Dhanurveda

Dhanurveda
Information
Author	BhriguorVishvamitraorBharadwaja
Language	Sanskrit
Period	1100 – 800 BCE

Dhanurveda(धनुर्वेद) (transl. Science of archery / Knowledge of archery) is aSanskrittreatise on warfare andarchery,traditionally regarded as anupavedaattached toYajurveda(1100 – 800 BCE) and attributed either toBhriguorVishvamitraorBharadwaja.It is one among the four upavedas toVedas(along withAyurveda,Gandharvaveda,andSthāpatyaveda).

History

Dhanurveda,a section of the Vedas (1700 BCE – 1100 BCE), contains references to martial arts.TheCharanavyuha,authored byShaunaka,mentions fourupaveda(applied Vedas).Included among them are archery (dhanurveda) and military sciences (shastrashastra),the mastery of which was the duty (dharma) of the warrior class. Kings usually belonged to thekshatriya(warrior) class and thus served as army commanders. They typically practiced archery, wrestling, bo xing, and swordsmanship as part of their education.

Vedic hymns in theRigveda,Yajurveda,andAtharvavedalay emphasis on the use of the bow and arrow.The second Veda, the Yajurveda, containsDhanurveda(dhanus "bow" and veda "knowledge" ), which was an ancient treatise on the science of archery and its use in warfare. Several works of ancient literature refer to Dhanurveda. TheViṣṇu Purāṇarefers to it as one of the eighteen branches of knowledge, and theMahābhāratamentions that it hassutraslike other vedas.Śukranītidescribes it as that "upaveda of yajurveda" which has five arts or practical aspects.

Dhanurvedadescribes the practices and uses of archery, bow- and arrow-making, military training, andrules of engagement.The treatise discusses martial arts in relation to the training of warriors, charioteers, cavalry, elephant warriors, infantry etc. It was considered a sin to shoot a warrior in the back and to fight more than one warrior at a time. The bow used in the Vedic period were calleddanush,and were described in detail in the Vedas. The curved shape of the bow is calledvakrainArtha Veda.The bowstring was calledjya,and was strung only when needed. An arrow was called aniṣu,and a quiver was called aniṣudhi.

Many of the popular sports mentioned in the Vedas and the epics have their origins in military training, such as bo xing (musti-yuddha), wrestling (maladwandwa), chariot-racing (rathachalan), horse-riding (aswa-rohana) and archery (dhanurvidya).

Other scattered references to fighting arts in medieval texts include theKamandakiya Nitisara(c. 8th centuryed. Manmatha Nath Dutt, 1896), theNitivakyamrtabySomadeva Suri(10th century), theYuktikalpataruofBhoja(11th century) and theManasollasaofSomesvara III(12th century).

Agni Purana

One of the earliest extant manuals of Indian martial arts is in theAgni Purana(dated to between the 8th and the 11th century).TheDhanurvedasection of theAgni Puranaspans chapters 248–251, categorizing weapons into thrown and unthrown classes and further dividing them into sub-classes. It catalogues training into five major divisions for different types of warriors: charioteers, elephant-riders, horsemen, infantry, and wrestlers.

The work describes nineasanas(stances) for fighting:

• samapada( “holding the feet even” ): standing in closed ranks with the feet put together (248.9)
• vaiśākha:standing erect with the feet apart (248.10)
• maṇḍala( “disk” ): standing with the knees apart, arranged in the shape of a flock of geese (248.11)
• ālīḍha( “licked, polished” ): bending the right knee with the left foot pulled back (248.12)
• pratyālīḍha:bending the left knee with the right foot pulled back (248.13)
• jāta( “origin” ): placing the right foot straight with the left foot perpendicular, the ankles being five fingers apart (248.14)
• daṇḍāyata( “extended staff” ): keeping the right knee bent with the left leg straight, or vice versa; calledvikaṭa( “dreadful” ) if the two legs are two palm-lengths apart (248.16)
• sampuṭa( “hemisphere” ) (248.17)
• swastika( “well-being” ): keeping the feet 16 fingers apart and lifting the feet a little (248.19)

A more detailed discussion of archery technique follows.

The section concludes by listing the names of actions or “deeds” possible with various weapons, including 32 positions to be taken with sword and shield (khaḍgacarmavidhau);11 techniques for using a rope in fighting, 5 “acts in the rope operation,” lists of “deeds” pertaining to thechakram(war-quoit), the spear, thetomara(iron club), thegada (mace),the axe, the hammer, thebhindipālaorlaguda,thevajra,the dagger, the slingshot, and a bludgeon or cudgel. A short passage near the end addresses larger concerns of warfare and explains the various uses of war elephants and men. The text concludes with a description of how to appropriately send the well-trained fighter off to war.

Extant texts

The extantDhanurvedictext is relatively late, found in theAgni Purana(chapters 249–252) which is no earlier than eighth century. Itisan edited version of earlier manuals, containing techniques and instructions for kings preparing for war and training his soldiers. It includes the 5 training divisions — warriors onchariots,elephants,cavalry,infantry, and wrestlers; and five types of weapons — projected with machines (arrows and missiles), thrown by hand (spear), cast by hands and retained (noose), permanently held in hands (sword), and the hands themselves. The text states thatBrahminsandKshatriyasare permitted to teach martial arts and othercastescan be soldiers.

Another extantDhanurveda-Samhitadates to the mid-14th century, by Brhat Sarngadhara Paddhati (ed. 1888).

TheAusanasa Dhanurveda Sankalanamdates to the late 16th century, compiled under the patronage ofAkbar.A 17th-centuryDhanurveda-samhitais attributed toVasistha.

See also

• Thoda (archery)

References

Works cited

• Monier-Williams, Monier,ed. (2006) [originally published in London by W.H. Allen and Co. in 1851],Dictionary, English and Sanskrit(reprint ed.), Springfield, VA: Nataraj Books,ISBN978-1-881338-58-1,OCLC1020546789