Archaeology and the Mahabharata (Study)
by Gouri Lad | 1978 | 132,756 words
This study examines the Mahabharata from an archaeological perspective. The Maha-Bbharata is an ancient Indian epic written in Sanskrit—it represents a vast literary work with immense cultural and historical significance. This essay aims to use archaeology to verify and contextualize the Mahabharata's material aspects by correlating epic elements w...
Part 9 - Defensive Armour (Kavaca) in the Mahabharata
Defensive armour was known as kavaca (I.124.9; III.38.32; IV.57.4%; V.150.81%; VI.18.8; VII.19.59; VIII.4.37; X.5.35; XI.20.8; XV.30.10%;B XVI.4.2) Varma (1.28.11; III.24.3; IV.30.12; V.29.27; VI.16.19; VII.22.54; VIII.12.56; XI.18.17; XIV.78.14) sannaha (II.49.7; VI.55.29, 72.4, 84.15, 116.6) or sannahana (VII.2.28) tanutra (1.124.21; VI.27.5, 55.118, 69.29) or tanutrana (6., VII.16.23, 36.27; VIII.12.5, 59.26, 65.35).
i dehavarana (III.271.12; VIII.10.29) and = 515 gatravarana (VII.2.28) It was primarily a cuirass, protecting the vulnarable parts of the body, from the shoulders down to the waist. The other limbs were protected by separate units of armour like : 1 sirastrana (VI.31.54. VII.17.22, 64.35; VIII.16.25, 35.5; XI.18.17; 2 jala XIV.78.14, 85.11) (I.17.13) and 3 niryuha V.19.4; VII.64.45), all helmets for the head; 4 kanthatrana (VII.102.56) for the neck; 5 talatra or taltrana (III.38.16; V.155.18; VI.92.59; VIII.14.37; XIV.83.4) for the wrist%;B 6 hastavapa for the palm; and (VI.9.24; VIII.40.24)
= 516 7 angulitra (1.124.8%; III.18.3; IV.5.1; or V.180.8%; VI.102.20) angulitrana (VII.35.23, 43.14; VIII.14.40; X.7.50; XIV.72.8) for the fingers. Of these, the mailcoats and helmets afforded protection against the onslaught of enemy weapons, and were fashioned out of metal. The hastavapa, talatra and angulitra, on the other hand, were protections against own's own bow, and were of leather. The constant friction of the bow-string against the fingers, the palm and the wrist resulted in cuts and gashes. To prevent this the fingers were protected by leather caps, the palm by a square piece of leather tied at the wrist, and the wrist itself by a leather strap tightly wound around the forearm. Different metals such as gold (I.124.9; III.99. 6; IV.30-10; V.150.22; VI.18.8; VII.43.20; VIII.14.31; X.7.11; XI.18.17; XIV.78.14), iron (IV.51, 30.11, 49.25, 57.4%; V.150.81; VI.44.30) and copper (VII.31.17; VIII. 59.26) were used in the manufacture of armour. Many an coats are described as made of pure burnished gold, but in reality must have been of iron with lavish gold decorations. armour In all 5 decorative patterns are listed :
1. Satasurya, a 100 miniature suns (IV.30.12); 2. Satavarta, a 100 concentric circles (IV.30.12); 3. Satabindu, a 100 tiny dots (IV.30.12); 4. Sataksi, a 100 replicas of the human eye (IV.30.12, 14); 5. Satapadmani, a 100 lotuses (IV.30.13). = 517 In all these patterns 100 seems to have been an auspicious number. Conspicuously absent is a "satacandra" or "a 100 crescent" pattern, so common on the sheilds. The, 'satasurya' and the 'satabindu' patterns appear also on the bow, but the 'sataksi' and the 'satavarta' are typical of the armour. So also the floral design of lotuses. On the other hand, animal motifs appearing on bows and quivers, were not depicted on the armour. All these decorative patterns wheather they be on bows, quivers or armours with the only exception of the 'satacandra' pattern on the sheilds, are concentrated in the Virataparva alone (IV.30.12-14, 38.20-24, 27). The highly decorated bows and quivers belonged to the Pandavas and the context in the text where Arjuna, one by one, displays the hidden weapons to Prince Uttara was very well suited for a detailed description of the weapons.
518 The armour-coats, however, did not belong to the Pandavas. They were donned by king Virata of Matsya, his relatives and generals, when they set out to fight the marauding Kaurava army. If the Epic poets could describe them in such vivid details in the context of one battle, they could as well have done so in the context of the Mahabharata war also. But such descriptions of ornamental weapons and armour are conspicuous by their absence in the four main war-books the Bhisma, Drona, Karna and Salya full of small details of weapons. 1 which are otherwise It is, therefore, quite obvious that except for the 'satacandra' pattern, all other decorative patterns appearing on weapons were later additions, inserted in the Virataparva. In addition to gold decorations, armour-coats and helmets were studded with precious stones and jewels like beryls (vaidurya) (1.27.41; VII.2.23). Bhima's iron coat studded with gems appeared like a clear autumn sky, glittering with stars (VIII.8.23). The armour although said to be impenetrable, was in reality often, cut, broken and pierced by sharp arrows (VI.44.30, 55.29, 69.26; VII.36.27, 43.11, 49.21; VIII.65.28). The art of producing genuine impregnable armour was probably known only to a few like Drona, who u passed it on to his favorite pupil Arjuna, who in turn taught it to his son Abhimanyu (VII.47.26). Later as the war progressed, Drona ceremoniously tied an impregnable
= 519 gold armour on the body of Duryodhana, to ally his fears (VII.69.69-71). Not only men, but even horses and elephants were protected by armour plates, which covered the body as well as the face and the forehead (V.83.32, 150.81; VI.55.29, 91.46; VII.2.28, 31.17, 35.34, 63.4; VIII.13. 14, 17.19). The elephants had a mukhatrana for protecting the face (VI.91.46) and their armour was furnished with iron spikes (VI.55.29; XII.101.7). Cow-hide and pythonskin was also thrown over the back of the elephant (XII. 101.6), folds of cow-hide for protection and python-skin for decoration.