176 



ON THE WEAPONS USED 



a sword (khadga), a bow (dhanu), and a discus (cakra) ; in his 

 four arms on the left are a hundred-killer (sataghrii), a club 

 (gada), a spear (mla), and a battle axe (patiisa). His crest 

 is provided with charms ; his body is polity ; his armour is a 

 spell; his heart represents withdrawing spells; his two earrings 

 are the weapons and missiles ; his ornaments are the various 

 war movements ; his eyes are yellow ; he is girt with the 

 garland of victory, and he rides on a bull. 12 



The spell which effects the destruction of one's enemies 

 and which grants victory is as follows : Om namo bhagavate 

 dham dhanurvedaya mam raksa raksa mama satrun bhaksaya 

 bhaksaya hum pat sva ha [i.e., " Om salutation to the dham 

 dhanurveda, protect, protect me, devour, devour my enemies 

 hum pat sva ha." If these 32 syllables are 32,000 times 

 repeated the supplication will be successful. 13 



The arms are divided, according to their nature, into mukta 

 or those which are thrown, amvkta or those which are not 

 thrown, mvMamukta or those which are either thrown or not 

 thrown, and into mantramuMa or those which are thrown by 



13 See Nitiprakasika, II, 1-4. 



1. Catuspacca dhanurvedo raktavarnascaturmukhah 

 aetabalm strinetrasca safikhyayanasagotravan. 



2. Vajram khadgo dhanuscakram daksabahucatustaye 

 sataghnlca gadasulapattisa vamaliahusu. 



3. Prayogakotirayuto nltyango mantrakaacukah 

 upasaihharahrdayassastrastrobhayakuipdalah. 



4. Anekavalgitakarabhuaanah pifigaleksanah 

 jayamalaparivrto vrsarudassa ucyate. 



is See Ibidem, II, 5-9. 



5. Etammantram pravaksyami vairijalanikrntunam 

 atmasainyasvapakfcanam atmanascabhiraksakam. 



6 . Adau pranavam uccarya na ma ityaksare tatah 

 vateti bhagapurvam dham dhanurvedaya coccaret. 



7. Mam raksa raksetyuccarya mama satrun atho vadet 

 bhaksayeti dviruccarya hum pat sva hetyathoccaret. 



8. Aham evam rsiscasya gayatri chanda ucyate 

 mahesvaro devatasya viniyogo'rinigrahe. 



9. Dvatrimsadvarnakamanum varnasankhyasahasr;ikaih 

 japitva siddhim apnoti ripunscapyadhitiethati. 



The expression dham dhanurveda is formed in the same way as Earn 

 Rdma, Vim Vijncsvaro, &c. 



