The Geography of the Puranas c7.s1.16

c7.s1.16

The Ṛgveda refers repeatedly to the ‘five tribes’ collectively known as ‘pañcajanāḥ’ or ‘pañcakṣiti’—i.e., Anus, Druhyus, Purus, Turvasas and Yadus. But it may be noted that the frequency of such references ceases after the Brāhmaṇas. The Alinas, Bhalanas, Pakthas, Viṣāṇis and Śivis were the other five tribes that took part in the Battle of Ten Kings against Sudāsa (Ṛgveda, VII, 18, 7). The Kṛvis (Pañcālas of later period) are also mentioned many times in the Ṛgveda. In Satapatha Brāhmaṇa the name of a Pañcāla king is given as Kraivya Pañcāla. Other tribes, e.g., the Mūjavantas or Muñjavantas, the Ārjikas, the Gandhāris, Bharatas, Tritsus (one of whose kings, Sudāsa, fought a decisive battle against the Ten Kings referred to above and against three non-Aryan tribes, Ajas, Sigrus and Yakṣas) and the Uśinara tribe also figure in the Ṛgveda. In addition to these, the Ṛgveda refers to the non-Aryan tribes of the Kikaṭas, Pārāvatas, Simyus and Paṇis, the latter being the most prominent.