Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c10.15

c10.15

The difference between the two kinds of tradition is best brought out where fortunately both the kṣatriya and the brahmanic versions exist. That is found in the stories about Triśaṅku, Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra. The kṣatriya ballad gives a simple and natural account of Triśaṅku’s fortunes as affected by those two rishis, while the brahmanical versions are a farrago of absurdities and impossibilities, utterly distorting all the incidents.¹ But it is rare that the two aspects of a story are presented so characteristically, and what is found very often is a story which suggests that it was a kṣatriya version which has been subsequently revised according to brahmanic ideas—that is, a story of the third or intermediate class. The legend of Sunaḥśepa presents different stages of this process.² Thus kṣatriya tales sometimes exist without brahmanic counterparts, such as the above story of king Sagara, many brahmanic tales exist without kṣatriya counterparts, and the intermediate class is abundant.