The Hindú mind—so far justifying the term ‘Indo-Germanic’—connects
everything with metaphysics,[702] or a something that goes beyond
physical phenomena. Hence it ascribes all arms and armour to
supernatural causes. Jáyá, a daughter of primæval Daksha (one of the
Rishis or sacred sages), became, according to a promise of Brahma,
the creator, the mother of all weapons, including missiles. These
are divided into four great classes. The Yantramukta (thrown by
machines); the Panimukta (hand-thrown); the Muktasandhárita (thrown and
drawn back) and the Mantramukta (thrown by spells, and numbering six
species), form the Mukta or thrown class of twelve species. This is
opposed to the Amukta (unthrown) of twenty species, to the Muktámukta
(either thrown or not) of ninety-eight varieties,[703] and to the
Báhuyuddha (weapons which the body provides for personal struggles).
All are personified—for instance, Dhanu, the bow, has a small face,
a broad neck, a slender waist, and a strong back. He is four cubits
high and is bent in three places; he has a long tongue, and his mouth
has terrible tusks; his colour is of blood, and he ever makes a
gurgling noise; he is covered with garlands of entrails, and he licks
continually with his tongue the two corners of his mouth.[704]
The Sword (Khadga,[705] As, or Asi) belongs to the second class.
According to the sage Vaishampáyana it was a superior weapon,
introduced especially and separately by Brahma, who produced
‘Asidevatá.’ This ‘Sword-god’ appeared on the summit of the Himálayas
shaking earth’s foundations and illuminating the sky. Brahma entrusted
the arm, then fifty thumbs long and four thumbs broad, to Shiva
(Rudra), still its supreme deity, in order to free the world from the
Asuras or mighty dæmons. Shiva, after his success, passed it on to
Vishnu, the latter to Marici, and he to Indra. The Air-god conferred
it upon the guardians of the World-quarters, and these to Manu, the
son of the Sun, for use against evil-doers. Since that time it has
remained in his family. The Khadga has a total of nine names: carried
on the left side and handled in thirty-two different ways, the weapon
became a universal favourite. Amongst the four arts to be studied
besides the Káma-Shastra (_Ars Amoris_), women are enjoined by the
Sage Vatsya (Part I. p. 26)[706] to practise with Sword, single-stick,
quarterstaff, and bow and arrow.’
The Ili (hand-sword, p. 17) is two cubits long and five fingers
broad; the front part is curved; there is no hand-guard, and four
movements are peculiar to it. The Prasa, or spear, in some works
becomes a broadsword. The uterine brother of the Sword is the Pattisha
or two-bladed battle-axe. The Asidhenu (dagger), the ‘sister of the
Sword and worn by kings,’ is a three-edged blade, one cubit long, two
thumbs broad, without hand-guard, carried in the belt, and used in
hand-to-hand conflict. The Maushtika (fist-Sword, stiletto[707]) is
only a span long, and thus very handy for all kinds of movements.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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