. 93. 522 523 in those tlraee. The fi, Br.^ has a story regarding the origin of the name ’ i^are’ ( arrow). The making of error.3 Is also — 2 described in the Agni Jhirana , The Astras are frequently referred to in the Veyu inirana also. IJgneyastra, Batamastra and Vedasiras Astra ere a few types of Aatrps inentiofied by the 'a / t Va"^, Hirenyekesipu ann his army released e shower of opatras I upon the warrior, Purusa sent by Visnu for the destruction of the demon^. The various estres employed by the four' sons of Hirajyakanipu, viz, Prahrade, Anuhrada, Smuhrada ant., iirude were respectively Brahma, Vaianava, Keumara and Agneya^. [ IliranyeKsa / I A is said to have used the Pnsupati Astra against Vlsr^‘\i°, x-iaucira, Varuna, Prajapatya, V^ayevya, Knubera, Aindra and '^gpeya were I the Astras used by the sons of king hirttavlrya g;:aj^Gat the demon Vldeha”^. Another type of Astra, viz. Brahmasii)aa is the one by which Slvs bringa about the total destruotloi) of the _ g / I universe at the end of two Parardhas , Hlkhepdin| o u d Havlrdhana and Precinabarhl, son of Bavirdhana ere referred to » Q as the foremost aniong the wlolders of all types of jastraa . The food of a ■^astrajiva ( professional warrior) anh a J:5eetra- vikrayin ( one v/ho sella arrows) la tabooed by the | urma^®. of, also under ’ ;5ora’. ! 1, B.Br. 1.2.4;6.5.2.10. 2. Ag. 245.,12. 3. Ciiv.pp.102.3. 4. Kur, I. 16. 46. j 5. htir,I, 16.48-49* 6. Kur. I. 16. 61,1 1 7 , Kur. I, 22,56»57. 8. Kur. II,> 46 .6.' 9. ktir, I. 1 /4.,1 9 ;1 4 .5 2 , 10. Kur. II., 12 .12. 52if 3. Bpps alpo denotes ’arrow’ in the HV^ end later. It is / mentioned rs the weapon of Virsbhndra who was deputed by Oiva for the destriiction of JJek^e’s sacrifice, where Vi^nu was overwhelmed r- t by bis Ba^as^. Of, also under Astra or Bestra,supra. 4 . Oakra. Cakre or ’discus’ as a weapon is not mentioned in trie Vedio Index. The Mtiprakasika includes it under the category of ’mukta’ (throw'n) weapons, it is a circular disc vrith a small opening in the middle with four, six or eitht spokes. It is used 3 for felling, breaking, severing, cutting, etc . It is a revolving 1 weapon made of iron or steel used in offense^. It is also referred - s ' -6 to in the Agni Buraga^, The Kuriria mentions it as a weapod of Bevi . and also of Varaha, This Cokra-weapon which has a brilliance of a thousand suns appeared before Jayadhvaja, son of karttavirye, when he worshipped Visfju, He killed the demon Vldeha by name by using 7 ^ 8 the Cakrn , It is known by the name of Sudarsana and w'cs received by Vi§nu from i^iva on propitiating him by means of austerities^. The Gpkra is also connected with the naming of the forest Knimi§a, The story of the naming of the forest is included elsevvhfjre^^. 5. Banda. It is 8 ’staff* used as a weapon and jaeatloned from AV^^onwerds. 1. hV VI.75,17; AV.III. 23.2,etc; Of also VI.Il.p.65. 2. Kur, 1,15,66, 3, Hitiprakas'ika lV.47-48; Of. hAl, 4. 4;3I. p .53. 5. Ag. 252-5-7. i 6. KHr. 1,1,39; 12-54;6-14. ?. Aur. 1.22.62, 8. Jtur, 1,22.64. 9. Kur, 1,22.66. 10. Of. Mytris and Legends abgut Bratuiia. 0}, III 'rieligion’j 11. A7. V.5-4; Ai. i3r,2.35; B. Hr. l-5-4-6^etc. 525 It is elso described es r javelin or 8 kind of tow rp included under the muKte cetegory . The use of i^ande is mainly referred in connection vlth ijive. Hence the epithets of i^ive: i'npjadhpk, iiadapfjin, etc^. In the Kurraa it is referred; to as a weapon of the Hudrss who destroyed i^oK§a'a sacrifice , i'he King is also directed to punish a Brehmana thief by a i-^a^dn made of steel . 6 Dhanus, Dhanus is the ooramon name used to mean the *bov,'' in the RV end Inter^. The weapon was composed of a stout staff bent into a curved shape end of a bow-string made of a strip of y> cow-hide^. The bows and arrows are the chief weapons of the mukta (throvring) group* The very name ' i^hanurveda' taCening military science proves that the bow and arrow were the chief weapons of war in thOvse times. Its other naaes are .dPrnga, Kodan^a and Aarmuka^, The Agni Buraya^ gives details of a bow, Braolnab^rhi, son of king ilavirdhana, is stated to be a master 9 T of i»hanurveda , 3o were Arjuna Karttavirya who was killed by Rama Jamadagnya , Andhaka, son of Amsu, and Bhejamana, son of 3attvata. lifting a Uhanu was the feat by which Rama won -11 Sitf Dhenu was supposed to be the best amoving the yantras, / TO for biva le said to ts Dhanu amoyng the yantras . 1. Of. V.a I.p .107. 2. CHV.p.103. 3. Kur.1.15.45. 4, A u r , i i * 3 2 ,6 . 5. RV.VIII.72.4; 77.ll; AV.IV.4,6; V.is.8; VSj.S.XVl.lO; S,Br,1.5.4.6^etc, 6. RV.VI.75.11; AV.1,2.3; IV.6.4; cf.vi.l.p.389. 7. ■VAI.p,93. 8. Ag.245.5-6 and 7-10. 9. Kur.I.14.51. 10. Kilr.1.22.19;24.30;24.35. 11. Kur.1.21.22-24. 12. iur. I1.7.1 2 . 526 7» iioilE* I It is p meoe or p club, an offensive wea^jon also known by other npaies like Musala, i^arigha, etc^. It is a heavy rod of iron v/ith one hundred spikes at the top classified under araukta weapons by the J^Ttiprakasikn^, It is able to destroy even elephants and rocks. It is not mentioned in the Vedic Index, _ / _ 3 In the Vfr*Siva is often addressed as the wielder of Onda . I — ^ I _ Virabhadra used it in his raid of Dak§nyajna7 In the iuraa it «■ is mentioned »s one of the weapons of Devi, of the dudras, of the i^arusa created by Visnu in order to kill the deinon king / 5 riiranyakesipu and also of kr§ria, one of the five sons of karttavlrya, w'ho used it in his encounter with the Danpvs, viz, Vldeha^. Hala. It is the 'plough', a v/eapon as heavy as 'iludgal©' It is not mentioned by the Vedic Index, it is the weapon of Hama Vasudeva^ and hence he is called as Halin^, 9.kavaca. It is the 'corselet' or 'breastplate' possibly ma!de of metal and referred to in the AV and leter^^. It is the 1. tl3I.p. 53; /A/iI.p.18, 2. Dltiprekasika V.29-■ 34. Of. WAI, P.113. 3. Va. 30.237; 30.247 etc. Of. CfiV.p.105 h. ^R. 30,124; Of.CHV. p.105. 5. Kur, 1.16. 37-39. 6. kur . 1.22,58. 7. Awl, p.22. 8. Kur . 1.24.71-72. 9. Va. 96.64; 96*75; Of. CHV. p.105. 1 0. AV. XI,10-22; 3,Dr. 13.2.2.7 ; Ai .Dr.7. 19.2; Wirukta V.26,etc. Of. also VI, p.143. 527 ooiamonest nome for gmour, b defensive weapon-^ . in the i^Oirma there is a reference to 'Uerlkevaca' worn by king l'<akula (i^on of Asiuakp,), who being efrpid of Kama resorted to the forest*. 10, khadlra. It is probably a stuff of khpdira (Acacia catechujj wood. T I ivhadira is mentioned in the Samihites and Brahmeijas-'. Ifhe king is advised to use this weapon carried by the BrrbJ^aga ! . thief on bis shoulder in order to mete out puniahuient "lo hici^. 11, Lpg.udp. I 5 It is a *h<=*avy rod’ or a ‘cudgel’ with metallic feet two cubits long end encased in a sheath of leather.