Written by London swaminathan
Date: 23 January 2017
Time uploaded in London:- 10-37 am
Post No.3569
Pictures are taken from different sources; thanks.
contact: swami_48@yahoo.com
Hindus invented the Camouflage technique and taught the world. As keen observers of animals, they watched them and used their camouflage wherever necessary. Colour changing chameleon and crocodile are part of their literature and proverbs.
Camouflage means colours or structures that allow an animal or structures to blend with its surroundings to avoid detection by others. Camouflage can take the form of matching the background colours. It is widely used in military as a technique disguising either an equipment, troops or a position in order to conceal them from an enemy- Hutchinson Encyclopaedia
Aristotle (Born in 384 BCE) referred to it. But We have older references in our literature. The greatest poet of India Kalidasa (First or Second Century BCE) has referred to it in at least two places in his Raghuvamsa. Let us look at it :
ग्रथितमौलिरसौ वनमालया तरुपलाशसवर्णतनुच्छदः।
तुरगवल्गनचञ्चलकुण्डलो विरुरुचे रुरुचेष्टितभुमिषु॥ ९-५१
grathitamaulirasau vanamālayā tarupalāśasavarṇatanucchadaḥ |
turagavalganacañcalakuṇḍalo viruruce ruruceṣṭitabhumiṣu || 9-51
grathitamaulirasau vanamAlayA tarupalAshasavarNatanucChadaH |
9-51. vana-mAlayA grathita mauliH = with garden, creepers, intertwined, headgear; taru palAsha sa-varNa tanu cChadaH= trees, leaves, equalling, body, covered – hisbodycovered with agarment having the colour of theleavesof trees; turaga valgana ca~ncala kuNDalaH= by horses, galloping, moving, eardrops – one who has such ear-ornaments; asau= he that Dasharatha; ruru-ceShTita-bhumiShu= black-striped antelopes, moving, in such places; vi-ruruce = shone forth.
This King Dasharatha camouflaged with his headgear tied up with a string of wild flowers and leaves,his body covered with a garment having the colour of the leaves of trees, and while his earrings moving about by the galloping of his horse, shone forth on the hunting grounds frequented by the ruru antelopes. [9-51]
–sanscritdocuments.com
Though Kalidasa came after Aristotle, he said that Dasaratha adopted this technique and we knew for sure that Dasaratha lived thousands of years before Aristotle.
Kalidasa also spoke about Animal Camouflage in another place:
Like the crocodile merges with its surroundings and waits to attack its prey, Aja’s enemies gave him prizes merging with the happy atmosphere, but was waiting to attack him.
लिङ्गैर्मुदः संवृतविक्रियास्ते ह्रदाः प्रसन्ना इव गूढनक्राः।
वैदर्भमामन्त्र्य ययुस्तदीयाम् प्रत्यर्प्य पूजामुपदाछलेन॥ ७-३०
liṅgairmudaḥ saṁvṛtavikriyāste hradāḥ
prasannā iva gūḍhanakrāḥ |
vaidarbhamāmantrya yayustadīyām
pratyarpya pūjāmupadāchalena || 7-30
li~NgairmudaH sa.nvR^itavikriyaaste hradaaH
prasannaa iva guuDhanakraaH |
vaidarbhamaamantrya yayustadiiyaam
pratyarpya puujaamupadaaChalena || 7-30
7-30. mudaH li~NgaiH= smiles, [as an outward] mark – hence with pseudo smiles; sa.nvR^ita vikriyaaH= concealed, change of feeling – wrath; prasannaa= [outwardly] unruffled – lake; guuDha nakraaH= with hidden, alligators; hradaaH iva = lake, as with; [sthitA= those kings who are there]; te= those kings; vaidarbham aamantrya= from king of Vidarbha, taking leave; tadiiyaam puujaam= his – Bhoja’s, hospitality by presents and gifts etc; upadaaChalena= by return gifts; pratyarpya= by requiting; yayuH= went away.
As with a lake hiding alligators under its serene sheet of waters, those suitor-princes concealing their irritation with feigned expressions of joy, bade farewell to the Lord of Vidarbha and went away, but only after having requited the worth of honour done to them, in the pretext of wedding presents. [7-30]
Gaits of Horses
In the first verse (quoted above) Kalidasa (Rv 9-51) used beautiful words to describe the gait of Dasaratha’s horse: Turaga Valgana Sanchala Kundala. Valgana is one of the five gaits of horse. Horse and cow are biggest contribution of Hindus to the civilization. Both figured in the Rig Veda, the oldest scripture in the world (dated between 6000 BCE and 1500 BCE). Latest discoveries show that horse and rhino originated in India illions of years ago. Hindus domesticated themand trained the entire world.Hindu Yakshas (Hyskos) took it to Egypt and from where It spread to other civilised parts of the world. Kikkuli’s training Horse training manual in Sanskrit was discovered in Turkey. It is dated 1300 BCE.
Following couplets show that Hindus were well advanced in the Horse training. The very word Horse came from Sanskrit Hrasva=Asva. Since Indian horse has different number of ribs, which is clearly mentioned in the Rig Veda, the Aryan migration was also thrown into dustbin by the latest research.
Asvagati
Aaskanditam – Leaping
Dhoritakam – Trot
Recitam -Canter
Valgitam – Space
Plutam – Caper
asskanditam dhoritakam recitam valgitam plutam gatayo amuuh pancha dhaara – Amarakosham 2-8-48
Asvakrama (Training of Horse)
Mandala – circular
Caturasra – square
Gomutra – cow urine shaped
Ardhacandra- Crescent shaped
Naagapaasa – Snake shaped
mandalam caturasranca gomutrancardhacandrakam
nagapasakramenaiva bramayet katapanchakam
-Vasishta Dhanurveda Samhita page 72
Asva Types in Mahabharata
Saibya; Sugriiva, Meghapuspa, Balaahaka
vajibhih saibyasugrivameghapuspabalahakaih
snatah sampadayamasuh sampannaih sarvasampada- M.Bh.(Udyogaparva 4-21)
–Encyclopaedia of Numerals, Vol.1, Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institue, Chennai, 600004, Year 2011
–subham–
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