Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c31.5

c31.5

The Vasiṣṭhas were connected originally and for long with Ayodhyā, and slightly with the junior kingdom of Videha. The Bhārgavas consisted of two branches, one derived from Cyavana and the other from Uśanas-Śukra. Cyavana was connected with Śaryāti and the country of Ānarta, and his descendants afterwards with the Haihayas who occupied the neighbouring region of the Narbada, when apparently the Śaryāta kingdom had fallen. Uśanas was the priest of the Daityas and Dānavas (or asuras) in mid North India, and his descendants disappeared. The earliest Āṅgirasas alleged (unless we reckon Bṛhaspati, the priest of the devas against Uśanas) were connected with Māndhātṛ king of Ayodhyā; the earliest Āṅgirasa rishi named was connected with Hariścandra king of Ayodhyā; and the earliest definite Āṅgiras was priest to the Vaiśālī dynasty, and so also were his near descendants. The earliest Ātreya, Prabhākara, was not connected as priest with any dynasty, though he married the daughters of the Paurava king Raudrāśva; and the first well-known Ātreya, Datta, became attached to the Haihaya king, after the Haihayas had broken with Cyavana’s descendants. The first mention of any Kāśyapa brahman occurs with Rāma Jāmadagnya the Bhārgava in Madhyadeśa. These were the five famous families that were brahmans from their beginning. The Agastyas arose later and their origin is uncertain, yet tradition connects them with the Dekhan. The other brahman families and gotras that sprang from kṣatriya stocks do not concern us here.