Hastin

The Rigveda seems to refer to elephants (e.g. Bryant 2001: 323), an animal native to South Asia. It has been speculated that some of these verses might be references to domesticated elephants.^[1]

In the Rigveda and in the Atharvaveda, the term is translated as 'elephant' (according to Keith and Macdonell, Roth and other scholars).^[2] In the Rigveda, Mrga Hastin (animal with a hand) occurs in RV 1.64.7 "hastinaḥ", and RV 4.16.14 "hastī".

In Rigveda 1.84.17 "ibhāyota", 4.4.1 "ibhena", RV 9.57.3 "ibho", and RV 6.20.8 "ibhaṃ" mention ibhas, a term meaning 'servant, domestics, household' according to Roth, Ludwig, Zimmer and other Indologists.^[3] Other scholars like Pischel and Karl Friedrich Geldner translate the term as 'elephant'.^[4] According to Sayana,^[4] Mahidhara^[4] and the Nirukta,^[4] ibha is translated as 'elephant'. Megasthenes^[4] and Nearchos^[4] also connect ibha with 'elephant'. The term ibha is only used in the Samhitas, and especially in the Rigveda.^[5][6]

Another term that may mean 'elephant' is Varana (RV 8.33.8 "vāraṇaḥ", and 10.40.4 "vāraṇā"). According to Macdonell and Keith, Varana refers to elephants.^[7]

The Akananuru (27) and the Purananuru (389) state that elephants were raised and trained in ancient Tamilagam's northern boundary of Venkatam hills, Tirupati.