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| Subtitle | The Elephant Lore of the Hindus - The Elephant Sport (Matanga-Lila) of Nilakantha Translated from the original Sanskrit |
| Translator | Franklin Edgerton |
| First Written | 500 |
| Genre | Nonfiction |
| Origin | India |
| Publisher | Yale University Press |
| My Copy | library hardback |
| First Read | December 19, 2025 |
Matanga-Lila (Elephant-Sport)
This is a translation of a Sanskrit text from the 5th or 6th century; it's about the characteristics and management of elephants. It... was surprisingly less instructive than I expected?
Noted on December 19, 2025
[ A truly befuddling origin story for elephants ]
A nymph Rucira ('Lovely') was fashioned by the Creator as he fashioned Speech, by collecting the beauties belonging to sprites, men, demons, and gods. But once she was cursed by Fate (Brahma) because of her evil pride. Hence she was born as a daughter of the (tribe of) Vasus, from Bhargava, and was named Gunavati. Her great curiosity led her once to the hermitage of Matanga.
Thinking ' Nay, she has been sent by Indra to disturb my penance!' he cursed her, and she became an elephant cow. Then the sage, realizing that she was innocent, straightway said to her: 'Fair elephant cow, when from drinking the seed of the hermit Samagyana a son shall be born to you, then your curse shall come to an end. "
A certain yaksi (female sprite) appeared to the hermit Samagayana in a dream. Then the noble hermit straightway went out from the hermitage and passed water. With the urine, seed came forth. That she drank when the hermit had rentered the house, and speedily the elephant cow conceived and brought forth a son, from her mouth.
Giving her son with joy to the sage, she left the form of an elephant cow and quickly went to heaven, freed from her curse, in peace.
Quoted on December 19, 2025
[Why do elephant bulls have internal testes? ] But their absence of scrotum was granted by fiat of the Unborn (Brahmā), that they might move more swiftly and freely in battles.
Quoted on December 19, 2025
[how to spot an elephant fit for a king:] With very glossy, shining eyes, and reddish trunk ends, with rod-like penis handsome with the beauty of mango shoots, radiant as red lotuses, with voice like the koil's; such elephants, assuredly, are auspicious for kings.
Quoted on December 19, 2025
CHAPTER XI
ON THE KEEPING OF ELEPHANTS AND THEIR DAILY AND SEASONAL REGIMEN
Forest elephants who dwelt there happily and by the power of fate have been brought to town in bonds, afflicted by harsh, bitter, cruel words, by excessive grief, fear, bewilderment, bondage, etc., and by sufferings of mind and body, are quite unable for long to sustain life, when from their own herds they have come into the control of men.
Quoted on December 19, 2025
[You drive elephants by signaling with your... toes?] To make him go forward he shall press hard with the two great toes; to make him lift his face, (the great toes) are turned up, and to bring his face down they are turned down. In guiding an elephant to the right side he shall poke him with the left great toe, and with the other to the other side; and to draw the elephant back (check him), the clever (driver) shall poke him hard with his two heels.
Quoted on December 19, 2025
An ointment made of the heads and veins of centipedes and lizards, gall of horses, hair of deer, snake-skins, and scorpions, if smeared upon hooks, robs elephants of their pride.
Quoted on December 19, 2025