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Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c28.s1.t2: Rathītaras

Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c28.s1.t2

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Rathītaras

c28.s1.t2.1

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

c28.s1.t2.2

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.

c28.s1.t2.3

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

c28.s1.t2.4

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

c28.s1.t2.5

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.

c28.s1.t2.6

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.

c28.s1.t2.7

¹ Mat 196, 38.

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