04-04-2006, 03:10 AM
A quick note: The chapters 2.3 and 2.18 of the arthashAstra, respectively on the provisions for fortification and the weapons to be collected by the military superintendent, provide brief accounts of weapons. I append the Sanskrit verses. I will translate later.
2.3.34 tAsu pAShANa.kuddAlAH kuThArI.kANDa.kalpanAH /
2.3.34 buShuNDI mudgarA daNDAsh.h chakra yantra *shataghnayaH* //
2.3.35 kAryAH kArmArikAH shUlA vedhana agrAsh.h cha *veNavaH* /
2.3.35 *uShTra-grIvyo.agni samyogAH* kupya kalpe cha yo vidhiH //
Some points of note here:
-The shataghni is clearly described as a weapon used to defend the fort along with the chakra-yantra or the wheel driven weapon. It is the same chakra yantra described in the kAla chakra tantra.
-A weapon to hurl tridents through the mouth of tubes is mentioned too in the defense of forts.
-Another peculiar weapon mentioned here is the "camel-neck" which supposed to deploy fire around moats.
2.18.05 sarvato-bhadra jAmadagnya bahu-mukha vishvAsa ghAti saMghATI yAnaka parjanyaka bAhu Urdhva bAhv.h ardha bAhUni sthita yantrANi //
2.18.06 pA~nchAlika deva daNDa sUkarikA musala yaShTi hasti-vAraka tAla vR^inta mudgara gadA spR^iktalA kuddAla AsphATima utpATima udghATima shataghni trishUla chakrANi chala yantrANi //
2.18.07 shakti prAsa kunta hATaka bhiNDipAla shUla tomara varAha-karNa kaNaya karpaNa trAsika AdIni cha hula-mukhAni //
2.18.08 tAla chApa dArava shAr~NgANi kArmuka kodaNDa drUNA dhanUMShi //
2.18.09 mUrvA arka shana gavedhu veNu snAyUni jyAH //
2.18.10 veNu shara shalAkA daNDa Asana nArAchAsh.h cha^iShavaH //
2.18.11 teShAM mukhAni Chedana bhedana tADanAny.h Ayasa asthi dAravANi //
2.18.12 nistriMsha maNDala agra asi yaShTayaH khaDgAH //
2.18.13 khaDga mahiSha vAraNa viShANa dAru veNu mUlAni tsaravaH //
2.18.14 parashu kuThAra paTTasha khanitra kuddAla krakacha kANDach ChedanAH kShura kalpAH //
2.18.15 yantra goShpaNa muShTi pAShANa rochanI dR^iShadash.h cha.ashma AyudhAni //
2.18.16 loha jAlikA paTTa kavacha sUtra ka~NkaTa shiMshumAraka khaDgi dhenuka hasti go charma khura shR^i~Nga saMghAtaM varmANi //
2.18.17 shiras.h trANa kaNTha trANa kUrpAsa ka~nchuka vAra vANa paTTa nAga udarikAH peTI charma hasti karNa tAla mUla dhamani kAka pATa kiTikA apratihata balAha kAntAsh.h cha.AvaraNANi //
2.18.18 hasti ratha vAjinAM yogyA bhANDam.h AlaMkArikaM samnAha kalpanAsh.h cha^upakaraNAni //
2.18.19 aindrajAlikam.h aupaniShadikaM cha karma //
The tAla-vR^inta and hasti-vAraka are mentioned here are not ballistas. The tAla-vR^inta is a large bolt with spiked gates that is used to blockade the entry to forts. The hasti-vAraka is a spiked shield used to block charging elephants. I believe the chInas and Mongols also deployed similar blocades.
The sUkarikA and the spR^iktalA are hooks/spikes that are used against legs of men, horses, oxen and elephants. The veNushara is the tube discharged arrow- possibly similar to what the chInas also used.
More later
2.3.34 tAsu pAShANa.kuddAlAH kuThArI.kANDa.kalpanAH /
2.3.34 buShuNDI mudgarA daNDAsh.h chakra yantra *shataghnayaH* //
2.3.35 kAryAH kArmArikAH shUlA vedhana agrAsh.h cha *veNavaH* /
2.3.35 *uShTra-grIvyo.agni samyogAH* kupya kalpe cha yo vidhiH //
Some points of note here:
-The shataghni is clearly described as a weapon used to defend the fort along with the chakra-yantra or the wheel driven weapon. It is the same chakra yantra described in the kAla chakra tantra.
-A weapon to hurl tridents through the mouth of tubes is mentioned too in the defense of forts.
-Another peculiar weapon mentioned here is the "camel-neck" which supposed to deploy fire around moats.
2.18.05 sarvato-bhadra jAmadagnya bahu-mukha vishvAsa ghAti saMghATI yAnaka parjanyaka bAhu Urdhva bAhv.h ardha bAhUni sthita yantrANi //
2.18.06 pA~nchAlika deva daNDa sUkarikA musala yaShTi hasti-vAraka tAla vR^inta mudgara gadA spR^iktalA kuddAla AsphATima utpATima udghATima shataghni trishUla chakrANi chala yantrANi //
2.18.07 shakti prAsa kunta hATaka bhiNDipAla shUla tomara varAha-karNa kaNaya karpaNa trAsika AdIni cha hula-mukhAni //
2.18.08 tAla chApa dArava shAr~NgANi kArmuka kodaNDa drUNA dhanUMShi //
2.18.09 mUrvA arka shana gavedhu veNu snAyUni jyAH //
2.18.10 veNu shara shalAkA daNDa Asana nArAchAsh.h cha^iShavaH //
2.18.11 teShAM mukhAni Chedana bhedana tADanAny.h Ayasa asthi dAravANi //
2.18.12 nistriMsha maNDala agra asi yaShTayaH khaDgAH //
2.18.13 khaDga mahiSha vAraNa viShANa dAru veNu mUlAni tsaravaH //
2.18.14 parashu kuThAra paTTasha khanitra kuddAla krakacha kANDach ChedanAH kShura kalpAH //
2.18.15 yantra goShpaNa muShTi pAShANa rochanI dR^iShadash.h cha.ashma AyudhAni //
2.18.16 loha jAlikA paTTa kavacha sUtra ka~NkaTa shiMshumAraka khaDgi dhenuka hasti go charma khura shR^i~Nga saMghAtaM varmANi //
2.18.17 shiras.h trANa kaNTha trANa kUrpAsa ka~nchuka vAra vANa paTTa nAga udarikAH peTI charma hasti karNa tAla mUla dhamani kAka pATa kiTikA apratihata balAha kAntAsh.h cha.AvaraNANi //
2.18.18 hasti ratha vAjinAM yogyA bhANDam.h AlaMkArikaM samnAha kalpanAsh.h cha^upakaraNAni //
2.18.19 aindrajAlikam.h aupaniShadikaM cha karma //
The tAla-vR^inta and hasti-vAraka are mentioned here are not ballistas. The tAla-vR^inta is a large bolt with spiked gates that is used to blockade the entry to forts. The hasti-vAraka is a spiked shield used to block charging elephants. I believe the chInas and Mongols also deployed similar blocades.
The sUkarikA and the spR^iktalA are hooks/spikes that are used against legs of men, horses, oxen and elephants. The veNushara is the tube discharged arrow- possibly similar to what the chInas also used.
More later