International Conference on Asian Elephants in Culture & Nature
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Item Lion and Elephant Motif or Gaja-Siṁha and the Gajamauktikas(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Pradhan, S.; Sumant, S.The poetic verses devoted to the elephant-lion war in literature as well as in the epigraphs mention the final victory of the lion, and the lion gains the Gajamauktika - Gajamuktā or Kunjaraṃaṇi, the treasure of precious pearls of elephants. These lustrous and beautiful pearls are always described as being found in the forehead of elephants. These poetic conceptions of lion’s victory over elephants, seen in classical Sanskrit literature and epigraphic records, seem to be the basis for the fight between the lion and the elephant in the later plastic art; the ‘Gaja-Siṁha’ motif. The motif is usually thought of as decorative in manner. However, it appears to be the metaphor of natural phenomenon of rain. The motif beautifully conveys the idea of rain bearing clouds, thunder and hailstone shower by using the metaphor of the lion as thunder, the elephant as rain cloud and hailstone showers as Gajamauktika, the mythical elephant-pearls. In this article, an attempt is made to understand different poetic, inscriptional, folk inspirations, and their symbolism which are reflected in the elephant-lion, the Gaja-Siṁha motif, mostly seen in the rock-cut architecture, temple architecture and also in other decorative embellishments.Item Elephant Myths and Domestication of Elephants(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Pradhan, S.; Sumant, S.This paper aims to trace and interpret certain stories about elephants in ancient Sanskrit literature that show the process of domestication of elephants. There are some stories highlighting the aspects of celestial origin and habitat of elephants. There are certain stories that bring heavenly elephants to the material world and present their prior wild nature changing into tamed humanized character. The wildness of elephants is depicted in the form of their malevolent character in such stories while their goodness can be seen in their tamed character. When such domesticated elephants were used in trade, warfare and other human activities, gradually they became the symbol of wealth and power. In the course of time when elephants acquire prominent place in human life, they are again raised to the holy, divine position as Gajalakṣmī on one hand and vehicles of deities on the other. All these aspects of gradual domestication of elephants highlighting the shift in their typical nature will be shown in this paper by interpreting some stories about them.Item Mātaṅgalīlā: An Ancient Text on Elephant Science(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Sumant, S.; Godbole, M.Mātaṅgalīlā is an ancient treatise on the science of elephants composed by an otherwise unknown Nīlakaṇṭha. The author hails from the Southern Indian State of Kerala. The manuscripts discovered by T. Ganapatishastri are from the 18th CE. The text written in Sanskrit language deals with various aspects of elephants in 12 sections such as the creation of veterinary science for elephants on earth, the types of elephants according to their time of birth, the auspicious and inauspicious characteristics of elephants, their life-span, their body structures and so on. Present paper will study all these aspects dealt with in this text and will try to apply them to Asian Elephants.Item Characteristics of Asian Elephants from Ancient Sanskrit Texts(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Godbole, M.; Sumant, S.Elephants have been the center of discussion in the ancient Sanskrit veterinary texts such as Hastyāurveda and Mātaṅgalīlā. These texts focus on diseases of elephants and their cure. Texts such as Mṛgapakṣiśāstra, is a treatise that deals with many animals, including elephants, their characteristics as well as their types. Naturally, all these texts mention the characteristics of elephants in the beginning. Elephants being an important part of warfare, the texts dealing with State Affairs such as Arthaśāstra also discuss the characteristics of elephants. The Encyclopedic Treatise such as Bṛhatsaṁhitā is also not an exception when it states the characteristics of elephants in its 67th chapter. The present paper will consult all these treatises and will try to state the characteristics of Asian Elephants seen in ancient Sanskrit texts.