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Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c28.s1: Kṣatriyan Brahmans in the Solar Race

Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c28.s1

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Kṣatriyan Brahmans in the Solar Race

Viṣṇuvṛddhas and Hārītas

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The chief development in the Solar race occurred among the descendants of king Māndhātṛ (p. 93), who was reckoned a kṣatriyan brahman,¹ and their genealogy stands thus according to four Puranas²:—

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¹ He and Purukutsa, Vā 91, 115–16: Bḍ iii, 66, 86–7.

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² Lg i, 65, 39–43. Kūr i, 20, 25–8. Vā 88, 71–5 and 79 b and c (see p. 81). Bḍ iii, 63, 72–3 (incomplete). Almost similarly, Viṣ iv, 2, 19; 3, 5, 12: Bhāg ix, 6, 34–8; 7, 1–4. Cf. Gar i, 138, 22–3.

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The texts say the Viṣṇuvṛddhas and Hārītas were kṣatriyan brahmans⁴ and joined the Āṅgirasas; accordingly both are mentioned in the vaṃśa of the Āṅgirasas.⁵ Nothing more appears to be said about them.⁶

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⁴ Cf. Vā 91, 117: Bḍ iii, 66, 88.

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⁵ Vā 65, 107. Bḍ iii, 1, 111. Mat 196, 33, 39, where read probably Viṣṇuvṛddha for Viṣṇusiddhi.

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⁶ Two Hārītas, Vedic Index i, 184: Pad vi, 220, 43.

Rathītaras

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Descended from Manu’s son Nābhāga was Rathītara (p. 98). His sons, born kṣatriyas, became Āṅgirasas, and the Rathītara gotras were kṣatriyan brahmans.⁷ Accordingly they are named

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³ All these were hymn-makers among the Āṅgirasas, Vā 59, 99, 102: Bḍ ii, 32, 108, 112: Mat 145, 102, 106. Nābhāka Kāṇva imitated Mandhātṛ’s manner of praise, Rigv viii, 40, 12; and x, 134 is attributed to Mandhātṛ. The Kāṇvas were Āṅgirasas, chap. XIX.

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⁷ Vā 88, 5–7; Bḍ iii, 63, 5–7 and Viṣ iv, 2, 2 say:—

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ete kṣatra-prasūtā vai punaś cĀṅgirasah smṛtāḥ
Rathītarāṇām pravarāḥ kṣatropetā dvijātayaḥ

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Bhāg ix, 6, 1–3 quotes this verse incorrectly and makes the Rathītaras sons of Rathītara’s wife and Aṅgiras; and the commentator on Viṣ repeats the misconception. Cf. Vā 91, 117: Bḍ iii, 66, 88.

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among the Āṅgirasas.¹ It has been shown that the Āṅgirasas hardly appeared as a full brahman family until the time of Karandhama, the Vaiśāla king (pp. 157 f.); but when the Rathītaras were incorporated among them is uncertain; and it is possible that the Rathītara line of ancestry has been greatly abbreviated. They are rarely referred to.

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¹ Mat 196, 38.

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