Part 2 - Piercing Weapons in the Mahabharata

[Full title: Piercing Weapons in the Mahabharata (2) Spear-like weapons]

To the second group of piercing weapons belong a variety of spears and spear-like weapons. 1 Spears Spears 2 Sula and Trisula 3 Pattisa 4 Ankusa The Mahabharata describes a number of spears :- (i) Sakti: was one of the most favorite weapons of Besides the bow and the arrow, it was the this group. most formidable weapon of the chariot-warrior and was often refered to as rathasakti (VII.31.55, 99.24, 102.92;

X.6.12). = 476 Its blade was made of iron while the shaft was of gold (III.157.61-62; VI.45.38; VII.82.15, 90.19), often adorned with gems such as corals and beryls (VI.107.11%; VII.13.75, 108.20; IX.16.37-46). Small golden bells (kinkinis) and cloth banners (patakas) were also attached to the shaft (III.270.3; VII.81.28; VIII.10.25; IX.16. 37-46). This description is likely to appear a bit fanciful, but there are later sculptural depictions which confirm the truth of the Epic words. A long spear from Ajanta has a rectangular banner attached to the shaft at the joint with the head (Dhavalikar 1973:304), and similarly a sculpture of Pancika, Kubera's general from Gandhara, shows him holding a long and a heavy spear with a bell attached to the joint of the shaft and the head The sakti was a dreaded weapon, compared to the sceptre of Yama, the god of death, and to the black-magic chant of the Atharvaveda (VI.107.11, IX.16. 43 ). Some of the saktis were endowed with divine origins. Karna received from Indra, in return for his armour and earrings, a special sakti, whose onslaught neither the humans nor the gods or demons could withstand (1.104.20). Karna employed it to kill Ghatotkaca who was creating havoc in the Kaurava army (VII.154.52-54). With another sakti, designed by Tvastra for Lord Siva, and which was kept on

= 477 an expensive seat and worshipped with flower-garlands, sandal-paste and offerings of food and drink, Yudhisthira killed his maternal uncle Salya (IX.16-37.46). Some of the Saktis were larger than the usual ones and are refered to as 'mahasakti' (III.270.3; VI.88. 4; VIII.20-29). Some others compared to a Nagakanya, were tipped with a deadly poison (VI.100.29; IX.9.37). There were even saktis fitted with nooses and lassos (VII.154. 54). On a few occasions, a sakti was dipped in some inflammable matter and set on fire before being hurled (V.185.5; VI.114.62; VII.154.54; VIII.20-29). These additional devices rendered the sakti all the more frightening. The sakti was hurled by the hand with the intention of knocking the enemy dead. Many an important warriors, like Prince Uttara, succumbed to the sakti during the Mahabharata war (VI.45.38). In most cases, however, the sakti was cut down or blown into bits, in mid-air, by a barrage of arrows (VI.100.29, 107.11; VII.27.9, 90.19, 99.18; VIII.10.25). On the other hand, a fearless warrior like Abhimanyu even jumped up into the air and caught midway the sakti hurled at him by Salya, and then threw it back knocking Salya down from his chariot and killing his charioteer (VII.13.75). This was an unusual feat, equalled only by Bhima (VII.130. 27). The sakti was a long and heavy weapon, and normally it took great strength on the part of a warrior to discharge

= 478 it with speed (VII.82.15; IX.16.46), but when a sakti hit its target, it always proved fatal (VI.45.38; VII. 82.15-16; IX.16.38). (ii) Tomara : like sakti, consisted of an ironblade and a golden shaft (VII.140.36%; VIII.8.31, 19.13, 62.38; IX.12.18), but was much less heavier, so that a warrior could discharge with great speed 7 to 14 tomaras at a time (VI.50.28, 79.34; VIII.8.24). Rarely did the attack prove fatal. The wound was generally skin-deep, which the warrior could easily ignore. Bhima pulled out Salya's tomara lodged in his chest, and threw it back with great vigour to kill his charioteer (IX.10.52). Satyasena's tomara cut through the left arm of Krsna and the whip dropped from his hand, but the very next moment he was back at his job (VIII.19.12). Yudhisthira hit Karna on the forehead with four consequtive tomaras and for a while Karna seemed to collapse, but regained immediately and fought back (VIII.33.33). such examples. The tomara was, however, sharp enough to pierce through the metal armour and proved fatal at least in one instance (VIII.10.28). Generally, it was cut down in mid-air by a barrage of arrows (VI.50.28%; VII.28.7). There are many Unlike the sakti, the tomara was used not only by the car-warrior, but also by the cavalry and infantry soldiers (VI.89.33; 92.69. III.152.16). It was, however, more effective from the elephant, as well as against the

479 l elephant (IV.31.3; VI.17.33, 44.11, 67.35, 91.45; VIII. 43.72; IX.8.25). Being smaller and fighter, it could be used with better results when hurled from a height. (iii) Prasa: was a light spear, employed mostly by the cavalry (VI.89.38, 101.18%; VII.85.73, 140.21; VIII.17. 109, 31.12). It consisted of an iron blade and a wooden shaft, which was often decorated with gold (VI.44.25, 92. 49; VII.35.24; VIII.14.31; IX.27.49). The prasas were used in very large numbers. At one stage of the battle, when the sky was so loaded with them, flying from one end of the battlefield to the other, that it appeared as if a horde of locusts had descended upon the earth (IX.22.45). (iv) Rsti: a javelin, often adorned with gold (I. 186.7%; VI.92.49%; VIII.14.32) was also carried by cavalry soldiers (VI.77.13; VII.140.21). (v) Bhindipala : was often used against the elephants along with the tomara (VI.44.14, 87.14). (vi) Kampana: (VI.53.18; VII.35.24; VIII.58.11) (vii) Nakhara: (VI.18.17; VII.18.32; VIII.21.5) (viii) Karpana: (1.63.18) (ix) Kunta : (VI.92.56; VII.35.25; VIII.16.10) and (x) Kanapa (1.218.24; VI.50.49; VIII.36.3) a few other types of spears and javelins, known to the Mahabharata Of these nakhara seems to have been closely allied with the prasa (VI.18.17; VII.85.73; VIII.14.37; XV.30.4).

= 480 (xi) Bhusundi: too, was a missile weapon, refered to frequently, but it is difficult to envisage its exact shape (1.186.7; III.167.3; VI.114.2; VII.131.34). Of all these 11 varities, the prominent ones were the sakti for the chariot-warrior, tomara for the elephant corps and prasa for the cavalry, the last two being carried by the infantry soldiers also. Rsti, the ancient Vedic javelin, carried by the Maruts in the Rgveda, is often mentioned but mostly in a group of weapons (VI.16.27; VII.18.33; VIII.19.25) and not individually. The same is true of the bhindipala (VI.53. 13; VII.64.45; VIII.16.29). The others are insignificant, simply enumerated a few times and always in a group. Sula The sula was an iron spike, with a very sharppointed head, a highly polished, shining surface which was sometimes decorated with gold (III.166.14.190.64; VI.91.59). Originally the sula must have been a hunting weapon. In a very suggestive simile, Arjuna boasts that he will attack Lord Siva, disguised as a Kirata, merely with the tapering end of his bow, as if he were an elephant hunted down with a pointed sula (III.22.2). The sula was hurled by the hand like a spear, and was similarly often cut-down in mid-air by arrows or blunted with a mace (III.157.65%; VI.91.59; IX.20.23-24). If a sula

481 could be cut down with arrows, it is more likely that it had a wooden handle, vulnarable to cutting and splitting, attached to an iron fore-part. The use of this crude weapon in the Mahabharata war is very restricted. Individually it is used only a few times (III.157.52, 55, 65; VI.91. 59; VII.68.13; IX.20.23-24) and is mostly enumerated in a group of weapons (VI.87.14; VII.131, 68%; VIII.7.8-10; IX.20.17). Of great interest, however, is the association of the sula with Raksasas, Yaksas, Gandharvas, and Mlecchas or else with the gods Siva and Kartikeya and their ganas (I.201.13; III.156.24, 157.55, 190.67; VII.97.39; IX.44. 101; X.7.28). During the Mahabharata war too, it is the raksasas Ghatotkaca and Iravanta and their followers who alone are armed with sulas (VI.86.52, 87.6, 14, 91.59). The only two exceptions in the entire Epic are Krtavarma attacking Satyaki (IX.20.22-23) and Achyutayu attacking Arjuna with Jun a sula (VII.68.13). Trisula J Or the trident, was a three-pronged variety of the sula, rather rare in the Mahabharata Unlike the sula, it is weilded by the devas (1.27.43) as well as the raksasas (III.167.20) and unlike in later times, it is not the weapon of Siva alone (VII.173.33), but is also associated with Kalki, the last incarnation of Visnu yet to come

a (III.189.4). However, it is not purely/mythical weapon, for Karna too was armed with it (VIII.27.34). Pattisa was a rather common weapon, mentioned much more frequently than the sula (1.203.3; III.21.32; IV.31.9; VI.92.56; VII.43.14; VIII.16.9; IX.44.46; X.17.48; XIII. 112.8). In all probability it was also an iron spike, but it is almost impossible to make any further guess about its shape and size, since it is rarely used on its own, and is mostly enumerated with other weapons in a group. All one can say is that it was a weapon hurled by the hand and often blown into bits with arrows by a skilled archer (VI.109.37). 482 Ankusa was primarily a good for controlling the elephant (III.27.15), but it was also a weapon in the Mahabharata It occurs twice along with the tomara, light spears used by the elephant-men (IV.31.3; VI.44.39). Huge ankusas are also listed along with other weapons in Karna's bitter fight against the Pandava army (VIII.16.10). However, there is only one clear reference to an ankusa being used as an effective weapon (VII.28.16). Bhagadatta hurled the powerful Vaisnavastra aiming at the chest of Arjuna

483 but Krsna sheilding him, took it on his chest and converted it into a Vaijayanti garland. This dreaded astra was nothing but an ankusa, discharged to the accompaniment of spells and chants. Bhagadatta was the king of Pragjyotisa, rulling over the Mlecchas of the Eastern coast. He supplied the foreign Cinas and the tribal Kiratas to the Kaurava army (II ( I. 19. 14-15 ). He was an expert car-warrior, but also an equally skilled elephant-rider, who prefered to fight from his elephant rather than his chariot. He is described as 'gajankusadharo srestho', the foremost amongst the weilders of an elephant good (1.164.35 ). The exact location of the city of Pragjyotisa is not known, although it is traditionally believed to be in Assam, a region well-known even today for its elephants. One thing, however, is certain that the ankusa was not a typical weapon of the Mahabharata It consisted of a semi-circular hook of iron, with a very sharp point, and was attached, like an axe, to the right side of the handle. Some of the ankusas were elaborately and expensively made, with gold handles studded with beryls and other precious stones (VIII.14.47).