History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v2.c28.s1.85

v2.c28.s1.85

Similar is the case of the Kāṇvas. Kaṇva was born in the Lunar line and was an ancestor of Dushyanta. His Pravara is Āngirasa, Ājamīdha, Kāṇva. Similar again is the case of Viṣṇuvardhana whose Pravara is Āngirasa, Paurukutsa, Trāsadasyava. The Vāyu distinctly states that Viṣṇuvardhna was a descendant of Trasadasyu who was a son of Purukutsa, a Solar king and he became a Brahmin attaching himself to the Āngirasa stock. Another example is that of Mudgala who was a son of Bharmyaśva of the lunar line. His descendants became Brahmins and attached themselves to the Āngirasa Paksha, मुद्गलस्यापि मौद्गल्याः क्षत्रोपेता द्विजातयः । एतेऽङ्गिरसः पक्षे संश्रिताः कण्वमुद्गलाः ॥ वायु. Hence their Pravaras are Āngirasa, Bhūrmyaśva, Maudgalya. Now here an alternative Pravara is given by Āśvalāyana त्रृक्षमुहैकेऽङ्गिरसः स्थाने ताक्ष्र्य भार्म्यश्च मौद्गल्येति. Here Triksha who is substiutted for Āngirasa is a Kshatriya king and an ancestor of Bharmyaśva, Triksha, Bharmyaś and Mudgala being all Kshatriyas of the Pāñchāla lunar line. This, therefore, is a Pravara wherein no supposed Brahmin comes in but all are Kshatriyas. The same is the case with the Haritas. Their Pravara is Āngirasa, Āmbariṣa, Yauvanāśva. Herein also an alternative is allowed and Āngirasa is to be substituted by Māndhātṛi. The Pravara would then be Māndhātṛi, Āmbariṣa, Yauvanāśva. Now these three are the names of three famous Solar line kings and in this Pravara no Brahmin enters. The Vāyu gives the line as follows :— तस्यामुत्पादयामास मान्धाता त्रीन्सुतान् प्रभुः । पुरुकुत्समम्बरीषं मुचुकुन्दं च विश्रुतम् ॥ अम्बरीषस्य दायदः युवनाश्वः परः स्मृतः । हरितो युवनाश्वस्य हरिताः शूरयः स्मृताः । एते ह्यङ्गिरसः पुत्राः क्षत्रोपेता द्विजातयः ॥ These lines show that the Brahmins with the Hārita gotra have a Pravara in which all are Kshatriya kings. These changes, it must be remembered, took place in Vedic times. The descendants of Harita became Brahmins though he was born in the solar line with Yauvanāśva, as father, Ambarisha as grandfather and Māndhātṛi as great grandfather who are all Pravara Rishis i. e., composers of Vedic hymns. If Brahmins have Kshatriya kings as Pravara Rishis, where is the wonder that Kshatriyas have Brahmins as Pravara Rishis? If in Vedic times Kshatriyas could become Brahmins (which is the Pratiloma or reverse process) ; surely Brahmins could become Kshatriyas (which is Anulom process). Indeed this change of a higher caste into a lower could take place down to mediæval times, for we know Brahmin families like those of Chacha and Lalliya of Sind and Kabul became Kshatriyas and the Kshatriya Bhattis became Vaiśyas in later times still.