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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
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कुक्कुट, इन्द्राभ (Molnal) and रक्तवर्त्मक (the Cheer and the Kajil Pheasants as a group as they have red skin surrounding only the eyes which distinguishes them from the Junglefowls which have the whole face and head covered with bare red skin and hence described as a (red faced) in बृहत्संहिता, ६२,१. The महाव्युत्पत्ति २१३ mentions मयूर for the Monal, यहीं Pheasant, and कुक्कुट for the common Junglefowl पद्मपुराण mentions कुक्कुट, शिखी (शिखीनः, crested Pheasants) and मयूर but permits only the last as food शिखी, मयूर and कुक्कुट (crested Pheasants, Peacock and Cock respectively) are mentioned in three consecutive paragraphs of theifel
iassic, as we shall see, is strictly the Peacock Pheasant but the later Purana literature seems to have grouped all the Himalayas Pheasants, principally those that occur in the Central and the Western Himalayas as farsi fa (the Pheasant tribe): -
मत्तकौश्चेमयूराणां नादैरूपधुष्टकन्दरे । जीवञ्जीवक जातीना वीरुधिरूपशोभते ॥ जीवजीवकजातीनां विरावैरूपकूजिते ।
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
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चातकैः प्रियपुत्रेश्य जीवनञ्जीवीकजातिभि: ।
The common name for all Patridges is fafe and for all quails afe through quite a number of well marked species in the both the groups have specific names in Sanskrit. These will be given under each group of birds.
ORIOLES
वायुपुराण, ५४, ३३.
ब्रह्माण्डपुराण, १.२५.२८. ब्रह्मांडपुराण, ६८,१६
The Orioles are beautiful birds of golden-yellow and black plumage except for the Maroon Oriole which is maroon and black. Three varieties of the Oriole, the Black-headed and the Maroon, occur in the North India, the last in the Himalayas only. They are strictly arboreal and keep to the tree tops, rarely descending to the ground. They are very active birds and, though shy and secretive, indulge in aerial games, following each other from tree to tree and darting through the foliage with their bright plumage flashing in the sun. Their voice is a loud mellow whistle of several notes which is heard "alike in garden and forest, greeting the dawn and saluting the parting day." The yellow Orioles of both the species "often build in the same tree as holds a nest of the Black Drongo. That this is by design rather than accident can scarcely be doubted, considering how frequent the occurrence is. It is certain also that by this means the birds must enjoy a degree of protection against marauders like crows and treepies -inveterate stealers of other birds' eggs. The king Crow will tolerate the proximity of his harmless dependents with complacency, but a crow has only to show himself in the precincts of the nest-tree to be furiously set upon and beaten off by the valiant, 'kotwal' and his wife" (Salim Ali). They cat fruits, chiefly the berries of peepul, bunyan and other fig trees.
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The oldest names for the Golden Oriole are to be found in the Rigveda (i) which it shares with the Golden Eagle, and (ii) probably also eft The "i" in the following well known verses are no other than the Golden, or some other Eagle and the Golden Oriole, nesting together on a fig tree, the Oriole, for protection.
Birds in Sanskrit Literature
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