Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c8.161

c8.161

declared to be the sādhakas of each new manvantara.¹ Moreover the Pitṛs were a comprehensive body of beings, for the seven chief ṛṣigaṇas are also called Pitṛs;² and the restoration of humankind at the beginning of a new age is assigned to the seven rishis also,³ and they are referred to in this function by the words santaty-artha and santanārtha,⁴ and santāna-kara,⁵ which are synonymous with the word bījārtha that Āpastamba uses. The word bījārtha itself occurs in similar connexions, namely, in the restoration of population in the Kṛta age after this Kali age. Thus it is applied to Devāpi the Paurava and Maru⁶ the Aikṣvāku, who will revive the brahma-kṣatras then;⁷ and also to the renewal of the castes then.⁸ The word thus has precisely the meaning which Āpastamba gives it, and his application of it to the Pitṛs sums up correctly the function assigned them as shown above.