Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study)
by A. Yamuna Devi | 2012 | 77,297 words | ISBN-13: 9788193658048
This page relates ‘Education (10): Knowledge in Archery’ of the study on the Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (in English) which represents a commentary on the Amarakosha of Amarasimha. These ancient texts belong the Kosha or “lexicography” category of Sanskrit literature which deals with the analysis and meaning of technical words from a variety of subjects, such as cosmology, anatomy, medicine, hygiene. The Amarakosa itself is one of the earliest of such text, dating from the 6th century A.D., while the Amarakoshodghatana is the earliest known commentary on that work.
Education (10): Knowledge in Archery
(a) Pratyālīḍha and Ālīḍha (II. 8. 86; p. 193)–
[The attitudes in shooting:]
Amarakośa mentions that there are five standing postures in shooting arrows mentioning by name only two–pratyālīḍha and ālīḍha[1].
Kṣīrasvāmin defines the term sthāna and mentions the other three as–samapāda, vaiśākha and maṇḍala. He also observes that Bharata in Nāṭyaśāstra (XI. 51) mentions six postures viz., vaiṣṇava, samapāda, vaiśākha, maṇḍala, pratyālīḍha, ālīḍha:
jaṅghayoścāri nivṛttau sthitiḥ sthanakamiti tu viśeṣaḥ |
ālīḍhe bhuvamālīḍham |
ādiśabdātsamapādaṃ vaiśākhaṃ maṇḍalaṃ ca dhanurvedaprasiddham |
bharatastvanyathāha -vaiṣṇavaṃ samapādaṃ ca vaiśākhaṃ maṇḍalaṃ tathā |
pratyalīḍhamathālīḍhaṃ sthanānyetāni ṣaḍ nṛṇām ||[2]
It is interesting to note that while Kṣīrasvāmin gives only five poses in shooting an arrow, he quotes Nāṭyaśāstra which gives six ‘stances’ or postures in shooting an arrow or missile. Again, while Kṣīrasvāmin considers ‘samapāda’ as a posture used in Dhanurveda, Nāṭyaśāstra (XI.59-60) treats it differently; but Nāṭyaśāstra (XI. 52-3) shows that Vaiṣṇava posture is related to archery. Except ‘samapāda’, all the other five are said to be related to archery.