190 



ON THE WEAPONS USED 



His request was granted, and Dadhici advised the gods to 

 let a cow lick his body until the bones which represented 

 their arms were laid free. This was done. Out of the thirty- 

 one bones of Dadhiei's body arose thirty-one weapons, and his 

 backbone, the thirty-second bone, was transformed into the 

 thirty-second weapon, Indra's thunderbolt. 53 Provided with 

 these weapons, which had assumed the shape of the bones 

 from which they originated, the gods went to encounter the 

 demons again, who could not withstand this time the assault 

 of the gods. 



But the mouth of the cow, as it had been guilty of the 

 great sin of Brahman-murder, became henceforth an object 

 of abhorrence to the pious ; and up to this day orthodox 

 Brahmans when meeting a cow, try to avoid looking at its 

 head, and endeavour to let their eyes fall previously on the 

 hinder part of its body. 54 



One of the most important weapons, the khadga or asi 9 i.e., 

 the sword, is not included in these two lists, because being 

 created separately and specially by Brahma, it was regarded 

 as a superior weapon altogether. 



The high estimation in which the khadga was held by 

 Yaisampayana is not apparent in the Agnipurana, where it 

 is classed as a rather inferior weapon. Tradition says that 

 it was given to Indra to be used against the Asuras. 

 According to its nature the khadga belongs to the second or 

 amukta class. 55 



83 See Ibidem II. 43-60 ; Mahabharata, V, 8695 ; IX, 2949, &c. 



54 See Ibidem, II. 54, 55. 



54. Gomukham brahmahatyapi vivesa nrpasattama 

 devasantosanat lokan sasvatan sa rsiryayau. 



55. Tadaprabhrti loka vai na pasyantiha gomukham 

 pratah purusasardula taddoeagatamanasah. 



55 See Agnipurana, 148, v. 5 and 8. 



5. Khadgadikam amuktam ca niyuddham vigatayudham. 

 8, Tani khadgajaghanyani bahupratyavaraci ca. 



