Elephant in Ancient Indian stories

Abstract

Elephant, the gorgeous animal has played an important role in ancient tales. It has become a part of the life of many heroes in various stories. One of such heroes is Udayana, who is well-known for his expertise in the Elephant-lore. In the Buddhist stories also we find the elephant assuming a leading and vital position. In the Puranas also the elephant symbolises pomp and riches. It will be really interesting to note the place this animal has got in the ancient literature and various aspects of its usage. This paper intends to note the intension behind the employment of this motif of the elephant and its significance in any particular story or plot conceived by any poet. It is intended here to present a graph of such ideology and trace out the evolution through the historical point of view in the imaginative usages by the poets and the representation of notions and concepts presented by means of this element of nature. Also it is aimed here to think about the perspective behind the use of this symbol in the ancient tales, be it Ancient Indian or Buddhist or Puranic.