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Then comes the Matsyavinoda i. e. the amusement of angling. In this chapter the author divides fish into two classes according as they have either skin or scales. They are further sub-divided into two classes, I fat and 2 thin. Then he describes various kinds of fish available in rivulets rivers and the sea. The author states the names of fish that feed on riceflour and others that do not. Then he mentions different kinds of food given to different kinds of fish. After feeding the fish in different places with proper nourishment the king should go to the place which abounds in fish with his angling rod. He then describes the kinds of rods and strings to be used in angling. With rod and line he should amuse himself by catching fish.
The last topic dealt with in this book is totaal or the amusement derived from hunting' which is considered as the highest rate by Kālidāsa in
TIEF . The author recommends that the king should have a reserve forest full of beautiful trees without thorns laden with fruits and flowers and free from fierce animals. This reserve forest should not be far away from the capital. The forest may have lakes full of water and fish. It should be at least a Yojana (8 miles) in length. Any fierce animal entering the forest should be killed by sentries riding on buffaloes. This statement of the author indicates that in the country over which Someśvara ruled, buffalo-riding was not uncommon.
Then he describes the methods of hunting which are thirty-one in number. They are :
पानीयजा चारजा च क्षेत्रजा मार्गमा तथा। ऊपरा दीपमृगजा तथा च विटपाश्रया। बधजा काण्डपटजा मश्चजा भूमिगेइजा। बलिवर्दतिरोधाना महिषारोहणोद्भवा । अश्वजा त्रिवजा चैव शारीरी स्तम्भनी तथा। वायुजा दमनोत्पन्ना गौरिजा कोपसम्भवा । कामजा ध्वनिजाता च तथा मदविकारजा । नीहारजा पाशजाता जालजा यन्त्रसम्भवा । व्याघ्रमोक्षणसम्भूता तथा कबलदानजा। एकत्रिंशत्प्रकारयं मृगया राजसम्मता ॥
1 A paper on the methods of hunting was read by the editor at the 17th International Congress of Orientalists held at Oxford in 1928 A. D. when he was sent there as a state delegate by H. H. the late Maharaja Baheb, Baroda.
2 PAGE GYFI are for ETTÄTET Pata : 11 Tray I.
3 He gives thirty-one but only thirty methods of hunting, are mentioned in the stanzas. Some lines in the text may be missing. All the methods too are not de cribed in the text, Out of these only twenty-one methods are described.
Aho ! Shrutgyanam
