History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c33.s7.1

v3.c33.s7.1

In the Karṇa Parva chapters 40 to 45 we have a spirited dialogue between Karṇa and Śalya, the former depicting the bad manners and the religious laxity of the people of the Panjab and the latter offering no defence practically. This shows that the people of Āryāvarta or modern U. P. and Delhi looked down upon the Hindus of the Panjab in the time of Alexander and succeeding centuries. "In their houses people laugh and dance eating beef and drinking wine eating also Saktu and fish. From the Madra country and in Gāndhāru (beyond the Indus) purity has disappeared. In the Mantra or charm against scorpion-bite they say 'I will not associate with a man from Madra country; this poison of thine is destroyed" (chap 43). In chapter 44 we have "One should not go to the Vāhika country in which the five rivers and the sixth Indus flow as it is unpurified by the Himalayas, by the Ganges, by the Jumna and the Sarasvati and as it is void of true religion and cleanliness. The eaters of beef with garlic and the drinkers of liquor prepared from rice jaugry are indeed void of good breeding. That country is called Aratta and is void of religion; one should not go there; it is the country of those who are Vrātya (without religious ceremonies and without the sacrifices). If you drink water in Yugandhara town or stay in Achyutasthala or bathe in the pond of Bhūtalavya, how will you go to heaven? An Arya should not reside for two days in the Aratta Vāhika country where a Brahmin becomes a Kshatriya and then a Vaiśya and then a Śudra and finally a barber and a Brahmin again". Śalya only replied that there were good and bad men in every country.