Indian Antiquary Vol 62

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 21

JANUARY, 1033 ]
CLEANINGS FROM SANSKRIT LITERATURE
15
Comment. The extract supplies the important information that the Hindu armies of the period were largely composed of forces levied by village officials and provincial governors. Taken in conjunction with the last passage, it tells us further that the village officers and provincial governors woro entrusted not merely with revenue, but with military duties also, suggesting that there was no separation of civil and military powers in the Hindu administration of the ninth century.
3. यथाहि बहवः पुरुषाः शाक्तीकयाष्टीकधानुष्ककााणिकाः कृतसङ्केताः परावस्कन्दनाय प्रवृत्ताः ।
Translation. For instance, a number of persons wielding lances, staves, bows, and swords unite for suppressing a common enemy.
Comment.-It appears from this passage that lanccs, staves, bows, and swords were the chief weapons of the Indian armies of the period.
Status of Women. 4. (a) “ 24991arg, " 291 ganegarai Tatue 7 qrafat Is (b) सुकुमारतर तातिपेशलता, परपुरुषदर्शनासहिष्णुतेति यावत् । असूर्यपश्या हि कूलवधूरतिमन्दाक्षमन्थरा
प्रमादाद् विगजितसिचयाचना चेदालोक्यते परपुरुषेण, तदासौ तथा प्रयतते, पप्रमत्तां यथैना
परपुरुषान्तराणि न पुनः पश्यन्ति । " Translation.-(a) "From intervention "-e.g., one cannot see the queens behind the walls.
(6) By modesty hore is meant delicacy (of manners), the inability to suffer exposure to tho Puruşa's view. As a well-bred lady, invisible (even) to the sun, with her eyes cast down, having her body uncovered by chance, happening to be soon by a stranger, trics to hido hersolf in such a way as not to be soon again; so Nature even more modest than such a lady-having once beon seen by the Puruşa, will in no case, show herself again.
Comment. These two extracts point to the strictness of the parda system in the ninth century. Specially remarkable in this connection is Vachaspati Misra's explanation of the term sukumáratarald. Being wholly different from that of Gaudapáda,' an earlier commentator on the Sankhya-kdrika, it is, we think, illustrative of the social condition of the period. 5. (a) तद्यथा एकैव स्त्री रूपयौवनवुनसंपन्ना स्वामिनं सुखाकरोति, तत्कस्य हेतोः! स्वामिनं प्रति तस्याः
सुखरूपसमुद्भवात् । सैवस्त्री सपनीर्दुःखाकरोति, तत् कस्य हेतोः? ताःप्रति तस्या दुखरूपसमुद्भवात् ।। (6) एवं संपनीजनस्य तस्यां द्वेषः स्त्रीप्रत्ययस्य दुखत्वे । एवं मैत्रस्य तस्या भर्तृ रागस्तस्यैव स्त्रीप्रत्ययस्य
prece ! Translation.-(a) A single girl, young, beautiful, gentle and virtuous, is a source of de. light to her husband, bocause with regard to him. she is born with her essence consisting in pleasure. She pains her co-wivos, because, with regard to them, she is born with her essence consisting in pain.
(6) For instance, her co-wives are hostile to hor, bocause she, being a woman, is a cause of pain to them. (On the other hand) her husband Maitra has love for her, because that very idea of her being a woman is a source of pleasure to him.
Comment. Perhaps little comment is needed to show that many Indians of the ninth century were polygamous, and that generally one co-wife was jealous of another.
4 Ibid.
Ibid., p. 18, 11. 8-9. 6 Ibid., p. 74, 1. 21, to p. 75, 1. 1.
7 moa: 1540 pianinfarin Tara (Gaurlapada-bhdaya, editod and translated by H. H. Wilson, published by Rajaram Tookaram, Bombay, 1924, p. 232, 1. 14.)
8 Samkhya-tattva-kaumuli, edition cited above, p. 31, 1. 23, to p. 32, 1. 3. 9 Tuttva-vaiddradt, Anandabrama edition, Poonu, 1919, r. 101, 1.2, of commentary.