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Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c28.s2.t2: Bhāratas

Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c28.s2.t2

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Bhāratas

c28.s2.t2.1

It has been pointed out (p. 159) that king Bharata adopted the Āṅgirasa rishi Bharadvāja as his son, and Bharadvāja begot Vitatha who continued the Paurava dynasty, and consequently that the Bhāratas could assert either kṣatriya paternity or brahman paternity or both combined.⁴ Some of the junior branches did avail themselves of this option, and their development into kṣatriyan brahmans and brahmans occurred at three stages.

c28.s2.t2.2

⁴ Anukramaṇī and Vedārth on Rigv vi, 52. P. 221.

c28.s2.t2.3

The first arose among Vitatha’s near successors. The portion of the genealogy which explains this is found in four Puranas.⁵ The oldest and best versions are in the Matsya and Vāyu, which are derived from a common original, and show variations chiefly due to corruptions. The Viṣṇu in prose agrees closely with them, and the Bhāgavata repeats the account fairly clearly. The other accounts either say nothing, or speak briefly and incorrectly, in no case noticing the brahmanic developments.

c28.s2.t2.4

⁵ Mat 49, 35-41. Vā 99, 158-64. Viṣ iv, 19, 9-10. Bhāg ix, 21, 1-2, 19-20.

c28.s2.t2.5

By collating the Matsya and Vāyu (the former being the better), and using the Viṣṇu and Bhāgavata for comparison, a version that seems fairly trustworthy can be obtained and is given below.¹ The genealogical tree obtained therefrom is given on p. 112. It is definitely stated that from the three younger sons of Bhuvamanyu sprang four brahman sub-families, from Mahāvīrya the Urukṣayas and Kāpyas, from Nara² the Sāṅkṛtis, and from Garga³ the Gargas or Gārgyas, that the Urukṣayas became brahmans, and that the Gargas, Sāṅkṛtis and Kāpyas were kṣatriyan brahmans. Even the brahmanical Bhāgavata says plainly that Gārgya from a kṣatriya became a brahman. These sub-families will now be considered separately.

c28.s2.t2.6

¹ Dāyādo Vitathasyāsīd Bhuvamanyur mahāyaśāḥ mahābhūtopamāḥ putrāś catvāro Bhuvamanyavaḥ Bṛhatkṣatro Mahāvīryo Naro Gargaś ca vīyavān Narasya Sāṅkṛtiḥ putras tasya putraka mahaujasau Gurudhī Rantidevaś ca Sāṅkṛtyau tāv ubhau smṛtau Gargasya caiva dāyādaḥ Śinir vidvān ajāyata smṛtāḥ Śainyās tato Gārgāḥ kṣatropetā dvijātayaḥ Mahāvīrya-sutaś * cāpi dhīmān āsīd Urukṣayaḥ tasya bhāryā Viśālā tu suṣuve putraka-trayam Trayyāruṇam Puṣkariṇam Kapim caiva mahāyaśāḥ † Urukṣayāḥ smṛtā hy ete sarve brāhmaṇatāṃ gatāḥ Kāpyānām tu varā hy ete trayaḥ proktā maharṣayaḥ ‡ Gargāḥ Sāṅkṛtayaḥ Kāpyāḥ kṣatropetā dvijātayaḥ saṃśritĀṅgirasam § pakṣam—
* Mat Āhārya-tanayaś. † Accusative plural = Prakrit mahāyaśāḥ. ‡ A line seems to have dropped out as they are not named. § That is, saṃśritāḥ Āṅgirasam by double sandhi.

c28.s2.t2.7

² Rigv vi, 35 and 36 are attributed to Nara.

c28.s2.t2.8

³ Rigv vi, 47 is attributed to Garga.

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