Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c24.14

c24.14

The earliest time at which a real Āṅgirasa rishi is alleged to have existed was in the reign of Hariścandra of Ayodhyā, when Ajīgarta sold his son Śunaḥśepa as a sacrificial victim instead of Rohita, and Ayāsya officiated as a priest at the ceremony (chapter XVIII). In the brahmanical books Ajīgarta is called an Āṅgirasa, but they have made mistakes (pp. 10, 100) and introduce extravagant mythology into the story; and they are no doubt wrong in making Ajīgarta an Āṅgirasa, because better authority says his son Śunaḥśepa was a Bhārgava (chapter XVII). Ayāsya was an Āṅgirasa rishi,² but no reliance can be placed on those books when they say he was present, in view of those mistakes and because the Brahma substitutes (though probably wrongly) Vāmadeva for him. There is nothing to show to what time Ayāsya should be assigned. He was the reputed author of hymns.³