aaruroha valaahakam

[Christophe Vielle]

Dear colleagues,

at the end of a long fight, the hero has lost all his weapons and is forced
to flee from the battle-field. The text says:

chinnadhanvaa vasumanaa viniv.rttara.nodyamaH |
vegena mahataa raajann aaruroha valaahakam ||

va- or balaahaka according to MW has several meanings: "a rain or
thunder-cloud", "any cloud" MBh. Kaav. [cf. Kaalidaasa, KS 1,4]; one of the
7 clouds appearing at the destruction of the word, Cat. [where?]; [N. of ]
a mountain, L. [cf. Somadeva Kathaas.]; [and among various other proper
names] N. of one of the 4 horses of Vish.nu, Kaad.

Could the expression vegena valaahakam aa-RUH "ascend the Valaahaka
(cloud?) swiftly" mean something as "to bold", "to skedaddle" (in French,
"prendre la poudre d'escampette"). Has somebody already found that
expression in epic context?

With best wishes

Dr. Christophe Vielle
Centre d'Etudes de l'Inde et de l'Asie du Sud
Institut orientaliste
Place Blaise Pascal 1
B - 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve
BELGIUM
Tel. +32-(0)10-47 49 54 or 58 (office)/ -(0)2-640 62 66 (home)
E-mail: christophe.vielle at uclouvain.be