Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c9.s7.83

c9.s7.83

Hiraṇyanābha Kausalya,²³ is mentioned in the *Praśna Upanishad* as a *rājaputra* or prince.²⁴ He is undoubtedly connected with Para Āṭṇāra (Āhlāra), the Kosala-Videhan king, mentioned in a *gāthā* (song) occurring in the *Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa*¹ and the *Śāṅkhāyana Śrauta Sūtra*,² as well as a passage of *Jaiminīya Upanishad Brāhmaṇa*.³ The *gāthā* as quoted in the *Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa* gives to Para the patronymic ‘Hairaṇyanābha’, while the *Śrauta Sūtra* identifies Para with Hiraṇyanābha himself. It is difficult to say whether the original *gāthā* extolling the deeds of Para Āṭṇāra (Āhlāra) gave to that conqueror the name ‘Hiraṇyanābha’ or the patronymic ‘Hairaṇyanābha.’ The *Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa* is the older of the two works mentioning the prince’s exploits and is, therefore, more likely to preserve the original text than the *sūtra*. According to the *Praśna Upanishad*, Hiraṇyanābha, the father, was a contemporary of Sukeśā Bhāradvāja,⁴ who was himself a contemporary of Kausalya Āśvalāyana.⁵ If it be true, as seems probable, that Āśvalāyana of Kosala is identical with Assalāyana of Sāvatthī mentioned in the *Majjhima Nikāya*⁶ as a contemporary of Gotama Buddha, he must be placed in sixth century B. C. Consequently Hiraṇyanābha and his son, Hairaṇyanābha too, must have flourished in that century.