Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c32.50

c32.50

A near relative probably of the Pāṇḍavas’ purohita Dhaumya was Āyoda Dhaumya, who lived in the time of their successor Parikṣit II and his son Janamejaya III.⁴ He had three disciples, Upamanyu, Āruṇi Uddālaka Pāñcālya and Veda. Veda became Janamejaya’s purohita.⁵ Uddālaka⁶ was son of Aruṇa Aupaveśi Gautama. Aruṇa had learnt of Upaveśa and of Aśvapati⁷ prince of the Kekayas, who instructed also Prācīnaśāla Aupamanyava. Uddālaka learnt also of Patañcala Kāpya (p. 250). He was contemporary with Svaidāyana Śaunaka and Śauceya Prācīnayogya,⁸ and he or his son Auddālaka were contemporary with that Prācīnaśāla, four other brahmans and Aśvapati.¹ Uddālaka had a son begotten of his wife by a disciple at his request, Śvetaketu Auddālaki Āruṇeya.² He had a favourite disciple Kahoḍa (Kauṣītaki ³) and gave him his daughter Sujātā in marriage, and their son was Aṣṭāvakra. Kahoḍa was vanquished by Vandin in a controversy before king ‘Janaka’ and was drowned. Śvetaketu and Aṣṭāvakra, uncle and nephew, were of the same age and were brought up in Uddālaka’s hermitage. When Aṣṭāvakra learnt of his father’s fate, they both went to Janaka Ugrasena Puṣkaramālin and overcame Vandin.⁴ Contemporary with Śvetaketu were the Pañcāla king Pravāhaṇa Jaivala ⁵ and Jala Jātūkarṇya.⁶