Matangalila and Hastyayurveda (study)
by Chandrima Das | 2021 | 98,676 words
This page relates ‘Elephants as gift’ of the study on the Matangalina and Hastyayurveda in the light of available epigraphic data on elephants in ancient India. Both the Matanga-Lila (by Nilakantha) and and the Hasti-Ayurveda (by Palakapya) represent technical Sanskrit works deal with the treatment of elephants. This thesis deals with their natural abode, capturing techniques, myths and metaphors, and other text related to elephants reflected from a historical and chronological cultural framework.
Elephants as gift
Elephants were also used in lieu of payments especially seen in donative cases. They were given as a part of a service, as a gift, as payment for other specific jobs and as a donation to achive merit. We also get hyperbolic claims of donating thousand elephants. For example the Nadagam plates of Vajrahasta indicate to his liberality in giving away a thousand elephants to mendicants. This description almost became a model for all the latter stereotypical mentions of the same pattern. However among all such references this is the first reference so far[1].
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid., Vol. IV, p.186.