Aircraft in Ancient India

Author-Shri Parashuram Hari Thatte

Editor Dr. A.S. Nene
nene_ashok@yahoo.com
Editors Note -This article was first published in

Vedic Magazine and

Gurukul

in

Samachar,

Lahore,

Vol.

XXI,

No.7,

December

1923.

Susequently it was published in Weekly Shilpa-Sansar, Vol.1, issue 16,

pages 246-250,23rd April 1955.
Introduction:

Mitra

(Positive

electricity)

and

VaruN

(Negative

electricity), these two invisible things are produced in clean earthen pots
and are well known among Gods. Ref. Fig.1

saja ya xtyaein imaea v[, deva deve;u

zSta>, \Gved
n\te a<tSy sOyay deva>, \Gved
Fig.1- Vedic references on electricity
Many people, who have not the remotest commercial interest in
aeroplanes, just out of curiosity read hand books on their construction
and if they have a mechanical turn of mind, theoretically they become
capable of constructing an aero plane.
But of all kinds practical
education, the education of aeroplanes, unless it is put to the practical
purposes, is the least practical (The Times of India, 2-7-1922).
History: we have written an illustrated work * in Marathi on the subject
of ancient and modern Akash-yanas or sky vehicles. In the supplement
to that work, we have given, an evidence about the existence of the said
vehicles in India, a description of the travels our hero, Rama, from Ceylon
to Ayodhya in the vanquished Ravanas Pushpaka Viman and alluded to
Shalvas attacks through Vimanas on our philosopher king Krishnas
capital Dwarka-facts noted in our well known epic Ramayana and Hari
Vansha. But that evidence all points to their outward shape; we are not
Aircraft in Ancient India

Page 1

able to give an idea of evidence about their internal evidence about the
internal construction. To our great delight our friend Rao Saheb K.V.
Vaze, L.C.E. gave entirely new evidence as to their construction, from his
collection of Sanskrit engineering books. This gave us material to write a
new supplement to our book. This evidence is from Agastya Samhita, our
friend got it copied from an oblong manuscript copy of Mr. Joshi, a
Yajurvedi Brahmin at Ujjain, through Mr. N.V. Gadgil, Kaharwodi,
Jagannaths temple there. Ujjain, though now in ruined state on account
of earthquakes and foreign invasions, was once the seat of a university
where Emperor Ashoka received his education. It was the capital of our
learned king Vikramaditya and was once the most important centre of our
North-South trade. This important book therefore must be one of the
books kept in Secretariats of the ancient Rajas there, in charge of some
learned Pandit with a view to show them how to construct Aakashayanas
to get out of forts thereby when closely besieged by enemies, and to
manage an attack on them from outside in return.
The book is divided into two parts- (1) Abdhiyana treats navigation and
Agniyan treats of construction and management of aircrafts. The book
shows also how to produce hydrogen by electric Mitra-VaruN required to
fill up balloons. The author of this book is Kumbhodbhava, Agastyamuni a
contemporary of our king Rama (B.C.5000) who killed Atipi and Vitipa,
brother demons, who are said to have played havoc in different Aryan
colonies in the Deccan by means of their kite like (Atipi) aeroplanes with
flags (Vaitapi). The real names of these brothers are unknown, they being
known only by their sky vehicles. In the well known H.H.the Gaikwads
Sanskrit Library at Baroda there are some pages of Bharadwajas
VimanadhikaraN an oblong manuscript which contains reference to the
following Sanskrit books on the subject1.
2.
3.
4.

Swami Narayans VimanChandrika

Shaunakas Yomayantantra
Gargs Kalpatantra
Vachaspatis Yaanbindu

Aircraft in Ancient India

Page 2

5. Chakrayanas Khetayanpradipak
6. Dhundinathss Vyomayanarkprakash
None of these works is, we think, now available in India, and therefore
Agastya Samhita is not only the book but also perhaps the only copy of
book giving full description of the subject of air-craft, we have come
across up to this time. There are many words therein of historical
importance but we have no occasion here to make clear the implied
meaning of these terms.
With this introduction, we take liberty of submitting the following for the
consideration of readers.
Names There are many names given to these Vimans in the Agastya
Samhita. Therefore it appears that the vehicles were not uncommon in
Agastyas days. Ref.Fig.2

Vyaemyan< ivman< SyadiGnyan< tdevih- AgSTy s<ihta.

Vyaemyan< ivmanae= SI -Amrkaez
Fig.2 Different names of aircrafts
Shape-The Shape of the vehicle was like that of ships. Ref.Fig.3

jlEnaEkevyan< yiVdman< VyaeiNmkIitRt<,

Fig.3 Shape of vehicle
Wood- The wood used in the construction of these vehicles used to be of
first class i.e. it was light, flexible and easy to dress: the lighter it was the
better. Ref.Fig.4

l"usu"q< ka:Q< kaeml< Mhjait td!,

ivmanae svRdaa< l"uTvadum< Sm&tm!.
Fig.4 Wood for aircraft
Balloon- The balloons must have the following five qualities like a ship; it
must be divided, flexible, high, balanced (level) and clean. Ref.Fig.5
Aircraft in Ancient India

Page 3

ivzI[Rta kaemlta %Ccta smta twa,

SvCDta ceit naEkev ivmane gu[pMckm!.
Fig.5-Qualities of Balloons
Cloth The cloth used for it was silken. It was broad and soft. It was
called Kausheya, because the silk requied for its thick warps and woofs
was got from Kosh or covering of the crystis of silk worms. Ref.Fig.6

k&mIkae;smud!Ut! kaE;eyimitg*te,
sUma sUmaE m&duSwUlaE AaetaetaE ywam<,
vEtanTv c l"uta c kaE;eySy gu[s<h>,
Fig.6 -Cloth for balloons
Seat- If the seat of the astronaut was made of Palash wood, it was
thought to be good in appearance, if it was Venu or Sandal, it was
thought to give happiness; and if it was of Bakul wood it was thought to
bring good luck; and if it was made of jack fruit tree wood, it was
considered to float well. Ref.Fig.7

palazae rajk> aeca<dn> suOa %Ccte,

bakulSty zu> ae> pansStark> Sm&t>.
Fig.7-Seat for Astronaut
Umbrella- The umbrella in it was made of silk cloth. It was conical
inflatable

in

shape,

it

was

fixed

lengthwise

and

was

double

in

dimmensions than those of the balloons. Ref.Fig.8

kaE;eyD< ktRVy< sar[skucnaTmkm!,

D< ivmanad!iVdgu[< AayamadaEiti:Qtm!.
Fig.8-Desription of Umbrella
Ropes A sutra was made of nine threads, a Gun was made of nine
sutras, a Pash was made of nine Gunnas; a Rashmi was made of nine
Aircraft in Ancient India

Page 4

pashas and a Rajju was made of 9, 8,7 or 6 Rashmis. Such ropes were
used in the construction of Indian balloons. Ref.Fig.9

nviSt<tu> sU< sUeStu nviguR[>,

gu[EStuyi> pazae riZmStEnRvimRvet!.
nva:qsPt;q!s<OyE eiZmIrJjv> Sm&ta>
Fig.9- Description of Ropes
Air-tight cloth- In order to make the silk cloth air-proof it was thrice
soaked in the sap of trees like Fig, jack-fruit, Mango, Ashoka, Kadamb,
three Myrabolams (Trifala) and in the decoction of Mash pulse and
pressed down in the water of shell lime and sugar and was thrashed and
dried up. Ref.Fig.10

]Irumkd<baa ya]TvGjlEiSI?,
i)lae dESttStVdNpa;yU;ESttStt>.
S<yMy zkRrazuiKt cU[Rimit vair[a,
surs< kun< k&Tva vasa<is SvyeTsuxae>.
AgSTy s<ihta
Fig.10 Air-tight cloth
Electricity- Having put a piece of pure copper in an earthen pot, broad
mouthed, , water tight, clean, like one used for storing Ghee, they used
to put thereon pieces of Sulphate of copper Vitral, blue like the neck of a
peacock. Then they used to cover with wood dust and thereon used to put
a block of zinc besmeared with mercury, and they by this connection used
to produce electricity (Mitra). The light that was produced by connection
of copper and zinc was called Mitra. A battery of such hundred earthen
jars was very effective. It is needless to say that this Mitra was nothing
but electricity. Ref.Fig.11

Aircraft in Ancient India

Page 5

Fig. 11- Electrical Battery

Note- For this inherent quality of producing electricity, the Sun is called
Mitra.
Electroplating- Gilding electricity covers copper with Gold or Silver when
in contact with acidulated water and solutions of metal salts i.e. contains
metal full of Yavakshara copper covered with gold was called Shat
Kumbha. This gilding by means of Gold or Silver is called electroplating.
Ref.Fig.12. It is enumerated as one of the sixty-four arts described in
Shukraniti. Ref.Fig.13

yv]armyae xanaE suzujlsiNNxaE,

AaCDadyit tTta< Sv[eRnrjtenva.
Suv[RilPt< tTta< zatku<imit Sm&tm!, AgSTya s<ihta
k&imSv[Rrjtlep> s<Sk&itCcte,
ilPtSv[Rpqu en tarjt< tt! Zatku<<Sm&tm!, AgSTymt
Fig.12 -Electroplating

k&imSv[Rrjtiya lepaid siTya. zuknIit

Fig.13 Art of Electroplating
Note- Sage Agastya invented the art of guilding copper with either gold
or silver by means of batteries and therfore his contemporaries honoured

Aircraft in Ancient India

Page 6

him with the title of Kumbhodbhava- (Battery borne) MaitravaruN (born

from or son of Electricity) etc.
Hydrogen By the foregoing process of producing electricity the
acidulated water was divided into its constituents PraN (Oxygen) and
Udan (Hydrogen) gases.
Note our old name for hydrogen is Udan Wayu . It is interesting to know
for what purpose it was used.
Flying That hydrogen being light was poured up in the Varnished Silken
cloth bound fast to the top of the vehicle which was thus floated up in the
atmosphere. Ref.Fig.14

vayub<xkvSe[ subXdaeyanmStke,
%danSyl"uTven ivTyaRkazyankm!.
Fig.14 Use of hydrogen gas
Note From these facts the conclusion is forced upon us that Udan Wayu
which was used for inflating our ancient balloons and hydrogen which is
now used for inflating modern ones, specially the German Zeppelins, is
one and the same. Driving- The balloon was generally called Viman.
People in those times used to yoke to it in the following birds such as
Eagle, Swan Vultures etc. for driving it. The science of training birds is
called Shakuntavidya. Ref.Fig.15

gTmd!h<sE> k<kalErNyE> pi]g{aErip,

Aakaze vahye*an< ivmanimit s<i}tm!. AiGnyan
Fig.15- Use of birds as aircraft
From this evidence any one will agree with us in thinking that our
forefathers

knew

the

construction

and

management

of

air

craft

theoretically and practically, both from Ramas time B.C.5000) if not from
Aircraft in Ancient India

Page 7

Vedic time and as we do not see now any trace of indigenous art in India,
we have forgotten it in the downfall of our nation and thought it has
disappeared from India, it has struck roots in Germany and other
European countries like Christianity. We can make it revive if we make an
earnest attempt for its Indianization because the growth of things is
subject to the principles underlying the following sentences;
1. Theories and dogmas are all very well in their own way but they will
not carry you far if you reduce them to death. Times of India.
2. The

Science

of

Engineering

is

growing

by

actual

operating

conditions rather than from the four walls of the lecture room or the
laboratories.
3. Indians will not consent to have a navy or air service from which
Indians were excluded- otherwise, this aircraft trade will naturally
be monopoly of foreigners like our shipping trade, as they as sure to
be the first in the field - Mr. Shastri (Bombay Chronicle 25-5-1921.
Conclusions We, therefore, ardently hope, taking full advantage of
these facilities, we shall before long be able to construct and fly air-craft
inflating them with non-inflammable helium instead of inflammable
hydrogen (one penny per cubic foot) in our own country and in our air
service bearing in mind the two following principles;
1. States were made up of hearts and alter. Those men, when they
crossed the seas, would found hearts but would the find alter? Upon
the answer to that depended the greatness not only of the British
Empire but of humanity.
2. No risk no gain and that too in numbers so great that some
Divankas (Sky-abode of god) of us shall have occasion to declare
with proud air that are born to live and die in the pure air of their
aircrafts in the sky like Navankas (abode of ship) of another
continent like nation viz. China, Siam and Burma who are known to
be born and brought up and to die in the pure air of their ships in
Aircraft in Ancient India

Page 8

their seas, with an eye on their historical truth in one of the

following words in Amaras couplet. Ref.Fig.16

Amra injRra deva idza ivbuxa>sura,

supvaR[> sumns> iidveza idvaEks>.
Fig. 16 - Amaras couplet.
Because every thing visible (Divoukas) or invisible (Navoukas) is like a
cyclically found subject to the rule of evolution and involution or in other
words birth, growth, death and rebirth etc.
Annexure I -List of Indian Trees mentioned in this article
Sanskrit

English

Latin

Aamalaki

Aamla

Embelic myrobalan.

Aamra

Mango tree

Mangiferra indica

Ashok

Ashoka tree

Saraca indica

Bilwa

Holy fruit tree

Aegle marmelos

Chandan

Sandalwood

Santalum album.

Gawakshi

Behada tree

bellaric. Terminalia bellerica.

Harija

Cane

Himalaya calamusfalconeri

Haritaki

Hirda tree

Myrobalans Terminalia chebula

Kadamb

Kadamb tree

Anthocephalus cadumba

Panus

Jackfruit

Artocarpus integrifolia

Foot Note -The book Akash-yanas by Shri P.H. Thatte remained

unpublished and manuscript is now preserved by Bhandarkar Oriental
Research Institute Poona with his other unpublished books.
Readers may refer a book The flight of Hanumana by air, by C.N. Mehta,
Narayan Niketan, Nadiyad, pages 359 (1941)
***.***

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