32 



ON HYGIENE IN 



In the camp of Sandracottus, several centuries later, it is 

 recorded that the greatest regularity prevailed ; his armies ' 

 consisted, it is said, of four hundred thousand men, yet his 

 camps were maintained in good order and discipline ; no 

 useless or disorderly multitudes were tolerated in them, and 

 it is particularly mentioned that theft was extremely rare. 



8. Rules of Combat. — In battle the proceedings of the oppos- 

 ing parties were after this manner. The Kauravas and the 

 Panclavas sallied from their respective camps each morning ; 

 they engaged each other in masses and by single contests ; 

 the survivors on either side returned to their respective camps 

 at sunset and passed the night in perfect security. As to 

 their actual manner of fighting at a distance, each of the 

 contending forces sent showers of arrows at each other ; at 

 closer quarters men fought each other with clubs, knives or 

 swords and clenched fists ; they cut and hewed and wrestled 

 and kicked until the conqueror threw down his adversary ; 

 he then severed the head from the body, carried off the ghastly 

 trophy, sometimes drinking the dripping blood as he went. 



So long as men were actually engaged in actual combat, as 

 we learn of the armies of Arjuna and Krishna, their rule 

 was to slay or be slain, but " when we leave off fighting our 

 people and your people are free to mess together and may 

 come and go to each other's quarters and hold conference 

 together.'' Fugitives, suppliants, drummers and chariot- 

 drivers were treated as non-combatants and not slain. Horse- 

 men were expected to fight with horsemen, riders on elephants 

 with riders on elephants, warriors in chariots with warriors 

 in chariots, foot -men with foot-men. For a man to take up 

 arms against another without first giving warning was deemed 

 unfair ; the use of a poisoned or barbed arrow was held to be 

 against the laws of Manu ; it was contrary to rule for a third 

 person to interfere between two while engaged against each 

 other in the actual fight. Quarter was given to women, to 



