________________
372
A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAN
royal girls in the water-reservoirs (vāvi) in garden. These watersports were so common in ancient India that the kings (princes along with their damsels usually took delight in visiting the gardens and sported there in water-reservoirs. Thus the PCV mentions Mahārakṣa sa, the king of Lankā (5. 218) playing water-sports with damsels in a garden. Prince Angada indulged in water-sports with his beloved in a lotus-pond at Laukā (78. 24). Perhaps it did not matter for them whether they were at their home or somewhere in a foreign land. This practice was so deeply cultivated by the kings and the princes that not only the garden-sites but even the rivers were utilised for water-sports. Rāma and Sitā even during their exile journey did not miss to play water-sports. When Sita found that river Kroñcaravā was a good site for water-sport, she took initiative and requested Rāma for the same (jalamajjanam ramāmo 42. 17). Their sport has been compared with that of a pair of elephants (karīvva samayain kareņue 42. 18). The water was used as a tabor (jalamuravam) and it was beaten to produce pleasing sound. They threw lotuses at each other. King Sahasrakirapa of Māheśvara is described to be libidinously playing water-sports with his damsels in the waters of Narmada. So great was his fondness that some mechanical devices were used to swell the stream (10. 34-45). This sport was sometimes used as a devise to allure a person to worldly life when he developed a feeling detachment (80. 54). Gardens were very popular sites where men and women belonging to different strata of life enjoyed sports. Besides the kings, princes and their wives (28. 8; 86. 34; 6. 100); the common people are also mentioned to be enjoying sports in the gardens (17. 48; 8. 169). Further it may be noted that in Larika separate parks were maintained for the male and female citizens (46. 69-70), and many sport houses were provided for them (kilanaharesu-krīdāgļheșu 46. 76).
Boxing :-The reference to the duels of sight and boxing (ditthijujjham mutthijujjhar 4. 43) which ensued between Bharata and Bahubali can be taken as an allusion to these sports which were patronised by the young men. In the former duel the competitors were required to stare constantly at one another's eyes and one who winked first was declared defeated. The other duel consisted of the striking of the first at one another's body. One who was overpowered and made to fall down on the ground was declared defeated. In this game the foreparts of the hands of the fighters were fitted with leather-coverings (4. 46).
Princely Sports or Subduing the elephants and horses :-It seems that the princes of ancient India were trained in the art of subduing agitated and turbulent elephants. The Paumacariyan
