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with the help of rice-flour or with conch-flour (mixed with water). The preceptor by the recitation of proper Mantras should locate the deities in their proper squares. One Mokṣaka i. e. one who liberates or separates the cocks from fight should also be kept near the table. The liberator after reciting a particular Mantra should allow one cock, which is white or black and which has been successful in a previous fight to enter. Before uttering the Mantra he should meditate on a cock or an eagle. Then are specified the signs of successful cocks. The treatment of this subject may be considered superstitious from the modern standpoint. In the case of a successful cock lamp-black is applied to the crest or comb to remove the effects of an evil eye. The fight should take place from the month of Kārtika to that of Phalguna. Those cocks which show auspicious signs in the morning as well as after taking a little food, should be made to fight. Vadakas (drummers etc.), Nartakas (dancers) and experts in the art of cock-fighting should be adorned with garlands. The successful party should be ready to snatch away the flag with the challenge stuck to it from the previously successful party.
Another method of cock-fight is also described here. A small arena for actual cock-fight should be prepared. It should be circular and thirty cubits in circumference. There a Vedika or a raised platform should be provided. The king should occupy the royal seat placed on the platform along with his retinue. Small knives or awls keenly sharpened should be tied to the legs of the cocks. If any of the two fighting cocks injures any limb of its opponent, the opponent is declared defeated; if however the cock is killed or runs away then the defeat is through misfortune. The men of successful party should sit on the backs of the defeated party and put that party to shame through sarcastic fats, i.e. songs or metres with three feet and take away their challenge banner. The stick should be forcibly taken away by the successful party. The successful cock is taken in procession through the city on the back of an elephant. To know the duration of the fight a time-measure (watch) of gold or silver is required to be kept in readiness. The method of preparing this timemeasure is given in the text. These cocks should be made to fight for five successive Mondays. On the sixth Monday the successful cock should be adorned with dress, gold threads, a piece of cloth and garlands. At the most the fight can take place twelve times. All the eight sentiments (viz. Sṛngāra etc.) can be very easily seen in the cock-fight. There is a Támracūḍādi chapter in the Mantramahodadhi but it has nothing to do with the cock-fight.
1. This seems to be the method in South India where members of the successful party sit on the backs of the defeated party. Sitting on tha back is even done to-day in Gujarat in the game of faut fair but not as a punishment for the defeat.
Aho! Shrutgyanam
