Month: August 2023

Shabdavedi, Sakkijutsu and Why Charioteers are Awesome!

Vikram M R, , , , , , 3 Comments

Anyone who has read stories from Hindu culture or watched TV series based on the same, would have heard of the ability called “Shabdavedi”. This is the ability of an archer (either a hunter or a warrior) to accurately strike a target purely based on the sound it makes, with no visual input at all. It is a highly revered skill and individuals who could accomplish this were considered great archers. I am not aware of how rare this skill was. It essentially means that an archer, even when blindfolded, hears a sound made by a target and shoots an arrow, which unfailingly strikes the target. This is something archers with this ability can always do, and it is not a fluke or a one off.

I am aware of three examples from stories which demonstrate this ability. Two of them are from the Epic Itihasa poems of India, one each from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The third is from the historical Epic poem, “Prithviraj Raso”. Interestingly, the use of Shabdavedi in all three examples is related to tragedy; in two of the examples, success with Shabdavedi leads to great tragedy in the future and in the third, it is used in an extremely tragic situation.

In the Ramayana, King Dasharatha (father of Lord Rama) is out hunting at night. He hears a sound that seems like an animal is drinking at a waterhole. As it is dark, he cannot see the animal. So, he shoots an arrow at the animal using his Shabdavedi ability. He successfully strikes the target, but then, tragedy strikes. The target he has hit is a boy named Shravana Kumara. Both of his parents are blind, and in their old age cannot move about on their own. So, being a dutiful son, he carries his parents from one place to another, like a water-carrier, where his parents are seated in two baskets tied to the ends of a pole, which Shravana Kumara carries on his shoulders.

On that day, the parents are thirsty, and the son is filling a vessel at the waterhole to quench the same. Dasharatha’s arrow kills the boy. He begs the distraught parents for forgiveness. But they curse him, stating that just as they would die pining for their son, so would Dasharatha; he would die wishing his son was with him. This curse sets up the events of the Ramayana, where Rama is exiled to the forest and Dasharataha dies unable to bear the separation and his role in all the hardships his two sons and daughter-in-law have to endure for years in the forest. The exile in the forest also leads to the several tragedies that occur in the Ramayana.

In the Mahabharatha, King Pandu is out hunting. He hears what sounds like a deer. He cannot see the animal though. But he uses his Shabdavedi skill and shoots an arrow at his target. The arrow strikes its mark, but then, so does tragedy. Pandu realizes that he has struck not one, but two deer which were in the act of mating. But it turns out that it was a sage and his wife who were being physically intimate in the form of deer. So, Pandu has mortally wounded the sage and his wife. Pandu begs for forgiveness, but the sage curses him. The curse is that if Pandu ever tries to be physically intimate with either of his wives or if he even has thoughts of the same, he will immediately lose his life.

Image credit – “Mahabharata 3 – Advent of the Kuru Princes”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

In repentance of his act, Pandu relinquishes his throne in favour of his blind older brother Dritharashtra and retires to the forest with his wives. Later, he succumbs to the curse in a moment of weakness. This act of Pandu’s sets in motion a whole chain of events, which along with the actions of his grandfather Shantanu lead to the great war of Kurukshetra which resulted in the loss of life and suffering on an unimaginable scale.

In the Prithviraj Raso, after Prithviraj has been defeated at the battle of Tarain, he is imprisoned, blinded, and taken as a prisoner to Ghazni, by Mohammad of Ghor. Prithviraj is humiliated, his armies destroyed and his kingdom is reduced to being a vassal state and has suffered great losses. While in prison in Ghazni, Prithviraj’s close friend, court poet and minister, Chand Baradai, finds him and they hatch a plot to avenge their defeat by killing Mohammad Ghori. Chand Bardai extolls Prithviraj’s ability with Shabdavedi. So, Ghori wants to see a demonstration of the same. An arena is set up and a goat is let into the arena. Prithviraj is also brought in and handed a bow and arrow. The goat is made to bleat, thus providing a target for the arrow. Prithviraj says he will only shoot the arrow on a command from Ghori. Ghori does so and this allows Prithviraj to shoot Ghori instead of the goat as his location is now revealed. Then Chand Bardai and Prithivraj both commit suicide. Thus, they have avenged their defeat despite being severely weakened by circumstances. Of course, this story is not actual history, but epic poetry.

The circumstances of all three examples above might be tragic, but the ability of Shabdavedi was coveted and deeply respected. This is obvious, because any ability to shoot targets without the use of sight is indeed extraordinary and takes a lot of practice to achieve. It is mastery despite the absence of the most vital of human senses, sight, required for archery.

In the Bujinkan system of martial arts, there is a concept called “Sakkijutsu”. This refers to “intuitive ability”. This is among the most important precepts of the Bujinkan. It is referred to most often when practitioners of the art with a lot of experience practice or teach. Sakkijutsu relates to responding to the intention of the opponent(s) and not the action of the opponent(s). Intention occurs before action and hence, responding to the intention gives an extra fraction of time to the defender, which might be vital in saving oneself (or anyone else).

There is no scientific measure that I am aware of to measure the “Sakki” or intuition. The use of intuition is also not something that is taught. It is described and demonstrated, and this allows the ability to be learnt. The ability is learnt and refined over years of training. It is purely experiential learning and requires training physically with fellow practitioners, mentors, teachers and students. But the centrality of this concept in the Bujinkan never changes, even when one is not yet able to express Sakkijutsu.

Since Sakkijutsu relates to intuition, the experience of getting a feel of the situation where the conflict (physical or otherwise) is occurring in, is very important. This includes, the context, individuals, groups of individuals and the overall atmosphere of the place (time & space). All of this adds to the abilities, past experiences, life experiences beyond the martial arts and general wisdom of the individual. These aspects inform one’s intuition, which could also be referred to as “gut feel”. This is very important as one should also realize what cannot be done in managing a conflict and should avoid acts that lead to injury (including psychological, emotional and spiritual ones) and death.

I have referred to intuitive ability and Sakkijutsu in multiple other articles as well. The test to achieve the 5th Dan in the Bujinkan is called the “Sakki test”. It involves one demonstrating intuitive ability and at the same time realizing for oneself that he or she has the ability, and it should be applied in all situations in life. I have described this test in the article related to “Boons, Blessings and Curses” *. The link to this article is seen in the notes below.

The concept of Shabdavedi is offensive in nature, as it is used by the attacker to target a hidden opponent (or quarry). I suggest that the counter to this ability is Sakkijutsu. Sakkijutsu is protective in nature, as it allows the target of the person using Shabdavedi to survive the attack, irrespective of whether it is a human or an animal. If the target can sense the malicious intent of the person shooting the arrow, at the moment when the person decides to shoot as he or she has got a target lock due to Shabdavedi, the target can move in that small instant of time. As the time between the decision to shoot and the release of the arrow is small, if the target is no longer in the same space which is targeted, it is almost impossible for the archer to track and change the targeted space, thus allowing the quarry to survive. Of course, for this to work, the target should also move only when the decision to shoot is made. If it is too early, the archer can sense the movement through Shabdavedi and change his or her target. If the movement is late, well, it doesn’t matter anymore. So, Sakkijutsu is no magic survival card. It is just one extra opportunity to survive, which can hopefully be exploited successfully.

I am not aware of the right word to use in either Sanskrit or other Indian vernacular languages (mainly Kannada in my case) for Sakkijutsu. Antahprajne, Saakshaatkaara (could also mean epiphany), Aparokshajnana, Asaamanya Prajne, Ola Arivu and one I like best, Antarbhoda are the words I found online as a translation for “intuition” in Kannada. The word I found online most often, from Sanskrit, as a translation for intuition, is “Pratibha” (apparently according to the 5th century Sanskrit scholar Bhartrihari). But this also means ability or skill in some cases. So, I will say “Antarbodha” is a counter for “Shabdavedi”, just to square off words from the same language. 😛 But I will use the word Sakkijutsu itself in the rest of the article simple because I am neither satisfied nor convinced with the other words I have found.

A couple of additional points about Sakkijutsu here. Firstly, Sakkijutsu is NOT magic. It is a natural ability which we all possess. The key in its practice is to build trust in one’s own intuition and not second guess its drive. Imagine walking alone in a dark place with no people around. We feel our senses are heightened and are very aware of our surroundings, as threat perception is high and we are in self-protection mode. Similarly, when we are driving through heavy traffic, we get the feel that we need to change speed, change gears, or avoid moving into an empty space on the road. We involuntarily slow down more at some blind turns than at others. Similarly, if there are two roads that can be taken to the same destination, we take one without analysis based on the “gut feel” in that moment. All of these are examples of us using our Sakkijutsu, even if our life is not on the line in many of these cases. There are also cases when we know of a call coming through just before the phone rings. This also happens at work when we realize that someone is looking for us or looking at us just before the person arrives. It is this ability that we apply, train, and refine. I have described this in slightly greater detail in a previous article of mine**, the link to which is seen in the notes below.

The examples of Shabdavedi with which I am juxtaposing Sakkijutsu are from the past. But the practice of Sakkijutsu and instances to elucidate the same I am using are from the present. The second point is relating to this discrepancy. In current times, while Shabdavedi still exists, the levels of technology and the availability of the same make the need for the Shabdavedi fairly unnecessary. So, if we consider an exact situation from the modern day, snipers and their modern rifles can target individuals at ranges greater than ever before. Add to this the use of drones and this range increases even further+. The drone operators need not even be on the same continent. Does Sakkijutsu work in such cases? I do not know. I have heard it said by some practitioners of the Bujinkan who are also veterans of the armed forces that in the case involving snipers, it might. This is because the weapon and its human operator are just like an archer. But I cannot vouch for this information as I have no experience regarding this.

When it comes to drones, the person with the intent to kill is nowhere near the drone. So, is there an opportunity for the quarry to sense the intention of the attacker/hunter? Again, I have no idea. Since there are so many layers of technology, is it the drone or any other form of technology doing the targeting? If yes, as it is not sentient in the same way as a human or any other animal, can it have the same intention? If not, how can Sakkijutsu work, as there is no malicious intent to sense? After all, Sakkijutsu is our ability from when we were prey animals and it is just like a herbivore at a watering hole which is skittish and ready to bolt based on Sakkijutsu, when it gets a sense of danger based on the intentions it feels, and not just based on any of the other senses. If Sakkijutsu is not of much use against drones, is the next step to train and heighten the five conventional senses? Or just start applying other principles of the Bujinkan and other martial arts with drones as the weapons (drones vs drones with martial concepts as the differentiator)? I do not have answers to these questions and would be grateful for any light thrown on the same.

But then, there are a couple of examples that come to mind from ancient times, of Sakkijutsu being applied. These again are from the Mahabharata, and both involve Krishna when he was the charioteer for Arjuna during the Kurukshetra war. Krishna had agreed to be Arjuna’s charioteer and a guide to the Pandava side. But he had sworn that he would not raise any weapon or get involved in the fighting himself.

On the 12th day of the war, the king Bhagadatta, mounted on his elephant (the most fearsome beast in the war) fought Arjuna, who was on his chariot, with Lord Krishna as his charioteer. During the fight, Bhagadatta invoked the Vaishnavaastra. This was a celestial weapon originating from Lord Vishnu. There was no way Arjuna, despite all his abilities and the assortment of astras at his disposal, could counter this weapon, let alone survive its onslaught. But Krishna realized this when the astra was released by Bhagadatta and instinctively stood up in the chariot, letting the astra strike him, thus protecting Arjuna. Of course, Krishna, being an incarnation (avatar/avataara) of Vishnu, could bear the attack of the Vaishnavaastra unlike other mortals. Thus, Krishna, while not breaking his vow of not being involved in the fighting, still saved Arjuna while not raising a weapon. He did this by putting himself in harm’s way.

Image credit – “Mahabharata 33 – Dorna’s Vow”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

I opine that this is an example of applying Sakkijutsu. Sakkijutsu is intuitively doing what needs to be done in a given situation to prevent injury or harm to oneself or anyone else. In this example, in the very short time between the astra being discharged and it striking Arjuna, Krishna intuitively realized a lot of this and acted on the same. He realized that it was the Vaishnavaastra that was invoked, and that Arjuna was helpless against the same. He also instinctively knew what he needed to do as a charioteer, to protect his warrior. He stood up and put himself in harm’s way. It would all have happened in the blink of an eye, and so, it is an instance of Sakkijutsu.

On the 17th day of the war, Karna used the Nagaastra against Arjuna. This astra was infallible and would always strike its intended target, no matter how it was countered. So, Arjuna was in great danger. In this instance, Krishna maneuvered the chariot such that the horses buckled, and the chariot was pushed down by a few finger-widths/inches. This was done at the very last instant. The astra was discharged with Arjuna’s neck as the target. When the chariot was lowered, the astra struck the base of Arjuna’s crown/helmet and knocked it off. The astra did not miss, it struck the space where it was supposed to, only that the space which was occupied by Arjuna’s neck was now replaced by his crown. Thanks to Krishna’s action, Arjuna was saved again.

Image credit – “Mahabharata 37 – Karna in Command”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

Here also, Krishna knew intuitively that he needed to intervene to save Arjuna, and the action that needed to be taken, in a an extremely small duration of time, thus making it a demonstration of Sakkijutsu. Of course, it can be said that Krishna is a God and hence his divine abilities allowed him to do what he did. Add to this, the magical aspects of the weapons involved, and the examples can be considered fantasy. But then, the nature of the actions taken by Krishna in the spur of the moment was instinctive. Plus, the same could be done with none of the magical aspects of the astra by any charioteer to protect the warrior for any number of reasons, thus making them intuitive and not divine intervention. The explanation for the actions were also given after the act, and it was not planned. These aspects make the actions of Krishna in both cases, examples of Sakkijutsu.

Speaking of Lord Krishna as a charioteer and his actions while being one, is a good segue to have a look at charioteers and their abilities during the days of the Mahabharata and maybe in general in India during ancient times. We know the names of famous charioteers and some famous individuals who excelled at charioteering, other than Krishna himself. Some famous charioteers we know of are, Sanjaya, charioteer of Dritarashtra, Daruka, charioteer of Krishna and Maatali, Indra’s charioteer. Other than Krishna, Yudishtira was a great charioteer and so was King Shalya. Shalya was the king of Madra and an uncle of the Pandavas (specifically only Nakula and Sahadeva) as he was the brother of Maadri, wife of Pandu. He was one of the greatest mace fighters of his time, on par with Bhima, Duryodhana, Jarasandha and Keechaka. His excellence as a charioteer is attested by the fact that he was requested to be Karna’s charioteer on the 17th day of the Kurukshetra war. This was when Karna was commander-in-chief of the Kaurava armies and needed a charioteer who could match the abilities of Krishna when Arjuna and Karna faced off. This shows how incredibly important charioteers were and the great regard in which they were held.

Image credit (L) – “Mahabharata 37 – Karna in Command”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

Image credit (R)- “Mahabharata 35 – Arjuna fulfils his Vow”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

When Arjuna fought against the Nivaatakavachas and Kaalakeyas, as repayment for receiving celestial weaponry (and the knowledge for their use) from the Devas, much before the Kurukshetra war, he was granted use of Indra’s chariot, with Maatali as the charioteer. Maatali served as both guide and friend to Arjuna during this time. Daruka, Krishna’s charioteer was tasked with keeping his chariot ready for war in case Arjuna failed to fulfil his vow on the 15th day of the war. And lastly, Sanjaya, apart from being Dritarashtra’s charioteer, was a trusted confidante and advisor to the king. This is why he, of all people, was granted divine vision by Maharishi Veda Vyasa, so that Sanjaya could narrate the events of the war to the blind Dritharashtra. All of these extend the idea that charioteers were respected individuals and important members of the social circles of famous individuals.

Image credit – “Mahabharata 22 – The Reunion”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

Image credit – “Mahabharata 30 – The War Begins”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

I suggest that the reason for this deep respect that charioteers commanded in the society of the Mahabharata was their importance in warfare. I also opine that Sakkijutsu was vitally important for charioteers, or as they are called in the vernacular, Sarathis (Sarathi for singular)++.

A Charioteer and the warrior in the chariot would have been a team, not unlike a doubles team in badminton, tennis, table tennis or any other similar sport. They would need to understand each other and act in tandem, backing each other in case of a mistake by the other and allowing the other to express what he or she is best at. In a war, one of the chariot’s important advantages is its mobility. And when a chariot faces other chariots or cavalry (either horses or elephants) it faces off against other mobile enemies. Therefore, the warrior in the chariot has to strike opponents that are mobile and continuously moving. This is why the wheels of chariots, the horses and indeed the charioteers themselves were always valid targets.

While the warrior focuses on finding, tracking and attacking enemies with arrows, javelins or spears, it would fall to the charioteer to do everything else. In this sense, the warrior is like the weapons officer in a two-seater fighter aircraft. But the charioteer is more than a passive pilot or worse, a driver. He or she (Kaikeyi, Lord Rama’s step-mother, was a famous Sarathi and played the role when Dasharatha fought in battles) did not just take a chariot to a given place as commanded and park the vehicle while the warriors engaged in fighting.

Image credit – “Ramayana”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

Charioteers would need to have a sense of all the following.

  • the surroundings on the battlefield
  • the enemies targeting the chariot or the warrior in it or both
  • the condition of the structure of the chariot
  • the condition of the horses drawing the chariot
  • the targets that are feasible and the total set of available targets (like a radar on a fighter aircraft)
  • the targets the warrior is focusing on and the weapons he is using to carry out the attack

With all the above in mind, he or she has to pilot the chariot in a way that allows the most efficient attack against a specific opponent, while the risk to the warrior and the chariot itself is minimised. It is an act of continuous and dynamic optimization, while one’s own life is on the line. The charioteer needs to move the chariot to avoid an arrow or javelin from striking the warrior if he or she is targeted while the same individual is busy attacking another target on an ever-changing battlefield.

The charioteer also needs to put the chariot in the best place possible, from where a specific opponent can be targeted and attacked. This has to happen while being aware of the ground and if it is conducive to take the weight of the chariot and horses, for they should not get stuck or mired in the mud. The charioteer must also be aware of possible paths to take to either advance or retreat on the battlefield. He or she must also communicate effectively to the warrior all necessary information so he or she can do the job as effectively as possible. The charioteer must also know which targets the warrior can take out while the chariot is moving and when the chariot needs to be stopped to allow for the same. And then there will be idiosyncrasies and pride of the warrior to take into account, the communication of which cannot be allowed to impact their working together in the best possible way.

So, in a way, a charioteer of old is not unlike the smart mission system and electronics of modern-day weapon system (of course, it is OBVIOUSLY NOT an exact comparison). They have great battlefield awareness, inform about radar locks, approach of missiles and dispense flares or chaff or other defensive weapons. They allow electronic counter measures, electronic counter-counter measures and communicate when the firing solution is ready so that the weapons officer can choose to discharge the same. No wonder, a charioteer was revered in the ancient world, they were as important as, if not more important than, the warriors themselves. Imagine an adrenaline pumping chase and fight sequence in a Mission Impossible movie action sequence in the ancient world with chariots facing off to get a sense of the awe the situation can inspire.

In ancient India, there was a community called “Suta”. These days it might be considered an occupation-based caste. Sutas are born of Brahmin mothers and Kshatriya fathers. Several individuals of the Suta community excelled as charioteers. So much so that sometimes it is said that a Suta is a charioteer, even though that is not correct. Some famous Sutas include Keechaka, the great commander of the armies of King Virata of the Matsya kingdom, where the Pandavas hid during their 13th year in exile. He was a warrior on par with Bhima and others as already mentioned. His sister Sudeshna was the queen. This makes her the maternal grandmother of the future king of Hastinapura, Pareekshit, who is also a grandson of Arjuna on the paternal side.

Another revered Suta is Ugrashrava Lomarshana Sauti. He is a deeply respected bard/storyteller. His recitation of the story of Pandavas and Kauravas to Rishi Shaunaka and his students in the Naimishaaranya forest is what is today considered the Mahabharata00. Sutas also excelled as story tellers/bards and warriors as seen from the above examples.

Thus, a Suta (which can also be written Soota to be closer to the vernacular pronunciation) was a very respected and multi-skilled community of the past. But most of us associate the word with the word Sutaputra used in the televised versions of the Mahabharata. Karna, is adopted by the charioteer named Adiratha, who is a Suta. So, Karna is called a Sutaputra as he is the son of a Suta. This term is used by the Pandavas in a derogatory manner towards Karna a lot of the time in the Mahabharata TV series. I am not sure if this is a correct reflection of the original written by Veda Vyasa, in the number of times this term is used in a derogatory manner towards Karna. Considering that Karna is also made a more sympathetic character on TV than he was in the original epic, it is a possibility. This in turn makes one wonder if the Sutas not being as respected on the TV series as they were in the past, is more a result of virtue signalling in the modern-day.

It is indeed a joy to be able to move from Shabdavedi to Sakkijutsu to realizing how important this skill might have been to charioteers and to realize how virtue signalling might keep us from discovering the same.

Notes:

* https://mundanebudo.com/2023/07/20/connect-control-part-2-boons-blessings-curses-the-sakki-test/

** https://mundanebudo.com/2023/06/22/when-there-are-no-solutions/

+There are missiles today that have no explosive warheads, but blades that open out, making mincemeat of the target. This is essentially a very high-tech arrow!

++One of the many names of Lord Krishna is “Parthasarathi”. Here “Partha” is Arjuna as he is the son of Kunti, whose birth name was Pritha (son of Pritha is Partha – pronounced Paartha). “Sarathi” means charioteer. So, as Krishna is a charioteer of Arjuna’s, he is “Parthasarathi”. Also, Sarathi is pronounced “Saarathi”.

00The Mahabharata is three narrations nested one inside the other. The “Jaya” was composed by Maharishi Veda Vyasa and this contained a conversation between Dritharashtra and Sanjaya about all the events that led upto the war, while the latter is narrating the happenings on the field of battle, thanks to his divine vision, which was also granted by Veda Vyasa. The “Jaya” was narrated in a conversation, by Vaishampayana, a disciple of Vyasa’s to King Janamejaya, during the Sarpa Satra conducted by the latter. Janamejaya is the grandson of Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna. Ugrashrava Lomarshana Sauti was present at the Sarpa Satra and witness to this narration. He in turn narrated the narration that he had heard, to Rishi Shaunaka and his pupils at their ashrama in the forest, Naimishaaranya. This is what has come down to us as the Mahabharata.

Swaraj and the Lizard (and Ninjas?!)

Vikram M R, , , , , , 5 Comments

Today is “World Lizard Day” (August 14th). Tomorrow is the Independence Day in India (August 15th). So, the two were connected (in my head) with a nice little legend from Indian history and I felt like sharing the same. This is unlike my usual posts where I explore the intersections between Hindu/Indian culture and the martial arts (mainly the Bujinkan system of martial arts). I had no idea that there was a day to celebrate lizards! I was told that today was Word Lizard Day by Windows and this new learning triggered this article. There is no specific link between this article and the Bujinkan or any other martial art. But I will definitely make a stretch and try to connect this legend with the martial arts. 😛

In India we share space with a species of monitor lizard called the “Common Indian Monitor”, also called the “Bengal Monitor” (Varanus Bengalensis). It is seen in almost all parts of the country. Along the east coast of India there is another larger species called the Asian Water Monitor (Varanus Salvator). The Common Monitor lizard grows to be between 5 and 7 kg and grows to a length of around 4 feet or a little more. The Water Monitor is almost one and a half times larger in size.

Image credit – someone from my family

The Common Monitor eats small birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and eggs of all of these. It is in turn eaten by many species including humans, especially when it is young or in its juvenile years. Young monitors have spots while adults are more a uniform grey. It is not a threat to humans. The largest extant monitor lizard is the Komodo Dragon that inhabits a few islands of Indonesia. The largest ever monitor to have existed, as known today is the Megalania, which once inhabited Australia, but is long extinct (early humans who entered Australia are likely to have encountered this monster).

The Indian Independence Day is celebrated to mark the occasion when the British left our country after nearly two centuries. But the notion of Independence is older as I have learnt it, as India has been invaded by outsiders several times over the last 2,500 years. Most of the invaders assimilated into the existing society and culture after capturing parts of the geography. But some over the last thousand years did not and tried to impose external culture, ideas and ways of life on the existing society. And there has always been an attempt to restore self-rule or uproot the invading powers.

During the time when the Maratha empire was being established, as modern history and popular consciousness teaches us, there was a notion of Swaraj or Swarajya, (I have heard it sometimes referred to as Hindavi Swarajya) which means self-rule or more appropriately as I understand it, “our own rule or our own kingdom”. This notion was to ensure that the lands where the Maratha lived were free from the rule of the Mughal empire and some of the Deccan sultanates. Both the Mughals (Turco-Mongol Timurids) and the Deccan sultanates were of foreign origin and Islamic in nature. The Deccan sultanates were far less foreign, but were defeated and supplanted by the Mughals and the Nizam of Hyderabad (a vassal of the Mughals, who later became independent).

The Marathas fought all these powers over several decades and emerged victorious, supplanting or at least subduing all of them. They were the pre-eminent power in India when the British East India Company started having ambitions of power and grandeur. The idea of Swaraj that the Marathas aspired to is the one I am referring to in the title of this article.

One of the great generals of the Marathas was Tanhaji Malusare, about whom a popular and successful Hindi movie was produced in 2020. He, along with his troops captured the fortress of Kondhana, but Tanhaji lost his life in this battle. The fortress is called Sinhagad today in honour of Tanhaji (he was a lion, which is a Sinh and hence Sinhgad, fortress of the lion). This battle was very hard and the Marathas scaled the sheer walls at night, an act of great daring, before defeating the garrison to take fortress.

There is a legend that Tanhaji and his troops used a monitor lizard to scale fortress walls. I am not sure if this legend is specific to the battle of Sinhgad or if they are supposed to have done so in general, in other campaigns. A monitor lizard has very powerful claws and are good climbers. This is a known fact. So, the Marathas are supposed to have tied a rope to a pet monitor (monitors are kept as pets even to this day in many parts of the world), which then scaled the fortress wall and with its strong claws held on as some soldiers scaled the walls and then helped the rest of the troops do the same. The monitor was, in essence, used as a living, trained grappling hook.

Of course, this is a legend and not real history. I have even seen a name that the pet monitor is supposed to have had! A monitor lizard is called a “Ghorpad” in Marathi. Ghorpade is also a last name used in Maharashtra to this day, and obviously it is used in other parts of India as well with migration over the last few centuries. So, from what I have learnt, it is likely that there was a group of people from the Ghorpade community, who were expert rock climbers/boulderers. This team of climbers scaled the fortress first and led the rest up. The climbers were so good that either they were compared to a monitor, or vice versa. This is an explanation for the legend. Considering that the Marathas were successful in achieving Swaraj, the legend of the monitor lizard is inextricably linked to the creation of the same 🙂 . This is the connection between “Swaraj and the lizard”.

The martial arts of the Bujinkan system are sometimes referred to as “Ninjutsu”. “Nin” refers to “perseverance”. So Ninjutsu is “the art of perseverance (or persevering)”. The Marathas, all through their existence as a power centre in India, from being a small one in the mid-17th century all the way till their fall in the early 19th century, fought in different terrain and against all odds. They mastered guerrilla warfare apart from fighting pitched battles and fighting in the forests and mountains. They also developed a very effective navy.

During the time when Mughal emperor Aurangzeb fought them for twenty six years, most of which he spent in the south, the Marathas fought a running war. Many of their commanders were examples of “living in the saddle”. To fight a numerically superior force, they were extremely mobile and fought as light cavalry, leaving behind their artillery. The Marathas eventually wore down and defeated the Mughal invasion.

There is a wonderful book called “Battles of the Maratha Empire” by Aneesh Gokhale*. In the appendix of this book, Mr. Gokhale lists the battles fought against Aurangzeb. The battles fought were from central India all the way to Tamil Nadu. The Maratha troops literally rode across peninsular India to fight battles. They did this week after week, all their lives, for multiple generations. This is the very DEFINITION of perseverance. Add to this their ability to fight in different terrain and different foes, from the Deccan sultans to the British, each in a different manner, and across two centuries, they are the very picture of the “art of persevering”. So, purely as the definition goes, they were true practitioners of Ninjutsu. Of course, this is only with the benefit of hindsight, but the concept holds as far I am concerned.

Now, I have one last point, on a lighter note. The popular image of the Ninja is that of a black clad warrior who is doing secretive activities like a spy or Special Forces operatives. The ninja is seen in a solitary manner or in small groups. One tool that is fairly often associated with the ninja is the “kagi nawa”. The kagi nawa is a rope with a hook, a grappling hook, used to scale castle walls in Japan (or elsewhere in modern movies). This tool also doubles up as a weapon if the situation demands.

Considering that this article is about a grappling hook (!) albeit a legendary live one in the form of a lizard and an oft represented ninja tool/weapon is the grappling hook (kagi nawa) as well, just revisiting a legend of how a lizard aided in the formation of Swaraj, turns the Marathas into Ninjas! 🙂 Of course, as already stated, this last bit is in a lighter vein and should only be considered inasmuch that it brings one to smile.

I usually post on alternate Thursdays. But considering the Independence Day tomorrow, I am making an exception and posting on a Tuesday, two days before schedule. I will revert to the usual Thursday posts from 31st August.

Notes:

*Link to the book mentioned above is seen below.https://www.amazon.in/Battles-Maratha-Empire-Aneesh-Gokhale/dp/8194509920/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=battles+of+the+maratha+empire&qid=1692008465&sprefix=battles+of+the+%2Caps%2C515&sr=8-3

Some absurdity – If I had to stretch the connections above further, I would link the monitor lizards to martial arts as well. Monitor lizards are found in most of Africa, West Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia, East Asia and in Australia as well. Many Monitor species, when they need to establish a pecking order or fight over mating rights, wrestle each other. They grapple while standing on their hind legs with support from their tails. Across almost all the territories they inhabit, humans also have strong traditions of the martial arts, if not specifically unarmed wrestling itself! So, the lizards are as martial as the humans. 😀

Kuki Taishou and the Gaze of Nahusha

Vikram M R, , , , , Leave a comment

Nahusha was an ancestor of the Pandavas, who are the victors of the Kurukshetra War described in the Mahabharata. The Pandavas are something like the twenty second generation after Nahusha in the Chandravamsha++ (Lunar dynasty). Nahusha is one of the well-known ancestors of the Pandavas and an illustrious king during his time. He lived a storied life which involved great achievements, succumbing to ego, enduring a curse for long years followed by eventual redemption and an ascension to Heaven (Indra’s abode).

One of the stories related to Nahusha is about the Boon* (Vara) he received from Lord Brahma. This Boon made Nahusha incredibly powerful and pretty much undefeatable by anyone he could see or was anywhere in his field of vision. The Boon bestowed on Nahusha the ability to cow anyone he laid his eyes upon if they had any ill intent towards him. When Nahusha looked at them, they would be sapped of their strength and abilities, literally their “energy”, and they would come under his sway.

Image credit – “Nahusha”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

So, in simpler terms, if anyone had any intent to harm Nahusha in anyway, he just had to look at them to end that threat. The individuals having the ill intent would be rendered powerless and also be under the control of Nahusha as soon as they entered his field of vision. This included conspirators, not just people who would attack him physically. It is a highly desirable and badass ability even by modern standards. It is something like having drones everywhere, which know everyone’s intentions and this information can be used to control them, whether or not they know it; a very rogue AI meets 1984 type of scenario!

This Vara is bestowed on Nahusha when he is temporarily asked to be the king of Heaven (Swarga, the abode of Indra and the other Devas). This happens when Indra has lost his abilities and vitality, at a time when Nahusha is the greatest among the kings of Men (humans). This kingship of Swarga and the Vara are a reward for the virtuous life he has led until then. The Vara is a tool he can employ in his protective duties towards his kingdom and Swarga.

But like in many other cases, the great achievements and recognition goes to his head and Nahusha becomes a tyrant, turning his “Gaze” on the Devas, the great Rishis (Sages and Seers) and everyone else. He makes slaves of great people, making them do menial jobs for him simply to humiliate them and rub in the fact that they are powerless against their Lord. All these Devas and other great people are incapable of deposing Nahusha or even resisting his behaviour.

Image credit – “Nahusha”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

But, over time, a counter is devised to the “Gaze of Nahusha”. Maharishi Brighu hides in the matted locks of Maharishi Agastya, and curses Nahusha to turn into a snake and live on Earth. This causes Nahusha to lose his human form, kingship and the ability to rule. But while serving out the curse on Earth (the mortal realm) he retains the abilities of his “Gaze”. Of course, while we can think of one Rishi hiding in the locks of another as an element of fantasy, this is an ability that is possessed by great Rishis and the two Rishis involved in defeating Nahusha are two of the greatest ever. But in a more mundane situation, we can consider that the curse on Nahusha could be pronounced from any hiding place, which would keep the person uttering the curse out of sight of Nahusha.

Credits for the two images above – “Nahusha”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

In the Bujinkan system of martial arts, there used to be yearly themes. These themes were concepts or forms or systems of movement and fighting that the Grandmaster used to suggest, which used to be the focus for the duration of that year apart from other general training that practitioners of this system went through. The Soke (Grandmaster, though the word means “Inheritor”), Sensei Hatsumi Masaaki, announced these themes all the way from the early nineties till the onset of the pandemic.

The theme of the year, back in 2007, was “Kuki Taishou”. This means, “Smile of the Ninth Demon”. The “Ninth Demon” referred to, is the highest of the demons with incredible martial ability. This Demon, as I recall is not evil, but more of a guardian deity, who protects sacred spaces. Any attempt to violate the Demon or what he protects will almost certainly end in the destruction of the attacker.

The Demon will not attack, only protect. Any attacker, once she or he or they (multiple attackers), see the Demon, are dissuaded from going further with the attack or even beginning the same. This is because the abilities of the Demon are obvious at a glance, as is their own defeat. So, the fight is over before it begins. This is protection because, THERE WAS NO FIGHT.

I have also heard it said by my mentors, that the Demon just looks at the potential attackers and smiles. He is just standing or sitting nonchalantly allowing them to decide the next course of action. His smile on seeing the attacker(s) and the nonchalance exudes an extraordinary confidence and demonstrates his abilities without having to do anything. This overall experience in the presence of the Demon makes the attacker(s) realize that they stand no chance and hence the situation is diffused.

In this sense, in my opinion, the “Gaze of Nahusha” and “Kuki Taishou” are very similar, if not the same. In both cases, a person just looking at another individual or set of individuals, cows the other into submission, or at least dissuades them from initiating any violent conflict (physical conflict at least).

In the case of the Gaze, it has an element of magic as it is a Boon bestowed on an individual. In the case of the Demon, he has extraordinary martial abilities, but this could also have magical overtones as he is a Demon after all. I am not aware if the Ninth Demon became a Demon because of the martial abilities that were developed. In the latter case, “Demon” would be more a title than an entity/species denomination.

If we remove the Divine and magical aspects of these abilities, they still work, just not as elegantly or simply, as in the stories. Also, the path to achieve even a semblance of these abilities takes years of practice and experience through continuous training.

If we consider usual modern-day training in the traditional martial arts, it is one on one for the most part, with a little training against multiple opponents (just 2 or 3 opponents most of the time). The training against multiple opponents is done to understand how difficult it is to survive this situation. When we train one on one, even if one is just a beginner or is doing so for the first time, one “gets a feel” of which opponent is more dangerous, more skilled, stronger or faster. Of course, with greater experience, this feel of an opponent (what I described as “Shatrubodha** in a previous article) becomes clearer and occurs even before a physical exchange. With lesser experience, this feeling might occur after one or a few physical exchanges or maybe after an interaction (I am considering an interaction as involving multiple exchanges) or two. This ability to gain a sense of the opponent, even develops based on seeing the opponent in action against others, in videos and based on reputation, or what one has heard of her or him. This “feel of an opponent” helps us avoid injury and is a very important part of the martial arts. This reading of the opponent is what is happening in the gaps in a fight, when fighters are sizing each other up and trying to understand an opponent.

The feeling of Kuki Taishou is this ability amplified. A martial artist or fighter with great ability or strength or both, refined by lots of experience, has a natural nonchalance that comes about as a result of this experience. This is something that is grasped by others, more so by other martial artists and to a lesser extent by those that are not practitioners of the martial arts. This extends further when a martial artist is seen with one’s favourite weapon on the fighting area of one’s choice.

When this non-physical interaction occurs, the urge of the one who senses greater prowess in the other, is to mitigate the risk to oneself and it might lead to a shorter fight or hopefully a lack of a fight. This situation is true in both one against many or many against one scenarios. If the one comes off as very dangerous, even the many might choose to NOT take her or him on, and of course if one is taking on many, it is just prudent to walk away intact.

Beyond the martial arts, this is also true in other aspects of life. We know that there are experts in all fields. Based on our interaction with these experts, we know when to not argue with them on specific topics. We also accept the suggestions and guidance of certain persons more readily over those of others, whether at work or in matters relating to relationships, or anything else.

This concept of avoiding conflict with specific people due to Kuki Taishou, can also be expanded to processes. There can be processes put in place to identify root causes for failures at work. If these processes are very stringent and require a lot of effort, they succeed in making people avoid failures just to not interact with the RCA (root cause analysis) process. This perhaps makes people diligent at work. There could also be a very cumbersome visa provision process put in place by some countries vis-a vis some other nations, just to discourage visitors from specific countries. If the process is very troublesome, people might just choose to visit a different country. This could be in cases where people from a specific country might be known to overstay and violate visa guidelines.

So, making another person(s) realize that an interaction, specifically one that leads to conflict, physical or otherwise, is not worth it, with respect to another individual or a group of the same, is Kuki Taishou. The “Gaze of Nahusha” did the same, thus protecting him and as an extension, his kingdom and subjects.

Kuki Taishou and the “Gaze” are specifically tools that are preventive in nature, even though the ability to gain the same is through practice of both defensive and offensive movements (even Nahusha had several battlefield victories BEFORE he was bestowed the boon of the Gaze). This preventive aspect is what gives it its association with a guardian (like the Demon) or a protector (like Nahusha). But this does not mean that someone who has developed the ability of Kuki Taishou cannot be overcome.

Kuki Taishou is preventive because it gives pause to the opponent, who realizes that an attack is inimical to herself or himself and hence is to be avoided altogether. This pause occurs only as long as the ability of the opponent is vastly greater than that of the opponent. If ever there is a slacking in the training and the gap in the abilities or strength of the defender (demon equivalent) and attacker reduces to manageable levels, Kuki Taishou is greatly diminished or lost altogether. This will result in the attacker(s) going through with the attack. The attacker might even reverse Kuki Taishou through training and development of her or his own, when the defender is the one that needs to run to not face the attack!

Lastly, Kuki Taishou as discussed above is useful mainly in a melee like situation. This means when individuals or groups of the same face off either without weapons or with weapons that are not ranged weapons, like bows and arrows, crossbows, javelins, slingshots, chakra and the like. In Bharatiya terms, Kuki Taishou is relevant when the confrontation is with Shastra and not Astra. The same is true with the Gaze of Nahusha, which would only be effective if the person he wished to subdue was in range of and in the field of his vision.

Due to this detail, countermeasures will be developed for Kuki Taishou, just as one was developed to overcome the Gaze of Nahusha. Like all boons, there was a loophole in the abilities of this one as well. And to nullify the advantage of Kuki Taishou, subterfuge and guerrilla tactics can be employed. This includes the use of Astra, or ranged weapons, which do not allow the Demon or equivalent adversary to bring to bear their superior close quarter martial arts skills. Arrows, darts and the like could even be shot by individuals from concealment (this is exactly what was done to Nahusha, albeit with a curse and not a physical weapon – a curse could qualify as a mystical weapon). Or opponents could simply overwhelm individuals with large numbers of attackers. Subterfuge includes the use of poisoned food, accidents through engineering architectural elements to fail, and the like. Alternatively, as already discussed, opponents can put off an attack and train until the advantage is nullified and then attack, when Kuki Taishou is no longer relevant due to the absence of a gap in the abilities of the adversary.

In conclusion, Kuki Taishou, in my opinion, is very like the “Gaze of Nahusha”. It is extremely useful, specifically in (perhaps only in) a close quarters combat situation, with Shastra and not Astra. Maintenance of Kuki Taishou needs continuous training, which leads to improvement and refinement of one’s martial abilities. Of course, when this concept is applied in conflict management that is not physical in nature, like we all face at work and in life, the principles are the same and work as effectively, with the added advantage that distance does not matter, as communication through any media can lead to Kuki Taishou being apparent, though after an interaction or two, as the gut feel apparent due to physical presence might be absent.

Kuki Taishou will lead to the creation of counter measures to itself if used either indiscriminately or in ways that only serve one’s ego. This is just like the “Gaze”, and cannot be rested on as the ONE laurel that it is. The ability to use it in creative ways to overcome the inevitable counter measures that are developed is vital. This was something Nahusha in his pride failed to do and paid the price for the same.

The “Gaze” and likewise the attributes of Kuki Taishou are not an ironclad insurance against an attack. They are a mitigation mechanism and protection, not unlike a great fortress or a great set of armour. Nor are they the highest level of the martial arts; they are a stepping stone that could lead to a realization that conflict management is the most important thing to avert great injury or destruction due to violent conflict, physical or otherwise. It is not a one time achievement either. Kuki Taishou is a realization after years of training and the refinement of the same. Even its retention requires continuous training, all through one’s life, while considering the abilities gained, lost, added to and diminished with age, as one’s life progresses.

One last point regarding Kuki Taishou that strikes me is this. We learn that during the Cold War years, there was this doctrine called “MAD” or “Mutually Assured Destruction”. This was specifically applied in the context of Nuclear War, where any attack by one side would lead to retaliation by the other and both would certainly face complete destruction. Is this a situation where both sides, having equal abilities exude Kuki Taishou at each other all the time? And is this why neither side wanted to turn the cold war into a hot war? And is the “Arms Race” a consequence of having to nullify the Kuki Taishou of the other side? Perhaps it is, but I do not have a certain answer. It might not be Kuki Taishou, as one thing I have heard is that “nonchalance” is a very important aspect of the concept, and the deployment of nuclear weapons does not display nonchalance+ as I see it. And if economics is what ended the cold war, was that the countermeasure to the Kuki Taishou of one side by the other? Perhaps, again, I only have the question, not the answer.

Notes:

++ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_dynasty#/media/File:LUNAR_DYNASTY_(Chandravamsha).png

* https://mundanebudo.com/2023/07/20/connect-control-part-2-boons-blessings-curses-the-sakki-test/

** https://mundanebudo.com/2023/07/06/connect-control-part-1-connect-control-shatrubodha-in-flow/

+ Nonchalance here is due to awareness of abilities mastered and not in the training that leads to the development of the same.