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The elephant goad, bullhook, or ankusha is a tool employed by mahout in the handling and training of elephants. The pointed tip of an elephant goad or a bullhook could be used to stab the elephant's head if the elephant charged nearby people, risking injury or death to the rider and bystanders. The elephant goad consists of a hook (usually bronze or steel) which is attached to a handle, ending in a tapered end.
A relief at Sanchi and a fresco at the Ajanta Caves depict a three-person crew on the war elephant, the driver with an elephant goad, what appears to be a noble warrior behind the driver and another attendant on the posterior of the elephant.Nossov, Konstantin & Dennis, Peter (2008). War Elephants. illustrated by Peter Dennis. Edition: illustrated. Osprey Publishing. [1] (accessed: Monday April 13, 2009), p.18
Nossov and Dennis (2008: p. 19) report that two perfectly preserved elephant goads were recovered from an archaeological site at Taxila and are dated from 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE according to Marshall. The larger of the two is long.
Nossov and Dennis (2008: p. 16) state:
An ankusha, a sharpened goad with a pointed hook, was the main tool for managing an elephant. The ankusha first appeared in India in the 6th-5th century BC and has been used ever since, not only there, but wherever elephants served man.Nossov, Konstantin & Dennis, Peter (2008). War Elephants. illustrated by Peter Dennis. Edition: illustrated. Osprey Publishing. [2] (accessed: Monday April 13, 2009), p.16
The elephant goad is found in armouries and temples all across India, where elephants march in religious processions and perform in various civil capacities. They are often quite ornate, being decorated with gemstones and engravings to be appropriate for the ceremonies in which they are used.
In iconography and ceremonial ritual tools, the elephant goad is often included in a hybridized tool, for example one that includes elements of Vajrakila, 'hooked knife' or 'skin flail' (Tibetan: gri-gug, Sanskrit: kartika), Vajra and Axe, as well as the goad functionality for example. Ritual ankusha were often finely wrought of precious metals and even fabricated from ivory, often encrusted with jewels. In Indian religions, the goad/ankusha and rope 'noose/snare/lasso' (Sanskrit: Pāśa) are traditionally paired as tools of subjugation.Beer, Robert (2003). The handbook of Tibetan Buddhist symbols. Serindia Publications, Inc. Source: [3] (accessed: Sunday April 12, 2009), p.146
Throughout Buddhist literature, the training in shamatha is often likened to training a wild elephant, and the two primary instruments for this are the tether of mindfulness and the goad of introspection.Wallace, B. Alan with Goleman, Daniel (2006). The Attention Revolution: Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind. Wisdom Publications. . Source: [4] (accessed: Sunday April 14, 2009) p.79Wallace & Goleman (2006: p.79): "Buddhist psychology classifies introspection as a form of intelligence (prajna), and its development has long been an important element of Buddhist meditation. A similar mental faculty, usually called matacognition, is now coming under the scrutiny of modern psychologists. Cognitive researchers have defined metacognition as knowing of one's own cognitive and affective processes and states, as well as the ability to consciously and deliberately monitor and regulate those processes and states. This appears to be an especially rich area for collaborative research between Buddhist contemplatives and cognitive scientists." Source: [5] (accessed: Sunday April 14, 2009)
Rowlands (2001: p. 124) in discussing consciousness and its self-conscious, self-reflexive quality of apperception states that:
The most significant aspect of consciousness, I shall try to show, is its structure, its hybrid character. Consciousness can be both act and object of experience. Using the somewhat metaphorical notion of directing, we might say that consciousness is not only the directing of awareness but can be that upon which awareness is directed. Consciousness is not only the act of conscious experience, it can be experience's object. italicsRowlands, Mark (2001). The nature of consciousness. Cambridge University Press. . Source: [6] (accessed: Sunday April 12, 2009), p.124
In the above quotation the metaphor of 'directing' is employed. In 'directing' consciousness or the mind to introspectively apperceive the directive forded by the goad is key.
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