Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c23.33

c23.33

The next great Vasiṣṭha was priest of Ayodhyā in the time of Hariścandra’s eighth successor, Bāhu, whose position has been established above (p. 155). Bāhu was driven from his throne by the Haihaya-Tālajaṅghas aided by Śakas, Kāmbojas, Yavanas, Pāradas and Pahlavas from the north-west, but Vasiṣṭha maintained his position. Afterwards Bāhu’s son Sagara conquered all those foes, regained the kingdom and determined to exterminate those tribes, which had meanwhile settled down in his territories, but Vasiṣṭha interposed and made him spare them.¹ This Vasiṣṭha is called Āpava² and Atharvanidhi,³ and these may be taken as a name to distinguish him, Atharvanidhi I Āpava, from Atharvanidhi II who will be mentioned soon. He is confused with Devarāj Vasiṣṭha in brahmanical tales, and thus his connexion with the Śakas and other tribes led to the absurd detail in the fables about the contest between Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra, that Vasiṣṭha’s cow created all those and other tribes to fight against Viśvāmitra.⁴