FReeper Canteen ~ Part IX of War in Ancient India ~ September 7, 2004

ANCIENT WARFARE

Part IX: War in Ancient India

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

A soldier with the 1st Cavalry Division helps a fellow soldier to a Humvee after he was seriously wounded by enemy fire on Tuesday while conducting a humanitarian relief mission in Sadr City, Iraq. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

A soldier with the 1st Cavalry Division helps a fellow soldier to a Humvee after he was seriously wounded by enemy fire on Tuesday while conducting a humanitarian relief mission in Sadr City, Iraq.

I suppose that camera man might have been willing to help if the Troop were a regular subscriber to the liberal media forum which incites the sheep to constantly see our Heroes in a bad light, A$$hole!

Medics with the 1st Cavalry Division treat a fellow soldier who was seriously wounded by enemy fire on Tuesday in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City while conducting a humanitarian relief mission. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

Medics with the 1st Cavalry Division treat a fellow soldier who was seriously wounded by enemy fire on Tuesday in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City while conducting a humanitarian relief mission.

The morale of the story is, leave the humanitarian work to the professionals.

Humanitarian aid rations lie in ruins on Tuesday as medics with the 1st Cavalry Division treat a soldier who was wounded during an enemy attack in Sadr City, Iraq. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

Humanitarian aid rations lie in ruins on Tuesday as medics with the 1st Cavalry Division treat a soldier who was wounded during an enemy attack in Sadr City, Iraq.

Join the Army and perform humanitarian duties for peoples who solely wish to kill you and everything that you stand for as an American!

An Iraqi translator working for the U.S. military, left, and an Iraqi citizen carry a man injured in an insurgent attack against a U.S. military patrol that was conducting a humanitarian relief mission in Baghdad on Tuesday. The Iraqi translator was slightly injured in the attack. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

The Army has recently rejected a new recruitment motto, but it did gain second place in the competition, so you will not be hearing it in the media soon.

We don't need no stinking translators if you just let us do our job.

Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, make their way through narrow streets while on patrol in Sadr City, Iraq, on Tuesday. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, make their way through narrow streets while on patrol in Sadr City, Iraq, on Tuesday.

Narrow streets, no problem. Narrow minds big trouble.

A soldier with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, scans for insurgents after taking enemy fire during a patrol in Baghdad on Tuesday. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

A soldier with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, scans for insurgents after taking enemy fire during a patrol in Baghdad on Tuesday.

The so called Main Stream Media is reconsidering the fact that their slanted projections of the news may be effecting their television Nielsen ratings.

A truck with at least two injured Iraqi men was intercepted by soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, while on patrol Tuesday in Baghdad. The Iraqi men claimed they were shot by U.S. forces during a gun battle, but U.S. commanders believe the truck contained at least one insurgent who fired a rocket-propelled grenade at their patrol. The men were released.

American policy is so sophisticated and state of the art, that releasing terrorists to strike again another day on our Troops may seem to be convoluted reasoning, but experts disagree. Statistics indicate that there are a small percentage of blood thirsty killers who can find redemption, and so we, via American policy now it seems playing roulette with the lives of our Troops. Thus we release obvious terrorists.

A tank from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, blocks a Baghdad road on Monday as soldiers conduct a cordon-and-search raid in the Sadr City slum. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

A tank from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, blocks a Baghdad road on Monday as soldiers conduct a cordon-and-search raid in the Sadr City slum.

Neither the Reuters News Service, nor the Associated Press, et al never mention that Democrats have used as their party symbol for many years an Ass.

Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, conduct a cordon-and-search mission in Sadr City, Iraq, on Saturday. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, conduct a cordon-and-search mission in Sadr City, Iraq, on Saturday.

John Kerry's integrity, after an exhaustive search was thought to be found by Military Police, but upon further review, the Troops came up fruitless in their search after all.

Sgt. Joshua McDermott, a member of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, carries ordnance discovered during a cordon-and-search raid in Baghdad on Monday. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

Sgt. Joshua McDermott, a member of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, carries ordnance discovered during a cordon-and-search raid in Baghdad on Monday.

In Iraq, explosive ordnance is these days, generally speaking, nothing more than a hood ornament.

Staff Sgt. Hollis Bonsey, 26, from Ellsworth, Maine, a member of C Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, tries to locate a sniper while taking fire during a cordon-and-search raid in Baghdad on Monday. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

Perhaps the Troop might want to consider the camera man and the regular liberal caption writers as legitimate targets.

Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, try to calm two Egyptian men as they conduct a cordon-and-search raid on Monday in Baghdad. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, try to calm two Egyptian men as they conduct a cordon-and-search raid on Monday in Baghdad.

Egyptian Muslims wandering around Baghdad the capitol city of a foreign country in a time of conflict have no reason to be considered as suspicious in this now politically correct war..

Capt. Steven Gventer, 34, from Grapevine, Texas, the commander of Cobra Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, tries to calm children rushing for humanitarian aid during a mission in Baghdad on Sunday. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

Under the previous regime in Iran, complaints concerning the municipal transportation service were considered to be capital crimes.

Pfc. Gabriel Galindo, 20, of Indio, Calif., a medic with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, distributes humanitarian aid to residents of Baghdad's Sadr City during a mission on Sunday. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

Those evil Americans are once again caught on camera delivering food, water, medicine, and propaganda to unsuspecting Iraqis. Maureen Dowd of the NY Times is working on an expose'.

Staff Sgt. Hollis Bonsey searches for a sniper who fired on him during a cordon-and-search raid in Sadr City, Iraq, on Monday. M. Scott Mahaskey / Military Times staff

Staff Sgt. Hollis Bonsey searches for a sniper who fired on him during a cordon-and-search raid in Sadr City, Iraq, on Monday.

In the President John Kerry's sensitive war against terror, this Troop would be engaging the enemy sniper with spitballs and high fives.

A U.S. soldier keeps watch as Iraqi citizens protest the rising insurgency in Iraq during a demonstration in Baghdad on Monday. Approximately 500 people gathered outside the heavily secured Green Zone, which houses Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's office, to ask for better law enforcement and freedom for common people. Hussein Malla / AP photo

Hey, I did not see any of this reported on the ABC so called World News Tonight, tonight.

A destroyed vehicle lies at the site of a massive car bomb attack on the outskirts of Fallujah, Iraq, on Monday. Seven Marines and 3 Iraqi National Guard soldiers were killed in the attack, which military officials believe was a suicide bombing.

Hey CBS, CNN, NBC, ABC, NY Times, Boston Globe, and John Kerry , do you have any comments about this?

From left to right, Lt. Gen. John M. Brown, commanding general of United States Army, Pacific, Lt. Gen. Shantonu Choudhry, vice chief of Indian Army Staff, and Brig. M.K. Idnani of the Indian Army arrive for the XXVII Pacific Armies Management Seminar in New Delhi, India, on Monday. More than 30 countries are participating in the seminar, which has Regional Cooperation in a Changing Security Environment as its theme.

Those new military ribbons are getting more ostentatious, and critics are wondering about the appropriateness of such paraphernalia being regarded as suitable for military uniforms.

Abby Horrell, a member of the Sarasota National Guard Air Defense Artillery, passes out ice to motorists at a hurricane relief center at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday. Nicholas R. Von Staden, South Florida Sun-Sentinel / AP photo

The Army finally has a candidate for the ice Queen in this years International competition.

Florida National Guard Spc. Robert Birchbauer guards against looters Monday as he sits in front of the entrance to a mobile home park in Fort Pierce, Fla., that was damaged by Hurricane Frances.

Guard duty and fire watch ain't what it used to be.

Sgt. Chester Sheffield, right, a member of the Sarasota National Guard Air Defense Artillery, passes cases of bottled water to volunteers as they give MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) to motorists waiting in line at a hurricane relief center at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday. Nicholas R. Von Staden, South Florida Sun-Sentinel / AP photo

Democrats Party activists are accusing the administration of using mind altering drugs in the MREs and have recommended that people not ingest the military foodstuffs, even if it means dying of starvation.

Just another day at the office for our Troops.

Do I seem pissed? Well, I began writing the captions as I watched Peter Jennings of ABC so called News pontificate about the 1000 military casualties of the Iraq war. I almost tossed my TV out the window, and I admit that I was quite riled at the the snide comments of that foreigner, who shows absolutely no respect for our military volunteers.

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