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Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c28.s2.t3: Sāṅkṛtis or Sāṅkṛtyas

Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c28.s2.t3

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Sāṅkṛtis or Sāṅkṛtyas

c28.s2.t3.1

The Sāṅkṛtis were kṣatriyan brahmans and joined the Āṅgirasas, and they are named as a gotra among the Āṅgirasas,⁴ and Sāṅkṛti is named as a hymn-maker among them.¹ Of the two Sāṅkṛtis mentioned Rantideva was a famous king (pp. 39-42) renowned for liberality and hospitality.² His kingdom was on the R. Carmaṇvatī (Chambal), for that river was connected with him;³ it embodied his fame, and his capital was Daśapura.⁴ With him the kṣatriya status predominated, but his kingdom disappeared, and his descendants would seem to have become brahmans.

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⁴ Mat 196, 30, 32. Cf. Vā 91, 115; Bḍ iii, 66, 86. But a rishi Sāṅkṛti Ātreya is mentioned, MBh xii, 234, 8596.

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¹ Bd ii, 32, 107. Mat 145, 101. Vā 59, 98.

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² MBh iii, 82, 4096; 293, 16674: vii, 67, 2361-74: xii, 29, 1017-1021; 234, 8591: xiii, 66, 3351, 3365; 137, 6250. Bhāg ix, 21, 2 f.

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³ MBh vii, 67, 2360: xii, 29, 1016. Pad i, 24, 3.

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⁴ Meghadūta i, 46-8.

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The other Sāṅkṛti’s name is given as Guruvīrya (Vāyu), Gurudhī (Matsya), Guru (Bhāgavata) and Ruciradhī (Viṣṇu). He is no doubt the same rishi who is named among the Āṅgirasas as Guruvīta⁵ and Gauravīti,⁶ and the correct name is Gaurivīti. Rigveda v, 29 is attributed by the Anukramaṇī to Gaurivīti Śāktya and x, 73 and 74 to Gaurivīti simply, but the Vedārthadīpikā says nothing about the former and ascribes the latter to Gaurivīti Śāktya. If Śāktya refers to Vasiṣṭha’s son Śakti (pp. 207 f.), then Gaurivīti Śāktya was a Vāsiṣṭha and later than this time.⁷ But nothing clear can be decided, because there was also a Śakti among the Āṅgirasas.⁸

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⁵ Mat 145, 102. The corresponding name in Vā 59, 99 and Bd ii, 32, 108 is Purukutsa.

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⁶ Mat 196, 32. Also a Guru, ibid. 45.

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⁷ He is made contemporary with Ṛṣabha Yājñatura, king of the Śviknas (Śatapatha Brāhm xii, 8, 3, 7; xiii, 5, 4, 15), and though Ṛṣabha’s position is unknown, Pratīdarśa Śvaikna was a contemporary of Suplan-Sahadeva, king of N. Pañcāla (id. ii, 4, 4, 3-4), p. 148.

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⁸ Mat 196, 25.

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