Birds in Sanskrit Literature (ii) नत्यूह–“Probably - Dātyūha in the Rāmāyana" (M.W.). Although this word occurs more than once in the Rāmāyana it is surprising that the older lexicons and even Apte do not give it. From the context, however, it appears to be the White-breasted Waterhen. The term occurs as an alternative reading for दात्यूह in some editions but as the latter means both the Hawk-Cuckoo and the above Waterhen one has to deduce the meaning from the context. See examples given later. (iii) दात्यूह-the Hawk Cuckoo, the Black Ibis the White-breasted Waterhen, and the Purple Moorhen, each with a specific epithet.: (a) दात्यूहः कालकण्ठकः-अमर. क्षीरस्वामी gives कालकण्टक as v.I. and explains कालकण्ठक as 'black-necked' and कालकण्टक as having black feathers. रामाश्रमी टीका on the other hand, explains the former as "काले वर्षाकाले कण्ठो रवोझ्य"—one that calls during the rainy season. (b) दात्यूहे कालकण्टक:-अभि. चिन्तामणि which gives कालकण्ठक as v.l. and explains both like क्षीरस्वामी, and दात्यूह as “ददाति आनन्दं दात्यूहः" दात्यूह in this last sense is the Hawk-cuckoo but कालकण्ठ दात्यूह or कालकण्टक दात्यूह is the Black Ibis for which see Art. 80. According to the explanation in रामाश्रमी टीका, कालकण्ठ दात्यूह, as a homonym, should also be the Hawk-cuckoo and the White-breasted Waterhen both of which are very vocal during the rains. (c) मादक दात्यूहे- शब्दकल्पद्रुम; with "मायति वर्षागमे हृष्यति" the name can signify the Hawk-cuckoo if this etymology is parallel to “ददाति आनन्दं दात्यूह” (d) "दात्यूहः कालकण्ठे स्याद् दात्यूहश्चातकेऽपि च" -विश्व "दात्यूहः कालकष्टके चातकेऽपि" -हेमचन्द्र, मेदिनी. 294 These two equations make it quite clear that दात्यूह as चातक,, the Hawk Cuckoo, is quite different from the कालकण्ठ or कालकण्टक दात्यूह which is the Black Ibis. This makes the रामाश्रमी gloss on कालकण्ठ as "काले वर्षाकाले” untenable. (e) "कालकण्ठस्तु दात्यूहे कलविङ के च खञ्जने सितापाङ्ग हरे पीते सारके नीलकण्ठवत् ॥" "विश्व and हेमचन्द्र. This synonymy is final on the question of interpretation of कालकण्ड or नीलकण्ठ both of which, as applied to the different birds, simply mean 'black necked'. The Black Ibis, the Magpie Robin, the Large Pied-Wagtail and the Peacock are the birds meant here and everyone of them has an entirely black or blue neck. (f) "जलकाकस्तु दात्यूहः स च स्वात्कालकण्टकः"--धन्वन्तरि and राजनिघण्टु This places the identity of कालकण्टक दात्यूह beyond doubt, as जलकाक in the present context is no other than the Black Ibis.
- The Koel also calls persistently like the Hawk Cu ckoo, and expressions like "माद्यत्कल-
कष्ठ पञ्चमस्त" – रुविमणीपरिणय 4.3 for the former make it highly probable that मादक दात्यूह is the latter bird. Rails, Crakes, Moorhens, Watercocks and Coot 295 (8) "शितिकण्ठस्तु दात्यूहः"; "दात्यूहश्चातकेऽपि च"-विकाण्ड, With farfer for 'black' the first equation stands for the Black Ibis, and firfer for 'white' it is for the White-breasted Water- hen; see शुक्लकण्ठ below. The second equation calls for no remarks. (h) "शुक्लकण्ठ दात्यूहे" -शब्दकल्पद्रुम and M.W. ( i ) ............ दात्यूहः कालकण्ठकः अत्यूहोऽपि च दात्यौहो मासज्ञोऽपि च स स्मृतः:"- कल्पद्रुकोश. This refers to (1) the Black Ibis, (2) the Hawk Cuckoo and (3) the White-breasted Waterhen (दामोह and मासज्ञ are explained later in this article ). (j) “बहुक:दात्यूहे"; "हुडुक्कः मत्तदात्यूहे" --हेम मेदिनी etc. "हुडुकस्तुमदोन्मत्ते बाद्यभिज्जलपक्षिणो:"–महीप. The first as "बहुना कायति" is applied both the Hawk- Cuckoo and the above Waterhen, while the second seems to refer to the Waterhen alone as it is actually known as डाहूक पाखी in Bengali and 'डाहुक' is clearly from हुडुक्क. This name or epithet has been explained by महेन्द्र in his notes on the अनेकार्यसंग्रह of हेमचन्द्र:--- "हुडुक्क वाद्यविशेषः । मुक्तहिक्काः हुदुक्का:” The है second part of this is fully descriptive of the call-notes of the white-breasted Waterhen during the breeding season, actually described as "roars, hiccups and cackles" by EHA. The call of the Hawk-Cuckoo on the other hand does not at all resemble a "hiccup" or हिक्का. This helps us to fix हुडुक्क दात्यूह for the Waterhen, and मादकदात्यूह for the Hawk Cuckoo. (iv) (a) मुगूह is equated with दात्यूह in शब्दार्थचिन्तामणि and M.W., and with (1) पपीहा or the Hawk Cuckoo and ( 2 ) a kind of deer in हिन्दी शब्द सागर. In view of the fact that deer names like रङ्क, कमल and राजीव are associated with the Purple Coot or Purple Moorhen as a kind of दात्यूह it would appear that मुमूह (गुह-गोपने to conceal or hide ) also refers to that bird and its identity with पपीहा in हिन्दी शब्द सागर is incorrect. (b) "मञ्जुलं तु जलाञ्चले, रम्पे, कुब्जे, मञ्जुलस्तु दात्यूहे" – हेमचन्द्र "जलरस्तु वज्जुलः (मन्जुलः ?) दाव्यूहश्च"वैजयन्ती "मञ्जुलजलरडू पतनिणि" – मेदिनी, शाश्वत "दात्यूहो जलरङ्कः स्यात्" हलायुध "मञ्जुलजलरदके (जलरको ? ) -हारावली "जलरोतु मञ्जुलः" -विश्व "गोरडू - जलकुक्कुट in निघण्टरलाकर जलरज - जलरङ्क – M.W. All the above equations apply to the Purple Moorhen as a kind of दात्यूह. It is “one of the most beautiful birds found on our Indian jheels", keeps to rushes, reeds and dense lotuses, is averse to flying and walks upon lotus leaves and other water vegetation and runs to cover when disturbed; rarely swims though it can swim, and has a variety of hooting, cackling
