Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c6.38

c6.38

This difference is the more remarkable, because those kings did not all miss laudation for want of rishis. The Vasiṣṭhas were hereditary priests of Ayodhyā, and various members of their family are mentioned in close connexion with Hariścandra, Sagara and Daśaratha. Arjuna Kārtavīrya was favoured by Datta Ātreya.⁷ Marutta Āvikṣita had Saṃvarta Āṅgirasa for his priest,⁸ and a Vasiṣṭha was minister to Kuru’s father Saṃvaraṇa.⁹ It can hardly be supposed that none of those rishis was capable of composing a hymn, nor that no rishis existed who might have celebrated the others of those kings. The absence of laudation is particularly noticeable in the case of Bharata. He is the only one of those great kings who is really extolled in Vedic literature, and yet no contemporary hymn in his honour exists. He reigned in central Madhyadeśa and seems to have been eminently brahmaṇya; and some of his descendants, Gārgyas, Sāṅkṛtyas and others, became brahmans, as will be shown in chapter XXIII.