Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c21.20

c21.20

The most noticeable allegations are made regarding ‘Bṛhaspati’ son of ‘Aṅgiras’. It seems from an examination of the statements that three primary Bṛhaspatis must be distinguished. First, the Bṛhaspati who had a wife Tārā; Soma seduced her and had a son Budha by her.⁷ Here Bṛhaspati means the planet,⁸ and this story appears to be an astronomical myth about Jupiter, the Moon, Mercury, &c. Secondly, the Bṛhaspati who is called the priest or guru or ācārya of the gods in their war with the asuras (Daityas and Dānavas), whose powerful priest was the Bhārgava Uśanas-Śukra.¹ Both these rishis are assigned a chronological position in that that war is placed in Yayāti’s reign and Yayāti married Śukra’s daughter Devayānī (p. 86).² Thirdly, the historical rishi Bṛhaspati who has been discussed above (chapter XIII). It may be added, fourthly, that the descendants of this last are often undistinguished from him as ‘Bṛhaspatis’.