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Skins were used for both clothes and seats. It was usually the dress of ascetics, hermits, students and of those who are in exile. But use of skins was prevalent among other people also. In 痴腻濒尘墨办颈-谤腻尘腻测补峁嘺^[1] we find 搁腻办峁�a蝉补蝉 clothed in skin.

In Vedic age skins were in common among the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉, while 痴谤腻迟测补蝉 and tribal sects used skins occasionally. In Atharvaveda^[2], we find these tribals dancing as dressed in 碍峁泃迟颈 or D奴r艣a. Unlike others 痴谤腻迟测补蝉^[3] wore two pieces of skin, which is indicated by the term K峁涐梗峁嘺valk峁�a in one context, meaning a black and white. Some mythological characters are also represented as clad in skins. The hymn of 痴腻濒补办丑颈濒测补^[4] referred to the king Pra峁�ka峁噕a, presenting dressed hides. Skins were presented as gifts since Vedic time. Skins for clothing were usually taken from animals like deer, goat and cow.

a) Deer Skin

Use of deer skin was prevalent since 峁歡vedic time. 峁欢惫别诲补^[5] mentions Maruts as dressed in deer skins. Deer skins were of different types. Some of them are 碍峁涐梗峁嚹乯颈苍补 (Antelope skin), E峁嚹乯ina, skin of 颁补尘奴谤耻, spotted deer, Ruru deer and Medhya. Of these some sort of sanctity was attached to 碍峁涐梗峁嚹乯颈苍补 and hence it was mostly used in religious ceremonies. During sacrifice, in addition to sacrificial dress, skin of antelope was worn over the upper garment. For a student or a celibate, 碍峁涐梗峁嚹乯颈苍补 was prescribed as upper garment. Giving antelope skin as gift was considered auspicious. 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 often refer to gods and 笔颈迟峁泂 clothed in 碍峁涐梗峁嚹乯颈苍补. In 痴腻尘补苍补辫耻谤腻峁嘺^[6], Brahma, 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 and 艢颈惫补 are depicted as wearing 碍峁涐梗峁嚹乯颈苍补. There is even a chapter in 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺^[7], which discusses this subject. Ladies also wore 碍峁涐梗峁嚹乯颈苍补. This is evident in 痴腻濒尘墨办颈-谤腻尘腻测补峁嘺^[8], where 艢补产补谤墨, a female ascetic is mentioned as wearing 碍峁涐梗峁嚹乯颈苍腻尘产补谤补. The 鲍迟迟补谤墨测补 of 笔腻峁囜笉补惫补蝉 leaving for forest was of Ajina^[9]. 顿丑峁泃补谤腻峁ａ弓谤补 setting out for forest also is represented in 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 as clothed in Valkala and Ajina^[10]. During M峁沢avrata, people wore 碍峁涐梗峁嚹乯颈苍补. In 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补, 惭腻诲谤墨 is seen in a context observing such a penance by wearing 碍峁涐梗峁嚹乯颈苍补^[11].

Among the other types of deer skin, skin of Ruru deer and Medhya were employed for seats. 碍腻濒颈诲腻蝉补^[12] has mentioned such costly skins. In 艢颈艣耻辫腻濒补惫补诲丑补^[13], 惭腻驳丑补 refers to carpets prepared from 颁补尘奴谤耻 skin. Use of E峁嚹乯ina is mentioned there.

b) Goat Skin

Vedas, 骋峁沨测补蝉奴迟谤补蝉 and 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 attest the use of goat skin. Upper garments of students in that period were either of 碍峁涐梗峁嚹乯颈苍补 or that made of goat skin.

c) Cowhides

As per a story recorded in 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺^[14], at first men used cow skin as a covering for their body, later the skin was replaced with clothes by the gods. However cowhides were used occasionally. The upper garment of a sorcerer was usually of cowhide.

Besides the above mentioned types, elephant skins and tiger skins also were in vogue. But most of the references to these skins are associated with mythical characters. 艢颈惫补^[15] is often referred to in 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 as dressed in elephant skin as well as tiger skin. In one context, 痴墨谤补产丑补诲谤补, an attendant of 艢颈惫补 is called by the name M峁沢endrak峁泃tiv膩sas, meaning clad in elephant hide^[16]. A 碍补帽肠耻办补 made of elephant hide is described in 艢颈艣耻辫腻濒补惫补诲丑补^[17]. Hunting dress was sometimes of tiger skin. In 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨^[18], we have allusion to a hunter dressed in tiger skin.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

III.5.9

[2]:

VIII.6.11

[3]:

笔补帽肠补惫颈峁兣沘-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, VIII.1-15; 碍腻迟测腻测补苍补-艣谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补, XII.1, XXII.4; 膧辫补蝉迟补尘产补-艣谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补, XXII.5.4.14

[4]:

峁欢惫别诲补, VII.2.3

[5]:

Ibid, I.166.10

[6]:

97.192, 21.50, 25.80, 30.221, 25.34

[7]:

碍补谤尘补惫颈辫腻办补

[8]:

India in the Age of Br膩hma峁嚹乻, p.80

[9]:

惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补, 4.104

[10]:

Ibid, 厂补产丑腻辫补谤惫补, 88.1

[11]:

Ibid, XII.264.7,V.11.7

[12]:

搁补驳丑耻惫补峁兣沘, III.31, XIV.81, IV.65, 碍耻尘腻谤补蝉补尘产丑补惫补, VII.37

[13]:

I.8

[14]:

III.I.13-16

[15]:

痴腻测耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 97.192

[16]:

Ibid, 123.4

[17]:

I.4

[18]:

碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨 Eka S膩峁僺k膩rika Adhyayana (碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨), p.117