History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c26.285

v2.c26.285

Similarly the pravara of the Hārītas is either Āṅgirasa-Ambarīṣa-Yauvanāśva-iti or Māndhātṛ-Ambarīṣa-Yauvanāśvaiti. These are mythical royal sages. Among¹¹⁵⁹ the Bhṛgus is a sub-division called Vainya which is further subdivided into Pārthas and Bāṣkalas. The story of Pṛthu who milked the earth is well-known (Droṇa-parva 69); he is called 'ādirāja' in Anuśāsana 166. 55. The Vāyupurāṇa in several places narrates that some kṣatriyas became the pravaras of brāhmaṇas. Vide chap. 88. 72-79, (about Viṣṇuvṛddha,¹¹⁶⁰ who was descended from Purukutsa, whose son was Trasadasyu), chap. 88. 6-7, 92. 6, 99. 158-161, 99. 169-170 (Ānan. ed.) for other examples¹¹⁶¹. How and why kṣatriya names were adopted as brahmanical pravaras is obscure and difficult to understand. If one may hazard a guess, it is probably due to the fact that the purāṇas retain very ancient traditions of times when there were no water-tight varṇas and that ancient kings were learned in the Vedic lore and maintained śrauta fires also, became famous as sages in whose name fire was to be invoked to carry offerings to Gods even by brāhmaṇas who came ages after them.