The History of Indian Literature c8.308.2

c8.308.2

Now as, in the nature of things, these were not established without vigorous opposition from those who were thrust down into the lower castes, and as this opposition must have manifested itself chiefly in feuds, open or secret, with their oppressors, I am inclined to suppose that this Rudra book dates from the time of these secret feuds on the part of the conquered aborigines, as well as of the Vrátyas or unbrahmanised Aryans, after their open resistance had been more or less crushed.¹²⁵ At such a time, the worship of a god who passes as the prototype of terror and fury is quite intelligible.—The thirtieth book, in enumerating the different classes of persons to be dedicated at the *purusha-medha*, gives the names of most of the Indian mixed castes, whence we may at any rate conclude that the complete consolidation of the Brahmanical polity had then been effected. Some of the names here given are of peculiar interest. So, for example, the *mágadha*, who is dedicated in v. 5 "*atikrushṭáya*." The question arises, What is to be understood by *mágadha*? If we take *atikrushṭa* in the sense of "great noise," the most obvious interpretation of *mágadha* is to understand it, with Mahídhara, in its epic sense, as signifying a minstrel,∗ son of a Vaiśya by a Kshatriyá. This agrees excellently with the dedications immediately following (in v.