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Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c28.s2.t5: Urukṣayas and Kāpyas

Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c28.s2.t5

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Urukṣayas and Kāpyas

c28.s2.t5.1

Mahāvīrya in the genealogy is called Āhārya in the Matsya version in line 8. The importance of stray readings has been pointed out (p. 83) and Āhārya is supported by another statement which says he was a hymn-maker among the Āṅgirasas.⁵ Āhārya would seem therefore to be the better form,⁶ but the variation suggests that the name may be corrupt. Rigveda x, 118 is ascribed to Urukṣaya Āmahīyava, ‘son of Amahīyu’, and it seems quite probable that Amahīyu may be the true name here,⁷ for Mahāvīrya and Āhārya might be easy corruptions of it.⁸

c28.s2.t5.2

⁵ Vā 59, 100. Bḍ ii, 32, 109. Mat 145, 103 (‘svahāryaś’).

c28.s2.t5.3

⁶ The reading in line 3 then would be tathĀhāryo.

c28.s2.t5.4

⁷ If so, the Amahīyu to whom ix, 61 is ascribed is certainly a different and later rishi, for the hymn alludes to Divodāsa.

c28.s2.t5.5

⁸ So also in the passage cited in third note above.

c28.s2.t5.6

Urukṣaya and Kapi would seem to be named as hymn-makers among the Āṅgirasas.⁹ The genealogy speaks of the Kāpyas as distinct from the Urukṣayas, for it says the Urukṣayas all became brahmans (line 11) and the Kāpyas were kṣatriyan brahmans (line 13).¹⁰ Hence it suggests that the descendants of Urukṣaya’s two elder sons formed the Urukṣayas, and those of Kapi a distinct gotra. All joined the Āṅgirasas, and so in the Āṅgirasa vaṃśa is named Urukṣaya,¹¹ though not Kapi unless Kapibhū stands for it.¹²

c28.s2.t5.7

⁹ Comparing the passages cited in fourth note above, the probable reading of the second pāda would seem to be Rukṣayaḥ Kapir eva ca, where the initial u might have combined with, or been dropped after, the preceding ca, for such irregularities do occur in the Puranas.

c28.s2.t5.8

¹⁰ Also Vā 91, 115 : Bḍ iii, 66, 86.

c28.s2.t5.9

¹¹ Mat 196, 29.

c28.s2.t5.10

¹² Ibid. 48–9.

c28.s2.t5.11

*Maudgalyas and Maitreyas.*

c28.s2.t5.12

The next group of kṣatriyan brahmans arose out of the N. Pañcāla dynasty, which was Bhārata, and is set above (p. 116).¹ Mudgala’s eldest son became a brahman. His descendants, the Mudgalas or Maudgalyas, were kṣatriyan brahmans and joined the Āṅgirasas.² His grandson Vadhryaśva and Vadhryaśva’s son Divodāsa both exercised priestly functions as the Rigveda shows,³ and appear to have joined the Bhārgavas, for both of them are named in the Bhārgava vaṃśa.⁴ Divodāsa’s successor was king Mitrayu who was a brahman, and his son was Maitreya, from whom came the Maitreyas, who were kṣatriyan brahmans and joined the Bhārgavas,⁵ and accordingly they were named in the Bhārgava vaṃśa.⁶ Neither the Maudgalyas nor the Maitreyas produced any rishi of note. A Maudgalya has been mentioned (p. 171), and three others are alluded to.⁷ The Viṣṇu Purana professes to have been declared by Parāśara to a Maitreya. Other Maitreyas are noticed in the Vedic Index.⁸

c28.s2.t5.13

¹ Fully discussed in JRAS, 1918, pp. 230–1, 239–43.

c28.s2.t5.14

² Vā 99, 198–201. Mat 50, 5–7. Hv 32, 1781–4. Br 13, 97.

c28.s2.t5.15

³ Rigv x, 69, 2, 4, 9, 10: viii, 103, 2.

c28.s2.t5.16

⁴ Mat 195, 42. Divodāsa in Mat 145, 100; Vā 59, 87; Bḍ ii, 32, 106.

c28.s2.t5.17

⁵ Vā 99, 206–7. Mat 50, 13–14. Hv 32, 1789–90. Br 13, 97 (note).

c28.s2.t5.18

⁶ Mat 195, 40. See also p. 202.

c28.s2.t5.19

⁷ (1) Pad vi, 68, 5; 111, 21–33, which says the Mudgalas were viśikha, ‘devoid of the top-knot’. (2) Br 136, 1. (3) MBh iii, 259 to 260.

c28.s2.t5.20

⁸ Also MBh iii, 10, 352, 363 : xiii, 120, 5794–5.

c28.s2.t5.21

*Vādhryaśvas and Daivodāsas.*

c28.s2.t5.22

Here may be noticed some of the descendants of Vadhryaśva and Divodāsa. Parucchepa Daivodāsi, the reputed author of Rigveda i, 127 to 139 would seem to have been alive with Divodāsa (130, 7) and would therefore have been his son or grandson; and his son or descendant was Anānata, the reputed author of ix, 111. Pratardana Daivodāsi, the reputed author of ix, 96, would seem to have been a near descendant of Divodāsa. Sumitra Vādhryaśva, the author of x, 69 and 70, was a contemporary of king Cyavana Pijavana (p. 120). All these were probably Bhārgavas, as were Vadhryaśva and Divodāsa.

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