a dense forest of Sala trees that it was hardly possible to distinguish an elephant. While even the existence of the elephant was left to be inferred only through the tusks, it were hardly likely to conceive even by day, that it might possibly be a fictitious one. It is, however, clear from Pratijnanatika that Vatsaraja's elephant-hunt must have taken place about midday. From this, Bhamaha concludes that, however dense the trees might be, even there, darkness cannot co-exist with mid-day light, that it is thus impossible that an elephant could not be distinguished owing to the density of the sala trees; and that such a statement is a mere exaggeration. On the other hand it seems to us that actual experience shows that there could be total darkness on account of the density of the sala trees, in spite of broad day-light.
Vishnugupta (alias Chanakya or Kautalya) the great profounder of politics, a contemporary of Chandragupta is known to have lived in the fourth century B. C. In his Kautiliya Arthasastra, where he tells us how on the eve of war, ministers and priests should breathe spirit and enthusiasm into soldiers, he observes, तुल्यवेतनोस्मि, भवद्भिः सह भोग्यमिदं राज्यं, मयाभिहितः परोऽभिहन्तव्यः इति, वेदेष्वप्यनुश्रूयते - समाप्त दक्षिणानां यज्ञानामवभृयेषु 'सा ते गतिर्या शुराणामि’ति, अपीह क्ष्लोको भवतः----
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'यान् यज्ञमङ्घैस्तपसा च विप्राः स्वर्गैषिणः पात्रचयैश्च यान्ति | |
इति मन्त्रि पुरोहिताभ्यामुत्साहयेद् योधान् ॥
The substance of the passage is that to the brave is reserved a happy end; those who lose their life in battle attain that which is won by long penances and sacrifices. The victorious are ever honored on earth but he who shrinks from fighting for the royal master by whom he is fed is a sinner destined for hell. The sloka ’नवं शरावं’ which is quoted above is found in the fourth Act of Pratijnayaugandharayana addressed to soldiers to stimulate them to fight. Now we have to
