Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c18.78

c18.78

It is emphasized by the statement in the Vāyu that Bharadvāja by the adoption became a kṣatriya and had two fathers, and so was called dvyāmuṣyāyaṇa.¹ The Matsya varies this statement, but still says that from Bharadvāja were descended brahmans and kṣatriyas who were known as dvyāmuṣyāyaṇa-kaulīnas,² which also appears to be true.³ Of these two versions the Vāyu's is manifestly the earlier, for the statement that a distinguished brahman became a kṣatriya's son could never have come from a brahmanic source, and that in the Matsya is also plainly a softening down of it, as the retention of the word dvyāmuṣyāyaṇa shows, which otherwise was uncalled for.⁴ Neither version could have been composed by the brahmans after the Purana passed into their hands as described in chapter II. The Vāyu's statement is manifestly ancient kṣatriya tradition, which they found in the Purana and could not discard as false, but which was unpalatable and was therefore modified in the Matsya, and also in some copies of the Vāyu.⁵