________________
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
According to Dr. Om Prakash'
There is no reference to tâmbüla in the Vedic Samhitäs, the Brahmanas and the Sutras. Even the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahabharata and the Smṛtis of Manu and Yajñavalkya make no mention of it. This conclusively proves that the custom was not prevalent among the Vedic Aryans.
393
According to Dr. K.A.N. Shastri the habit of eating betel leaves with lime and arecanut perhaps came into use after the Samgam Age. But the custom may be prior to 200 B.C. as there are references to it in some of the carly Buddhist and Jain works. Kautilya (II,17.6) mentions betel nut but does not refer to the custom of betel chewing. Caraka, Kasyapa and Suśruta refer to the practice and Caraka mentions all the ingredients used in the preparation of betel leaves such as arecanut, cube pepper, cloves, nutmegs and cardamom. The Kamasutra (I, 5.34), the Bṛhatsaṁhită, the Kuṭṭanimata verse 148 and Raghuvaṁśa refer to the custom. Dandi Subandhu and Bāņa mention it.
The custom may be a Tantricone. J.S. Pade (JORI Baroda, Vol. VII, 1957-58) thinks that it was prevalent among the Südras from the earliest times but was adopted by the Kṣatriyas and Vaiśyas when they gave up Vedic Samskaras and were initiated by the Brahmaṇas into the Tantric cult. According to Śrī Pade, since then the use of Tambüla became popular among all sections of the Hindu society.
8. PASTIMES AND SPORTS
Dhanapala has referred to the swing ride entailing the journey in the different quarters as a favourite pastime of men and women of Ayodhya.2
He has referred to the diverse personal sports and sources of regalement of King Meghavahana who delegating all powers of responsibility to his able counsellors took to them in order to achieve the accomplishment of Trivarga i.e. Dharma, Artha and Kama, the three main values of life.
"Sometimes he acted like Langali or the plough-shared one i.e. Balarama, with body unmasked in azure garments and attracted afar the loving maidens during the nights of the dark fortnights, with their limbs anointed with fresh unguents and deer-musk as did the latter carry after the currents of water of Kalindi i.c. Yamuna. Sometimes he took to water-sports being sprayed having come again and again by the ladies of the harem carrying a variety of conches and shells, being himself attractive with the
1. Food and Drinks in Ancient India pp 253-254.
2. दोलाक्रीडासु दिगन्तरयात्रा।
