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This kind of elephant may be गौरश्यामातनोश्छवि: mentioned on page 50, śl. 228. This is no doubt auspicious as it leads to victory. But this is not the white elephant described by Someśvara as fait. The autbor following previous writers might have mentioned various things, of course, which he never saw.
Two short sub-adhyāyas viz: Nidhi and Dhatuvāda, Rasāyana in this book ( pp. 69-61 and 63-64 ) are extre mely interestiny. Enriching the Government treasury by the practice of alchemy is really astonishing. Not only ordinary people were keen on alchemy but Rajus and Maharajas also had recourse to such methods.
Where pearls and various kinds of gems are treated of, their defects also are not omitted, and mention is made of the devastating results of possessing such defective pearls and gems. On page 61, śl. 426 Someśvara says that in this Kali-age pearls such as are found in oyster shells only are available. But he enumerates eight different sources of pearls, some altogether mythical, following portaps the tradition of previous writers. In this connection he does not rest content with mentioning the sources only, but also minutely describes the kind of pearls produced from each source. He says in one place (p. 71 śl. 471) that the king should not wear pearls which weigh more than two Kālañjas (equal to 60 Gunjas)
On page 79 things worth storing in a fort are mnen. tioned. In lokas 551 to 555 the author deals with the necessity of keeping in stock stones and sand, serpents in eartben pots,
Aho ! Shrutgyanam
