222 Birds in Sanskrit Literature its courage is as great as its power". It is bluish grey above and white below with brown or black spots (bars in old birds) on the lower breast and abdomen. It is the नीलच्छद श्येन as defined in the कल्पद्रकोश : नीलच्छदस्तु करणो लम्बपर्णो रणप्रियः Where (having a blue cover) is descriptive of the colour of the upper plumage, of its perfect aptitude for training and its expert performance, and the other adjectives refer to its long wings and love of the chase. चरकसंहिता mentions it as the धूमीका (v.l. धूमिका or धूमाका? M. W.) in reference to its bluish or foggy colour. In Hindi it is known as a (v.l. बिहिरी) 1 which appears as बहरी in the श्यैनिक शास्त्र, 4.20. Hindi बहरी or बिहिरी may be from far-f, far-fe or fa- (one that carries away or kills birds), or again from बि-हरि (वीनां वीषु वा हरिरिव, a lion among birds; cf. पक्षिसिह for गरुड, the Golden Eagle). eft (a lion) is the name of one of the descendants of e, in the Mahabharata list where the name is comparable with tiger) and gur (à panther) for the Pelican (Art. 71) and is very appro- priate for the bold and fearless Peregrine. farfe is again on a par with (a (a lion-sparrow, hence a comparatively small but very courageous bird of prey): मृगेन्द्रचटको घातिपक्षी ग्राहकमारको हारावली हरि or fबहरि would thus seem to account for Hindi बहरी or बिहिरी for this Falcon. 3. In the wild state it takes both land and water-birds from a Lark to a Duck to which last it is very partial. If by any chance it has not succeeded in securing its staple diet in the course of the day it will attack a Crow-colony late in the evening. This very important trait of the Falcon had happily been noted by the ancient Indians and now helps us to identify it with the form of Vedic literature : क्षिप्रश्येनाभिपन्नानां वायसानामिव स्वनः बभूव पाण्डवेयानां भृशं विद्रवतां स्वनः || M. Bh. 7.26,64. The terrific speed of this bird during a 'stoop' has been estimated as high as 150 miles per hour which, despite some exaggeration, means that no bird can escape its devastating attack and it is in recognition of this fact that the ancients gave it the distinctive name of fe. Now if the 'fast bird', a, of RV. 10.91.2 is the same as the fex I would suggest that the expression in the verse has the same meaning as the word 1. "बिहिरी कहूं निबहत सुनौ लगर झगर हित बेस" quoted under 'बेसरा' in हि. श. सा. 2. can also be the Shaheen Falcon, a species closely allied to the Peregrine and almost as good for purposes of hawking. Being a resident bird it is preferred by Indian falconers. Eagles, Falcons and Allied Birds 223 बंसु (वनेषु नीडकाष्ठोपरि ) in RV. 9.57.31 as interpreted by me in Section A viz., wooden poles or posts in a house used as perches for tame Falcons. in the sense of 'wood' (timber) i.e. for things made of wood, e.g. a cart (fa fe) has been used in the Rgveda (2.14.9; 3.1,13; 10.132.7; etc.) and there is no very great improbability against how I pro- pose to interpret RV. 10.91.22. The second are of the verse ('à a firford fe") compares af, the welcome guest, with the Falcon as a valued pet and guest of every tribe. It may be noted that when plants and trees. have been directly mentioned as the food and source of af in verses 5-7 of the hymn, and particularly when any bird may be said to have its home in a tree there would seem to be no point in particularising the art. On the other hand the parallel between the glorious for and the equally glorious eft as honoured guests makes an excellent simile. When the first, third and the fourth Pädas refer to the domestic fire as a guest the second Pada also should naturally refer to the bird as another guest in the house. 4. At present the Peregrine is a winter visitor in India and is said to breed throughout Northern Asia but it is quite probable that in times long past it bred in the Himalayas as well and was more plentiful in the country than now. Even now it is found throughout the country in the cold season but in former times when the country had a far greater number of marshes and jheels bird-life of all kinds, serving as food for birds of prey, was also very much more plentiful than now, and conse- quently the raptores also must have been far more numerous then. The 1. स ममूं जान आयुभिरिभो राजेव सुव्रतः श्येनो न वंसु षीदति ॥ Trans: "He, the object of pious observances, cleansed by the priests, fearless as a king, sits on the waters like a hawk."-per Wilson, following Sayana's rendering. "He, when the people deck him like a docile king of elephants, sits as a falcon in the wood."Griffith. 2. स दर्शतश्रीरतिषियूँ हेगृहे वनेवने शिश्रिये तस्ववोरिव । जनंजनं जन्यो नाति मन्यते विश आ क्षेति विश्यो विशंविशम् ॥ Trans: "Of manifest glory, he resorts as a guest to every house (of his worshippers) to every forest; friendly to man, like one repairing to all men, he disregards them not; kind to all, he dwells amongst all men," (he presides over every one).-Wilson. """वनेवने rafa ""he lurks in every forest like a robber, "--per Langlois, vide Wilson's notes. "He, excellent in glory, guest in every house, finds like a swift-winged bird a home in every tree. Benevolent to men, he scorns no living man: Friend to the tribes of men he dwells with every tribe." "Swift-winged bird': or, bird of prey. 'Hunter' according to Ludwig-F.N.-Griffith. Cf. "बने निपूतं बने उन्नयध्वम् " a wooden चमस RV. 2.14.9. ( सोम ) purified in a wooden vessel lift it up in Sayana does not render a as a bird and the idea of a Hawk or Falcon sitting on the water is impossible. The rendering as a fast bird or better still, as 'a bird of prey 'suits best. That af for the avau is in shape of a bird of prey supports the rendering of art by Griffith, and as 'a fast flying bird' in the Vedic Index. Both 'robber' and "hunter' are totally inappropriate for a deity like af.
