Bows in ancient India

[Ashok Aklujkar]

> From: "Tieken, H.J.H." <H.J.H.Tieken at LET.LEIDENUNIV.NL>
> The bow string, when released, often hits the inside of the bowman's
> left wrist (if he is right-handed), forming callosity there. Such "wounds" add
> to the picture of the fierce bowman.

The callosity is usually referred to with the word ki.na joined to jyaa or
maurvii.

Abhij;naana-;sakuntala 1.13: j;naasyasi kiyad bhujo me rak.sati
maurvii-ki.naa:nka iti

Raghu-va.m;sa 16.84: jyaaghaata-rekhaa-ki.na-laa;nchanena

Raghu-va.m;sa 18.47/48: ... abaddha-maurvii-ki.na-laa;nchanena ... tasya
bhujena bhuumi.h. A variant for abaddha is alabdha.



Giita-govinda 1.2/6 (dhara.ni-dhara.na-ki.na-cakra-gari.s.the)  is
inapplicable to the present context

Enlarged Apte also records M.rcchaka.tika 2.11 as containing an occurrence
of ki.na, which I cannot verify at present.

The same source, under jyaa, (p. 745) records jyaaghaata-vaara.na as the
word for the handguard used by the archers.

ashok aklujkar