Warfare and Military System in Vedic Literature
by Rinki Deka | 2023 | 39,711 words
This page relates ‘Encouragement of Troops’ of the study on Warfare and the Military System of ancient India as gleaned from the Vedic Literature. The purpose of this work is to study the defensive and offensive systems of the Vedic people, including their army divisions, political and administrative systems, use of arms and armours, fortification, ethics and other principles related to warfare; while reflecting the social system and cultural aspects of ancient India.
Encouragement of Troops
Besides the fighters, there were also musicians, drummers, dancers, the camp followers, etc., in every troop of the Vedic warfare. They encouraged the soldiers by rousing their military mettle playing on warlike tune. Various musical instruments like Dundubhi, Bakura, Karkari, etc., which are mentioned above, were used to encourage the soldiers. The loud, deep and sonorous sound of these instruments spread to a long distance and heartened the fighters. It was also used as battle signal, calling upon all fighters to assemble.[1]
Sāyaṇācārya in his commentary on the relevant verse says—
dudubhiḥ ketumat prajñānavat yathā sarvairjñāyate tathā vāvadīti bhṛśaṃ śabdaṃ karoti / aśvaparṇāḥ aśvapatanā aśvavāhāśca naḥ asmadīyāśca naraḥ puruṣāḥ saṃ caranti śatrubhiryuddhamānā vartante//[2]
The dancers danced in their wild excitement, keeping tune with the loud and sonorous sound of the war-drums, before the battle took place. In the Ṛgveda-saṃhitā, there is clear description of Indra dancing in the battlefield.[3]
Sāyaṇācārya in his commentary on the relevant verse says—
he indra nṛto raṇe nartanaśīla tvaṃ dāśuṣe havirdattavate pūrave abhimatapūrakāya/[4]
The dancer danced the weird wardance to encourage the warriors to fight bravely in the battlefield. They danced not only to excite and encourage themselves and their comrades to fight bravely, but also to terrify the enemy with loud yells. The army was led by the Senānī on horseback, so as to make himself to all visible.[5] The victorious hero’s horse galloped in all directions urged by the rider to encourage the fighters by his presence.[6] The Atharvaveda-saṃhitā also contains a verse by which the warriors are encouraged in the battlefield.[7]
In the Vedic period, the king was encouraged in battle by the Purohita with prayers and mantras. In the Ṛgveda-saṃhitā, it is described how the soldiers were encouraged to imitate the war-like gods like Indra in order to be victorious in the battlefield.[8] Later in the Epic period also, the kings, general and priests delivered lengthy and. aggressive speech to rouse the troops to heroism and stir them to action.[9] The Purohita performed the various rites and offered oblations to various gods to encourage and to protect the fighters and to win the victories, which are discussed below.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
āmūraja pratyāvartayemāḥ ketumaddundubhirvāvadīti / samaśvparṇāścaranti no naro’smākamindra rathino jayantu // Ṛgveda-saṃhitā , 6.47.31
[3]:
bhinatpuro navatimindra pūrave divodāsāya mahi dāśuṣe nṛto vajreṇa dāśuṣe nṛto // Ṛgveda-saṃhitā , 1.130.7
[4]:
Sāyaṇa, Ibid.
[6]:
[7]:
[8]:
Ṛgveda-saṃhitā , 10.103.10-13
[9]:
Mahābhārata , 6.17.5-6 Also vide, Ibid., 12.100.32