280. The instrumental of means or instrument or agent is yet more frequent: thus, bhadráṁ kárṇebhiḥ çṛṇuyāma (RV.) may we hear with our ears what is propitious; çastreṇa nidhanam (MBh.) death by the sword; kecit padbhyāṁ hatā gajāiḥ (MBh.) some were slain by the elephants with their feet; pṛthak pāṇibhyāṁ darbhataruṇakāir navanītenā ’n̄guṣṭhopakaniṣṭhikābhyām akṣiṇī ājya (AGS.) anointing their eyes with fresh butter, by help of the bunches of darbha-grass, with the thumb and ring-finger, using the two hands successively. And this passes easily over into the expression of occasion or reason (for which the ablative is more frequent): thus, kṛpayā through pity; tena satyena in virtue of that truth.
281. Of special applications, the following may be noticed:
a. Accordance, equality, likeness, and the like: thus, samáṁ jyótiḥ sū́ryeṇa (AV.) a brightness equal with the sun; yeṣām ahaṁ na pādarajasā tulyaḥ (MBh.) to the dust of whose feet I am not equal.
b. Price (by which obtained): thus, daçábhiḥ krīṇāti dhenúbhiḥ (RV.) he buys with ten kine; gavāṁ çatasahasreṇa dīyatāṁ çabalā mama (R.) let Çabalā be given me for a hundred thousand cows; sa te ’kṣahṛdayaṁ dātā rājā,[errata 1] ’çvahṛdayena vāi (MBh.) the king will give thee the secret science of dice in return for that of horses.
c. Medium, and hence also space or distance or road, traversed: thus, udnā́ ná nā́vam anayanta (RV.) they brought [him] as it were a ship by water; é ’há yātam pathíbhir devayā́nāiḥ (RV.) come hither by god-traveled paths; jagmur vihāyasā (MBh.) they went off through the air.
d. Time passed through, or by the lapse of which anything is brought about: thus, vidarbhān yātum icchāmy ekāhnā (MBh.) I wish to go to Vidarbha in the course of one day; te ca kālena mahatā yāuvanam pratipedire (R.) and they in a long time attained adolescence; tatra kālena jāyante mānavā dīrghajīvinaḥ (M.) there in time are born men long-lived. This use of the instrumental borders upon that of the locative and ablative.
e. The part of the body on (or by) which anything is borne is usually expressed by the instrumental: as, kukkuraḥ skandheno ’hyate (H.) a dog is carried on the shoulder; and this construction is extended to such cases as tulayā kṛtam (H.) put on (i.e. so as to be carried by) a balance.
f. Not infrequent are such phrases as bahunā kim pralāpena (R.) 'what is the use of (i.e. is gained by) much talking? ko nu me jīvitenā ’rthaḥ (MBh.) what object is life to me? nīrujas tu kim āuṣadhāiḥ (H.) but what has a well man to do with medicines?
g. An instrumental of accompaniment is occasionally used almost or quite with the value of an instrumental absolute: thus, na tvayā ’tra mayā ’vasthitena kā ’pi cintā kāryā (Pañc.) with me at hand, thou need’st feel no anxiety whatever on this point.
