Which one of the following does not refer to the bow (and arrow) as a weapon of war in ancient India?
- A.Sharnga
- B.Kunta
- C.Kodanda
- D.Karmuka
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Kunta. A kunta is a spear or lance, a thrusting weapon, while the other three are Sanskrit names for the bow.
Ancient Indian texts, especially the epics and the Dhanurveda, the science of archery, use many words for the bow, and several famous bows have their own names. Archery was counted the highest of the martial arts, and the epics describe heroes by their bows: Arjuna's Gandiva, Rama's Kodanda and Vishnu's Sharnga. The kunta, by contrast, appears in lists of weapons alongside the shakti and the tomara as a lance carried by foot soldiers and cavalry.
Option A is wrong because Sharnga is the bow of Vishnu, which is why Vishnu is called Sharngapani or Sharngadhara. Option C is wrong because Kodanda is the bow of Rama, who is called Kodandarama. Option D is wrong because karmuka is a general Sanskrit word for a bow, used in the epics and in Amarakosha's list of its synonyms.
Exam tip: Sharnga of Vishnu, Kodanda of Rama, Gandiva of Arjuna, Pinaka of Shiva; kunta is a spear.
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