396 Birds in Sanskrit Literature chiefly on fresh-water molluscs or shells which it breaks open before. swallowing. In many Indian dialiects it is known as 'the shell-breaker' and घोंपल (Sansk. पोङ्गक shell- विश्व ) in Hindi and शामूक भंग (शम्बूक with भजन breaker) in Bengali. Sansk. g (more correctly perhaps ) for a kind. of bird in विश्वप्रकाश may be for this bird सुश्रुत mentions अवभञ्जन (अब may be a mistake for वट or पुट for a shell ?) as a particular bird in connection with surgical instruments one of which was designed after the shape of its bill. Now a bill with a curious gap like the present bird's is not likely to have escaped the keen eyes of सुश्रुत and he must have modelled an instrument upon it resembling a pair of black-smith's tongs. No particular instrument is however mentioned by the name of अवभज्जन मुख but one called अन्तर्मुख (having space between the jaws ?) is described as मध्यमुख regarded as synonymous with the former :- अन्तर्मुखमि मध्यमुखम् तल्लक्षणमाह -अष्टाङ्ग लप्रमाणेन जिह्मधारेण चाप्लुतम् । शस्त्रमन्तर्मुखं नाम चन्द्रार्धमिव चोद्गतम् - डल्हणाचार्य The expressions मध्यमुख, जिंघार and अर्धचन्द्र clearly point to the inter-space between the jaws, their curved edges and crescent shape respectively, characters that fit in admirably with the inner and outer contours of the bird's bill, and it is suggested that this अन्तमुख is the instrument made after the bill of अवभजन or the Open-bill Stork. शम्बूकभब्जन too may well have been its name. The list of water-birds given at p. 198 of हस्त्यायुर्वेद of पालकाप्य contains several incorrect readings, e.g., वर्चका for वर्तका, परिप्लुत for परिप्लव; and कुक्कुर for कुक्कुभ and I would amend the expression कुटभेदक to पुटभेदक which would make sense with पुट-पुटक meaning 'a shell' and may be rendered ‘shell-breaker' or the Open-bill; Cf. Pali पुटभेद, 'breaking open a bean Is Pali पटिकुट्टक of बेस्संतरजातक, verse 2098 a wrong reading of पुटकुट्टक ? the It has already been stated that the larger terms कौ and बक compre- hend the Storks and Herons, and the Open-bill has naturally been referred to by these names in अन्योक्ति type of poetry :- कोचश्चश्व पुटेन कुचितवपुः शम्बूकमन्वेषते सुभाषित, 41.70 शम्बूका अपि सन्ति नेति च बकैराकर्ण्य ही ही कृतम् Ibid. 221, 30. Pali सिथिलहनु (having the lower mandible loose or relaxed ) is mention- ed as one of the birds the quills of which could be used to feather an arrow : यस्य पत्तेए वाजितं, यदि वा गिज्झस्स... यदि वा सिथिलहनुनो'ति-मज्झिमनिकाय, सुत्त 63 I need hardly add that fafarga is a most fitting name and a correct redering of the English name Open-bill for the bird. Storks 39.7 As there is reason to believe that the physical basis of the semi- fabulous भारण्ड (भार+ अण्ड, looking like a huge egg, or laying a large or heavy egg), भारुण्ड, भेरुण्ड, etc. of the Purānas, Pañcatantra, etc. may be the Adjutant Stork or some other bird, I conclude this article with just a suggestive note on it and it must be clearly understood that what follows is pure conjecture. Some of the references to these mythical birds and lexical information bearing upon them are noted below :- (1) (2) ( 3 ) a भारुण्डा नाम शकुनाः तीक्ष्णतुण्डा भयानका: (4) (5) (6) ( 7 ) (8) एकोदरा पृथग्रीवा भारण्डा इव पक्षिण-पश्चतन्त्र भारुण्ड सामगीताभिः अथवंशिरसोद्गतः - महाभारत, 1.70.39 (9) (10) ( 11 ) ( 12 ) (13) ते निर्हरन्ति मृतान् दरीषु प्रक्षिपन्ति च Ibid. 6.8.11 b भारण्ड उत्तरकुरुदेशजशकुनपक्षिणि शब्दार्थचिन्तामणि मनुष्यवदनाश्चान्ये भारुण्डा इति विश्रुताः- Ibid. 12.169.9. भेरुण्डा बायसा गृध्रा हंसाया पक्षिजातयः-नारदपुराण, 77.88 चिच्चिक: (चचिक:) पक्षिराट् तव भेरुण्डो योऽभिधीयते (द्विमुख:) ब्रह्मपुराण, Ch. 164. भेरुण्डचायभासाश्च परावतकपिञ्जली-पाराशरस्मृति, 6.7 गिळूलय भारयडो- गृधोलूक भारण्ड:-रिष्टसमुच्चय, 176 द्विमूर्द्धाशकुनि:-- Progeny of दनु in मत्स्यपुराण, 6.17. भेरुण्ड son of जटायु in Ibid 6.36. वेलाधरः भारण्ड:- परिशिष्टपर्वन्, 2.408. भाग्ण्ड: – उत्तरकुरुदेशजशकुनपक्षी। इति पुराणम् – शब्दकल्पद्रुम भेरुण्डी भीषण खगौ; वारुण्ड: खगउद्रिणि-हेमचन्द्र भेरुण्डोभीमदर्शन पक्षिणो भिदि-विश्व. (14) हरियलिङ्ग शकुन- a vulture with a bill like the trunk of an elephant-Pali Dictionary (P.T.S.) (15) गलेशुण्ड–पक्षिविशेष in निघण्टुरत्नाकर (15) a भेरुंडो चिवक:-दे.ना. ( 16 ) रुण्ड - mutilated body Examination of the above extracts shows that भारण्ड and its variants refer to (i) a so called two-faced bird, (ii) a human-faced (moustached and bearded ?) bird, and (iii) bird with a powerful vioce and carrion-cating habits of a Vulture-all of great size and formidable or fearful appearance. First, the two-faced bird: The giant, flightless and now extinct Pigeon, the Dodo, of Mauritius was known to European navigators by names like 'Dodaarsen', 'Dodaars' and 'Duodo. The etymology of these names has not been satisfactorily solved even though all the facts about the bird and these names do not go beyond the sixteenth century. The Indian voyagers. too must have known or at least heard about the bird which had a huge
