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ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
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of its journey. Though the historiocity of these voyages may not be proved, yet they reveal a sound practical knowledge of the various technical features of shipping.
Ships and Boats—The sea-going vessel was known as ņāva, potas, pavahana*, vahana5 or jānapatta®, and its pilot was called naviga? or nijjamaga. Definite places were reserved in a ship or boat for different purposes. The front portion (purato ) was assigned to a deity ( devayatthāņa ), the guiding deity of the ship', the middle portion ( majjha ) was reserved for the mast ( kūva, kūvaga or simva ), while the pilot ( nijjāmaga ) sat at the back of the ship ( amta ).10 The ship was fitted with ores (alitta ) which had a blade having the shape of a Pippala-leave attached to one of its ends.11 The ship could be steered towards right or left by means of pushing the rudder (vamsa) by feet. "2 People embarked on journey with adequate provisions for food ( gahiya-sambala )13 as the ship had sometimes to sail in the sea for months together.
Apart from the sea-going vessels, there were different types of small and large boats which sailed in the rivers. The ghațaņāva was a kind of boat prepared by tying the earthen
1. NC. 3, p. 269; Brh. Vr. 5, p. 1388. 2. NG. 1, p. 69. 3. NC. 4, p. 400. 4. NC. 3, p. 142. 5. NO. 2, p. 439. 6. NO. 3, p. 269. 7. NO. 3, p. 140. 8. NO. 3, p. 374. 9. Certain gods and goddesses were thought to have been their guiding
deities by the boatsmen. Onc such Devi was Manimckhalā who was considered to be the goddess of pilots and ships in south.--V.S.
Agrawala's intro. to Sārthavāna, p. 4. 10. NC. 3, p. 374; also NC. 1, p. 74. 11. तणुतरं दीहं अलित्तागिती अलित्तं, आसत्थो पिप्पलो तस्स पत्तस्स सरिसो रुंदो पिहो
Hala–NC. 4, p. 209. 12. aa aa aa 34997 Tôn gratë aftar mar tfa-Ibid. 13. NC. 3, p. 140.
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