Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)
by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words
This page relates ‘Description of Machines and Tools’ of the English study on the Harshacharita: A Sanskrit (poetical work) which can be studied as a Historical book of Indian society during the 7th century. It was originally written by Banabhatta who based his Harsacarita on the life of the Gupta emperor Harshavardhana. This study researches the religion, philosophy, flora and fauna and society of ancient India as reflected in the Harsha-Charita.
18. Description of Machines and Tools
There were many types of machines used by the people of 7th century A.D. The writer Bāṇa uses the word yantra[1] many times to indicate machines.
Different types of machines, i.e., yantra, are mentioned by the writer, and they are—
- ghaṭīyantra[2] (i.e., water-clock for measures of time or water wheel,p.42,139),
- nāḍikā,[3]
- tulāyantra (Water wheel,p.120),
- vyāghrayantra (tiger traps,p.123),
- golayantraka (machines as like globes,p.78) etc.
Again in the description of Vyāghraketu[4] he is compared to a moving pillar of solid stone cut out from a mountain by a machine. It implies that in Bāṇa’s time, there was a stone-cutting machine.
Again the people of the writer’s times used different types of tools in their day to-day-life. The essential tools of the villagers were kuṭhāra (axe,p.123) and kuddāla (hoe,p.123), which were very essential tools in the agriculture field. To catching the animals the villagers used nets such as—tantrutantrījāla, vāgurā (p.123), to catch birds traps i.e., kūṭapāśa, (p.123), cage i.e., pañjaraka (p.123) and the lutes[5] for luring the deer when catched.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid., p. 78,120, 123,139
[2]:
Ibid.,VIII.p.139
[3]:
Ibid.
[4]:
yantollikhitamaśmasārastambhamiva bhramantam, Ibid.,VIII.p.126
[5]:
…śvāpadāvyadhana…..gṛhitamṛgatantrutantrījālavalayavāguraiḥ, Ibid.,VII.p.124