Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c24.34

c24.34

Vāmadeva was a well-known Āṅgirasa rishi, as the genealogy says.² Hymns ascribed to him show he was a Gautama³ and refer to Dīrghatamas.⁴ In one hymn ‘Vāmadeva’ shows he was later than Ṛjiśvan Vaidathina,⁵ and others ascribed to him indicate he was later than Divodāsa Atithigva and Trasadasyu⁶ who were contemporaries (p. 170), and was a contemporary of Somaka Sāhadevya.⁷ Elsewhere ‘Vāmadeva’ is connected with kings Śala and Dala,⁸ who appear to be the kings of Ayodhyā, No. 77 (p. 149), later still. These indications suggest that the first Vāmadeva lived in the time of Somaka. Descendants of his would appear later, and among them Bṛhaduktha is called his son and was a well-known rishi.⁹ ‘Vāmadeva’ consecrated Durmukha Pañcāla.¹⁰ Other references to ‘Vāmadeva’ are quite vague.¹¹