Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c18.58

c18.58

Another story runs thus.⁷ There were two rishis, Bṛhaspati⁸ and his elder brother, who is called Ucathya in the Vedārthadīpikā and Bṛhaddevatā, Utathya in the Mahābhārata, Uśija in the Brahmāṇḍa and Matsya, and Aśija or Asija (but sometimes Uśija) in the Vāyu. Utathya is a very common variant for Ucathya,¹ and Aśija a mistake for Uśija. There are therefore two distinct names, Ucathya and Uśija, and it will be shown further on that Ucathya is the correct name of this rishi. He had a wife Mamatā, and their son was Dīrghatamas, who was born blind. Bṛhaspati is said to have consorted with her, and his son was Bharadvāja. That there was a rishi Dīrghatamas Aucathya Māmateya, ‘son of Ucathya and Mamatā’, who was blind, is proved by the Rigveda;² and that there was also a rishi Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya, ‘son of Bṛhaspati’, is asserted by the Sarvānukramaṇi in ascribing many hymns in book VI to him.³