Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c9.s3.172

c9.s3.172

It was persumably after his victorious campaigns that Janamejaya was consecrated with the *Punar-abhisheka* and the *Aindra mahābhisheka*, performed two horse-sacrifices and had a dispute with Vaiśampāyana and the Brāhmaṇas. The *Matsya* version, which is considered by the Pargiter to be the oldest, says the king made a successful stand against them for some time, but afterwards gave in and, making his son king, departed to the forest; but the *Vāyu* version says he perished and the Brāhmaṇas made his son king. The broad facts of the Purāṇic narrative are confirmed by the evidence of the Brāhmaṇas. The *Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa* refers to one of the horse-sacrifices, and says that the priest who performed the rite for him was Indrota Daivāpi Śaunaka. The *Aitareya Brāhmaṇa* mentions the other sacrifice and names Tura Kāvasheya as his priest. It also contains a tale stating that at one sacrifice of his he did not employ the Kaśyapas, but the Bhūtavīras. Thereupon a family of the Kaśyapas called Asita-mṛiga forcibly took away the conduct of the offering from the Bhūtavīras, We have here probably the germ of the Purāṇic stories about Janamejaya's dispute with the Brāhmaṇas. Vaiśampāyana, who headed the opponents of Janamejaya, undoubtedly belonged to the. Kaśyapa clan. An allusion to the famous quarrel occurs also in the *Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra* (*kopāj-Janamejayo Brāhmaṇeshu vikrāntaḥ*).