178 



ON THE WEAFONS USED 



thumb and between the fingers of the bowhand on the back 

 of the bow. 18 



The length of the bow, a.nd consequently also of the arrow, 

 varies. Two strings are generally fixed to a bow, and the 

 archer wears on his left arm a leather protection against the 

 bowstring, and a quiver on his back. Those well skilled in 

 archery distinguish fourteen different movements which can 

 be made when using the bow. In the Agnipurana the bow is 

 declared to be the best weapon. 



In the law book of Manu we read, that one bowman placed 

 on a wall can fight a hundred men, and that a hundred 

 archers can fight ten thousand ; therefore a fort is recom- 

 mended. In the Sukraniti occurs the same verse but instead 

 of the word for bow dhanu that for a missile astra is given, 

 which imparts a wider meaning to the sentence, especially if 

 it is taken to allude to firearms, unless dhanu itself stands for 

 missile in general. 19 



!8 Ibidem, II, 17; and IV, 11-14. 



1 1 . Dhanurveda vidhanena namya vamakarena tat 

 daksinena jyaya yojya prsthe madhye pragrhya tat. 



12. Vaniangustham tadudare prsthe tu caturangullh 

 punkhamadhye jyaya yojya s van gull vivarena tu. 



13. Akarnam tu samakrsya drstim laksye vivesya ca 

 laksyat anyad apasyanstu krtapunkhah prayogavit. 



14. Yada muricet saram vidhye krtahastastadocyate 



evam banah prayoktavyah hyatmaraksyah prayatnatab . 

 19 See Nitiprakasika, II, 17, and IV, 18-20. 



18 Laksyasya pratisandbanam akarsanavikarsane 

 paryakarsanukarsauca mandallkaranam tatba. 



19 Puranam stbaranam caiva dbunanam bbramanam tatha 

 asannad urapatauca prstbamadb y amapatane . 



20 Etani valgitanyahuscaturdasadbanurvidab. 



Compare Sukraniti, Chapter V, si. 152; Agnipurana, 148, 6-37; 149, 

 1-19. 



See Manu, VII, 74, (Hitopadesa, III, 50 Pancatantra, I, 252). 

 74. Ekab satam yodhayati prakarastho dhanurdharah. 

 satam dasa sahasrani tasmat durgam visisyate. 

 and compare these verses with Sukraniti, IV, VI, 10. 

 10. Ekab satam yodhayati durgastho'stradharo yadl 

 satam dasasahasrani tasmat durgam samasrayet. 



A 



