History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v2.c28.s1.86

v2.c28.s1.86

To return to our subject, we have said that such instances of Kshatriyas being Pravara Rishis occur in the Āṅgirasa and Bhṛigu stocks. We will now give instances from the latter stock The Āśvalāyana Sūtra contains the following Pravaras which consist plainly of Kshatriyas (1) इयेतानां भार्गववैन्यपार्थेति. Here Pṛithu and Vena are clearly Kshatriya kings and the Śyetagotris attach themselves to the Bhṛigu Paksha, (2) मित्रयुवां वाध्यश्वेति त्रिपवरं वा भार्गवदैवोदासवाध्यश्वेति Here also Divodāsa and Vadhryaśva as well as Mitrayu are Kshatriya kings and the Pravara is attached to Bhṛigu Paksha : (3) शुनकानां गृत्समदेति त्रिपवरं वा भार्गव-शौनहोत्र-गार्त्समदेति. Now Gṛitsamada is a king and a Kshatriya ; he is the noted author of the hymns in the second Mandala of the Rigveda. His story is given in the Mahābhārata (Anu. Ch. 30). Gṛitsamada was the son of king Vitahavya and became a Brahmin by the simple word of Bhṛigu. Gṛitsamada was adopted by Śunahotra. Gṛitsamada's son was Suhotra whose son was Varchas in whose line was born Śunaka who gave his name to a gotra. Therefore the Śunaka-gotris have the simple Pravara Gṛitasmada or the triple Pravara Bhārgava, Śaunhotra, Gārtsamada. These instances show that Kshatriya Pravaras occur also in the Bhṛigu stock. There are some stray instances of Kshatriya names in the Pravara gaṇas of Viśvāmitra and Atri but not of Vasishtha and Agastya so far as we can see.