Bīrūnī, Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad, Alberuni's India (v. 1)

(London :  Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.,  1910.)

Tools


 

Jump to page:

Table of Contents

  Page 407  



(    407    )
 

CHAPTER XLVIII.

AN  EXPLANATION   OF   THE   MEASURE  OF  AN  AKSHAUHINt.
Each akshauhint has lo antkint.
 

antkini         ,
 

3 cainH.
 

caviH              ,
 

,     3 pritand.
 

pritand           ,
 

,     3 vdhint.
 

vdhint            ,
 

,     3 gana.
 

gana               ,
 

,     3 gulma.
 

gulma            ,
 

,     3 sendmukha
 

sendmukha
 

,     3 fatti.
 

patti
 

,     I ratha.
 

In chess, the latter is called rukh, whilst the Greeks
call it chariot of war. It was invented by Mankalus
(Myrtilos ?) in Athens, and the Athenians maintain that
they were the first who rode on chariots of war. How¬
ever, before that time they had already been invented
by Aphrodisios (sic) the Hindu, when he ruled over
Egypt, about 900 years after the deluge. They were
drawn by two horses.

The following is a tale of the Greeks: Ileph^stos
loved Athene and desired to possess her, but she refused
him, preferring to remain a virgin. Now he concealed
himself in the country of Athens, and intended to seize
her by force, but she pierced him with a spear and then
he let her go. From a drop of his blood, which had
dropped to the earth, there grew Erichthonios. He Page 203.
arrived on a chariot like the tower of the sun, the
holder of the reins riding together with him. Similar
to this are the customs of the hippodrome, as they exist
in our time, the running and driving with carriages in
the race.
  Page 407