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FReeper Canteen ~ Part IX of War in Ancient India ~ September 7, 2004
A Tribute to Hinduism ^ | September 7, 2004 | LaDivaLoca

Posted on 09/06/2004 8:00:06 PM PDT by LaDivaLoca

 
 

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ANCIENT WARFARE





Part IX: War in Ancient India

 
Aerial Warfare

No question can be more interesting in the present circumstances of the world than India’s contribution to the science of aeronautics. There are numerous illustration in our vast Puranic and epic literature to show how well and wonderfully the ancient Indians conquered the air. To glibly characterize everything found in this literature as imaginary and summarily dismiss it as unreal has been the practice of both Western and Eastern scholars until very recently. The very idea indeed was ridiculed and people went so far to assert that it was physically impossible for man to use flying machines. But today what with balloons, airplanes…..” 

Turning to Vedic literature, in one of the Brahmanas occurs the concept of a ship that sails heavenwards. The ship is the Agnihotra of which the Ahavaniya and Garhapatya fires represent the two sides bound heavenward, and the steersman is the Agnihotrin who offers milk to the three Agnis. Again in the still earlier Rg Veda Samhita we read that the Asvins conveyed the rescued Bhujya safely by means of winged ships. The latter may refer to the aerial navigation in the earliest times.  

In the recently published Samarangana Sutradhara of Bhoja, a whole chapter of about 230 stanzas is devoted to the principles of construction underlying the various flying machines and other engines used for military and other purposes. 

The various advantages of using machines, especially flying ones, are given elaborately. Special mention is made of their use at one’s will and pleasure, of their uninterrupted movements, of their strength and durability, in short of their capability to do in the air all that is done on earth. Three movements are usually ascribed to these machines, - ascending, cruising thousands of miles in different directions in the atmosphere and lastly descending. It is said that in an aerial car one can mount up to Suryamandala, ‘solar region’ and the Naksatra mandala (stellar region) and also travel throughout the regions of air above the sea and the earth. These cars are said to move so fast as to make a noise that could be heard faintly from the ground. The evidence in its favor is overwhelming. 

An aerial car is made of light, wood looking like a great bird with a durable and well-formed body having mercury inside and fire at the bottom. It had two resplendent wings, and is propelled by air. It flies in the atmospheric regions for a great distance and carries several persons along with it. The inside construction resembles heaven created by Brahma himself. Iron, copper, lead and other metals are also used for these machines. All these show how far art and science was developed in ancient India in this direction. Such elaborate description ought to meet the criticism that the vimanas and similar aerial vehicles mentioned in ancient Indian literature should be relegated to the region of myth. 

The ancient writers could certainly make a distinction between the mythical which they designated as daiva and the actual aerial wars designated as manusa. 

After the great victory of Rama over Lanka, Vibhisana presented him with the Puspaka vimana which was furnished with windows, apartments, and excellent seats. It was capable of accommodating all the vanaras besides Rama, Sita and Lakshman. Again in the Vikramaurvaisya, we are told that king Puraravas rode in an aerial car to rescue Urvasi in pursuit of the Danava who was carrying her away. Similarly in the Uttararamacarita in the flight between Lava and Candraketu (Act VI) a number of aerial cars are mentioned as bearing celestial spectators. There is a statement in the Harsacarita of Yavanas being acquainted with aerial machines. The Tamil work Jivakacintamani refers to Jivaka flying through the air.   

Kathasaritsagara refers to highly talented woodworkers called Rajyadhara and Pranadhara. The former was so skilled in mechanical contrivances that he could make ocean crossing chariots. And the latter manufactured a flying chariot to carry a thousand passengers in the air. These chariots were stated to be as fast as thought itself. 

(source: India Through The Ages: History, Art Culture and Religion - By G. Kuppuram p. 532-533).

(for more information on vimanas please refer to chapter on Vimanas

 

Next Tuesday, Part X of War in Ancient India





TOPICS: Free Republic; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: aerialwarfare; ancientindia; ashoka; canteen; freepercanteen; hindi; hindu; hinduism; india; prozacchewables; tao; taoism; taoist; tinfoilhat; war
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To: All

New mama Koola, a 9-year-old western lowland gorilla, cradles her baby after giving birth at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.

181 posted on 09/07/2004 11:21:44 AM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (God Bless America and Our Troops Who Protect Her)
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To: All

Smoke billows from Mount Asama, one of Japan's largest and most active volcanoes, after its first eruption in 21 years earlier in the week.

182 posted on 09/07/2004 11:22:42 AM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (God Bless America and Our Troops Who Protect Her)
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To: Kathy in Alaska

BTTT!!!!!!


183 posted on 09/07/2004 11:36:06 AM PDT by E.G.C.
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To: Kathy in Alaska

BTTT!!!!!!!


184 posted on 09/07/2004 11:36:30 AM PDT by E.G.C.
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To: Common Tator

I'm keeping track of your anecdotes! Thanks!

This is my writer's version of "16 Tons":

I write 16 puns, and what do I get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.... ;)


185 posted on 09/07/2004 11:37:25 AM PDT by Fawnn (Canteen wOOhOO Consultant and CookingWithPam.com person - Faith makes things possible, not easy.)
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To: Kathy in Alaska

MA #50


186 posted on 09/07/2004 11:49:44 AM PDT by beachn4fun (Honor those fallen. VOTE Bush-Cheney'04)
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To: Fawnn

Good afternoon, Fawnn!

 

Good afternoon, Fawnn's MOM!

187 posted on 09/07/2004 11:49:57 AM PDT by tomkow6 (Canteen CooCoo Consultant, and CookingWithLARD.com person)
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To: tomkow6

TOM #100


188 posted on 09/07/2004 11:50:16 AM PDT by beachn4fun (Honor those fallen. VOTE Bush-Cheney'04)
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To: tomkow6

TOM #150


189 posted on 09/07/2004 11:50:50 AM PDT by beachn4fun (Honor those fallen. VOTE Bush-Cheney'04)
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To: tomkow6; Old Sarge; Kathy in Alaska; StarCMC; Spotsy; MS.BEHAVIN; All

~Notting Hillbillies~Railroad Work~
Love this music.
Thanks Star!

190 posted on 09/07/2004 12:03:22 PM PDT by Soaring Feather (What month is it??)
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To: tomkow6; Kathy in Alaska; Valin; Spotsy; beachn4fun

Kathy in Alaska!!! #50!!!
Valin, Minor, but true, edits to your Thought for the day:
"One Democrat tells a falsehood, a hundred (in the media) repeat it as true."
I like your green spotsy, Spotsy!!!
tomkow6!!! #100!!!
beachn4fun: we see eye-to-eye LOL!!!
tomkow: #122 looks like a botox overdose!!!
tomkow6!!! #150!!!

191 posted on 09/07/2004 12:09:26 PM PDT by Fawnn (Canteen wOOhOO Consultant and CookingWithPam.com person - Faith makes things possible, not easy.)
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To: tomkow6

Nice forearms in that picture. But, I'm still sorta getting deja vu all over again on your tagline. ;)


192 posted on 09/07/2004 12:11:19 PM PDT by Fawnn (Canteen wOOhOO Consultant and CookingWithPam.com person - Faith makes things possible, not easy.)
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To: E.G.C.

Whew!! Had a very busy morning at work but things are slowing down enough for me to go back and say Good Afternoon to ya! :o)


193 posted on 09/07/2004 12:18:16 PM PDT by StarCMC (It's God's job to forgive Bin Laden, it's our job to arrange the meeting.)
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To: Kathy in Alaska
Thanks for Big Bad John... It was good song.

In those days the Nashville local would not allow rehearsals before a sesion. In a session four new songs were learned from scratch and recorded .. all in 3 hours. That is 45 minutes a song.

In those days there were lots of side men on the road with name performers who carried their own bands, but only a hand full of session musicians. The pay was 300 dollars for a 3 hour session and double pay for the leader.

Many of the Session musicians and singers were doing 3 or 4 sessions a day. The Blackwoods brothers and the Anita Kerr singers were on lots of records. Grady Martin the great lead player would not work a session unless he was the leader. He kept guitars and amplifiers in each studio so he could just walk from session to session. Grady was making 2,400 dollars a day. Many weeks he made 15,000 dollars or more. He was so busy he gave his agent power of attorney to pick up his checks at the union hall and deposit them for him.

There was a west coas tbased instrumental act called Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant. Speedy played steel and Jimmy played lead guitar. They did a lot of western swing. I think it was in '61 that Jimmy came to town during the convention. Grady had put his guitar away. There were no sessions during the D.J. Convention and Grady just wanted to hang out with friends and not play for 4 or 5 days. Jimmy Bryant started on Wednesday challenging Grady to a play off. Grady kept refusing. On Saturday night Grady was in Tootsies and Jimmy cornered him. They got out the guitars. Grady told Jimmy to start. Jimmy who was known for speed took off on a very very fast jazz riff. It was very complex and fast as could be. It was an original Jimmy Bryant creation. We figured Jimmy had spent weeks working it out just so he could show up Grady.. After a couple of choruses Grady said I have the lead and doubled the tempo. He played Jimmys original riffs back to him at double speed and never missed a note. At about half way through the second chorus, Jimmy grabbed his case and his guitar and walked out the back door.

Jimmy Bryant had proved to all that he was not even a pimple on Grady's rump. Grady was a fantastic talent and years of playing 12 to 15 hours a day, had made him very fast and very good.Jimmy and Speedy went back, to paraphrase Buck Owens, to the streets of Bakersfield.

Buddy Emmons was the top steel player back then. I think Speedy knew he was not in Emmons class. Bryant sure found out he was not even close to being a Grady Martin.

Here is another story you might find interesting.

Chet Adkins and some other performers were working the Iowa State Fair in the mid 50s. After the show was over a man came up to Chet and begged him to come out to the fair grounds parking lot to hear two boys sing.

The man kept insisting. Chet recognized the mans name. He knew he had done radio shows on the Ceder Rapids Iowa station. So Chet, being a nice guy, walked out to hear two teen age boys sing. They blew Chet away. He offered them an RCA Victor recording contract on the spot. And that is how Don and Phil Everly, the Everly Brothers, got signed to RCA victor records. Chet finally figured out why the Dad had him come to the parking lot. The family only had money enough for one ticket to the fair. So the Dad came in and talked Chet into coming out to hear the boys.

Once back in Nashville Chet called Boudeleau and Felice Bryant. Chet commissioned them to write Don and Phil some songs. Bye Bye Love, Wake up little Suzzie, and Cathy's Clown were just few of the tunes the Bryants wrote for Don and Phil.

When Cathy's Clown came out.. every D.J. in the nation got a promotional letter each of three weeks before it was released. On the release date evry jock got a copy on the Song presesd on gold colored vinyl. Sadly I did not keep my "Gold" record of Cathy's Clown. It was a big hit. When I left that station I did not take my Gold Cathy's Clown with me.

That hind site is indeed 20-20..

194 posted on 09/07/2004 12:23:06 PM PDT by Common Tator
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To: bentfeather

I am so glad you like this music -- I love it myself. One of my favorite albums. I'll try to post a different song from the album tonight when I'm home!! I wish these guys would put out some more albums!! The group includes Mark Knoffler or Dire Straits fame...


195 posted on 09/07/2004 12:24:28 PM PDT by StarCMC (It's God's job to forgive Bin Laden, it's our job to arrange the meeting.)
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To: tomkow6

196 posted on 09/07/2004 12:27:31 PM PDT by shield (The Greatest Scientific Discoveries of the Century Reveal God!!!! by Dr. H. Ross, Astrophysicist)
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To: Common Tator

Very interesting Tator!! I love Chet Atkins! What great stories you have!


197 posted on 09/07/2004 12:27:54 PM PDT by StarCMC (It's God's job to forgive Bin Laden, it's our job to arrange the meeting.)
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To: StarCMC

MINE


198 posted on 09/07/2004 12:30:33 PM PDT by tomkow6 (Canteen CooCoo Consultant, and CookingWithLARD.com person)
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To: StarCMC

MINE


199 posted on 09/07/2004 12:30:34 PM PDT by tomkow6 (Canteen CooCoo Consultant, and CookingWithLARD.com person)
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To: StarCMC

MINE


200 posted on 09/07/2004 12:30:34 PM PDT by tomkow6 (Canteen CooCoo Consultant, and CookingWithLARD.com person)
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