Birds in Sanskrit Literature 4. The Cotton Teal (13") is the smallest Indian Duck which nests in hollows or holes in trees near water. It is it or d in Hindi, the same as Sansk. w for a kind of Duck in M. Williams, These names are clearly after the bird's voice. M. Williams gives also for a kind of Goose (i.e., g in the wider sense) and the name, derived from a little bit', clearly implies a little or tiny Duck (cf. for the Red Turtle Dove, the smallest of all Doves-Art. 53). The brown upper parts in the male are glossed with metallic green or purple and the names तृणहंस of the महाहंस जातक (534) and हरित हंस of बुद्धघोष on संयुत्त निकाय, 277 would again seem to point to it. r means 'green grass' and is also indicative of the minute size of a thing, and fer is the 'green colour', and both the names are fully descriptive of this tiny 'goslet'. The Cotton Teal, the commonest of Indian Ducks, frequenting even ponds and ditches, is thus the घर्धरक, काणूक, तृण, or हरित-हंस. 5 & 6. The Whistling Teal occurs in two forms, the Lesser (17") and the Large (20"). The former is resident throughout India and the latter chiefly in Bengal and sparsely in North India. Both frequent swamps, lakes and tanks, ard being good walkers, graze on the land as well. They are very tame and confiding birds and can be easily domesticated. The Common Whistling Teal, plentiful all over, is known as feet in Hindi and as सरल, शरैल, सरालि, and हराति in Bengal and Assam. All these names are local variants from Sansk. for wet but most Sanskrit lexicons have confused the last two names (शरालि, शराली) with शरारि or शरारी which are specific for the Skimmer, on the strength of the rule, "" though the two are quite different. The following verse from ager with alternative readings of wafe and rufe in the second line has been consi- dered in Art. 70: 450 प्रफुल्लनीलोत्पलशोभितानि शरालिकादम्बविघट्टितानि 4.9. and as the tank in question is said to be covered with lotuses and the water-weed, the probability is in favour of wafar as the correct read- ing, for the Whistling Teal would readily take to such a tank but not the Skimmer. The Large whistling Teal bears a good deal of resemblance to the Lesser and naturally shares the name of with it. Brown above and chestnut below, they are the तंबहंसा (ताम्र red) of बुद्धघोष (ibid.), मनोसिला हंसा (मन: fशल mineral red-arsenic) of महाहंस जातक, अलूने (अरुण reddish) of the Fifth Pillar Edict of Asoka, and रविहंसा (रविसंशक ताम्रम् and therefore the same as तंबहंसा) of बेस्संतर जातक, verse 2107. 7 & 8. The Sheldrake(24") and the Ruddy Sheldrake or the Brahminy Duck (26") are closely related and though they have been separated under two different genera by S. Baker in F.B. I., other authorities keep them together as sub-species of a common genus. The Indians too have regarded them as closely allied birds. The two are respectively known as 'Safed Surkhab' and 'Surkhab' in Persian or Hindustani, and 3 or in Sanskrit. The names ,, and are after the bird's and Swans, Geese, Ducks and Mergansers 'a-oung' call resembling the sound of a badly greased wheel mounted on a wooden axle (चक्र इव वाक् शब्दोऽस्य; cf. रयाङ्गतुल्याह्वयन 'calling like a wheel' used for the bird in form, 2.95. 14; see also in M. Williams). The Ruddy Sheldrake¹ has much of rich orange-brown in its plumage while the Sheldrake has a black head and neck and much white on the lower parts. with a chestnut band accross the breast. Resembling as it does the former it has very appropriately been termed उपचक्र (चक्रेण चक्रवाकेन तुल्य:). उपचत्र is also the See-see Partridge resembling the (Art. 55-C). 451 The noblest of associations surround the and practically date back to the beginnings of Indian civilization. The attachment of a pair to each other, their constant company during the day, conversational contact maintained by both at night as they graze or feed apart on land or water, and their re-union at sun-rise have invested them in popular imagination with the halo of the highest conjugal virtues. No wonder, they are sacred birds not only with the Hindus of India but also the Mongolians and the Kalmucks. They are equally sacred to the Chinese through Mongolian or Indian influences. All through Indian history they have afforded a rich theme to the poets, and a high compliment is paid to them in the Rgveda where they are regarded like the inseparable Asvins: चक्रवाकेव प्रतिवस्तोरुस्रा – 2.39.3. and in the Sükta dealing with the marriage of gaf and the Atharva- veda holds them up as the ideal of conjugal love and fidelity: इहेमाविन्द्र संनुद चक्रवाकेव दम्पती- 14.2.64. The habit of a pair of these birds of calling to each other at night has been recognised in a far where one is named for the deity presiding over the Echoes: प्रतिश्रुत्कायै चक्रवाकः – 24.32. The fidelity of a pair to each other, the rich orange-brown of their plumage, and their habit of keeping together during the day fully justify their selection for god who is the chief upholder of the moral law, wears a golden mantle, and is the lord of the celestial light of day :-- वरुणाय चक्रवाकान्– VS, 24.22. Sanskrit literature is, of course, full of warm and tender references to them. and just a few examples should suffice: 1. The simile of birds for full, round breasts is appropriate only where the latter are closely draped in saffron or orange, and, if exposed, have received a fragrant wash of saffron or the like; cf. कुडूमारुणपयोधरगीर-किरात 9.23; तन्वंशक: कुंकुमरागगौर: अलक्रियन्ते स्तनमण्डलानि-ऋतुसंहार, 6.4. 2. Ti 'red Geese' a pair of which is given to a newly married couple in China may well be these birds though the Snow Goose of the Arctic region is commonly known as the Red Goose See Ency. of Religion and Ethics, 1.518.
