﻿164 ON THE INDIAN 



quest. First, <c When any one king has placed himself 

 " on the square of another king, which advantage is 

 " called Sinhasana, or the throne t he wins a stake j 

 *,? which is doubled, if he kills the adverse monarch 

 " when he seizes his place ; and, if he can seat himself 

 i( on the throne of his ally, he takes the command of 

 tf the whole army/' Secondly, " If he can occupy sue- 

 *' cessively the thrones of all the three princes, he ob- 

 " tains the victory, which is named Chaturaj'i; and the 

 <* stake is doubled if he kill the last of the three just 

 " before he takes possession of his throne j but if he 

 " kill him on his throne, the stake is quadrupled." 

 Thus, as the commentator remarks, in a real warfare, a 

 king may be considered as victorious when he seizes 

 the metropolis of his adversary -, but if he can destroy 

 his foe, he displays greater heroism, and relieves his 

 people from any further solicitude. " Both in gaining 

 " the Sinhasana and the Chaturaji" says Vyasa, ie the 

 " king must be supported by the elephants, or all the 

 " forces united." Thirdly, t( When one player has 

 " his own king on the board, but the king of his 

 11 partner has been taken, he may replace his captive 

 " ally, if he can seize both the adverse kings ; or, if 

 " he cannot effect their capture, he may exchange his 

 " king for one of them, against the general rule, 

 " and thus redeem the allied prince, who will supply 

 " his place." This advantage has the name of Nri- 

 pacrishta, or recovered by the king ; and the Nauca- 

 cr'ishta seems to be analogous to it, but confined ro 

 the case of ships. Fourthly, " If a pawn can march 

 " to any square on the opposite extremity of the board, 

 s< except that of the king or that of the ship, he as- 

 *' sumes whatever power belonged to that square ; and 

 tc this promotion is called Shatpada, or the six strides ." 

 litre we find the rule, with a singular exception, con- 

 cerning the advancement of the pawns, which often 

 occasions a most interesting struggle at our common 

 chess, and which has furnished the poets and moralists 



