Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c31.116

c31.116

name is *Atharvāṅirasas*.¹ Now tradition calls the earliest certain Aṅgiras *Atharvan Aṅgiras* (p. 218), and these two names and the compound of both are virtually the same appellation. The *Atharvāṅirasa* rishis began in the kingdom of Vaiśālī (p. 219), that is, among the Mānvas and not the Ailas. The hymns are also specially connected with the Bhṛgus,² who were originally associated with the Mānvas, and so the ancient Bhārgava Uśanas, the teacher of the Daityas (that is, non-Ailas) is called *Atharvaṇāṁ nidhis*.³ It is said there was a Vasiṣṭha named Atharvan, and the appellation Atharvanidhi is given to two Vasiṣṭhas (p. 207); and the Vasiṣṭhas belonged to the Mānvas of Ayodhyā. All these names therefore connect these songs with the Mānvas and not the Ailas, and mainly with the eastern region (p. 312).