1850.] Brahminical Conquerors of India. 17 



sharp weapons concealed in wood, nor with arrows mischievously 

 barbed, nor with poisoned arrows, nor with darts blazing with fire." 

 (SI. 91.) " Nor let him in a car or on horseback, strike his enemy 

 alighted on the ground ; nor an effeminate man ; nor one who sues for 

 life with closed palms ; nor one whose hair is loose and obstructs his 

 sight ; nor one who sits down fatigued ; nor one who says, I am thy 

 captive." (SI. 92.) " Nor one who sleeps ; nor one who has lost his 

 coat of mail ; nor one who is marked ; nor one who is disarmed ; nor 

 one who is a spectator, but not a combatant ; nor one who is fighting 

 with another man." (SI. 93.) "Calling to mind the duty of honour- 

 able men, let him never slay one who has broken his weapon ; nor one 

 who is afflicted with private sorrow ; nor one who has been grievously 

 wounded ; nor one who is terrified ; nor one who turns his back." It 

 is impossible for any code of the most exalted chivalry to exceed in ge- 

 nerosity, the noble temper of these prohibitions, and we must acknow- 

 ledge that the people among whom such laws were current, must have 

 attained a very high degree of civilization. 



The great Sanskrit epic of the Mahabharat abounds in expositions 

 of the armament and tactical arrangement of the early Hindus.* It 



* By the assistance of a Sanskrit scholar of eminence Babu Neel Rutna Haldar, 

 and of a very able and intelligent pundit Saroda Prashad, long employed by the 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, I have been able to prepare the following translated 

 instances of what is stated above, from the Sections of the poem termed Bhishma 

 and Drona Parva. 



11 O ! Great king, now the hero (Arjuna) formed on both wings a disposition 

 called Sringataka (the shape of a triple peaked mountain), which was very strong 

 and capable of breaking that of the enemy. 



On either horn of the array were placed Bhima Sena and Satyaki, the great 

 charioteer, with many thousands of cars, horses, and infantry. 



Within the double boat-shaped force stood the king of men, Arjuna, whose 

 horses were white, and whose flag was distinguished by (the symbol of) the monkey ; 

 in the centre the Raja. Yud'histhira, and the two sons of Madri (Nakula and 

 Sahadeva ") Vol. II. (Calcutta Ed.) p. 465. Bhishma Parva. 



" By Bharadwaja (Drona) was formed a disposition in the shape of a car with 

 wheels, which extended twelve coss in length, and five in breadth. 



This array was formed by Drona himself with a number of different valiant 

 Rajas, who were placed therein, in different positions, and with numerous cars, 

 horses, elephants, and infantry. 



In rear of this disposition, drawn in the shape of the lotus, was formed a central 

 D 



