History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.34

v6.c81.34

There are several places in the Ṛgveda in which the words 'avrata' (11 times), 'apavrata' (in Ṛg. I. 51. 9, V. 42. 9, V. 40. 6), 'anyavrata' (in V. 20. 2, VIII. 70. 11, X. 22. 8) occur and in almost all of which *vrata* must be taken to mean 'mode of worship or ethical and religious practices of the Vedic worshippers'. Prof. Apte has to admit this (pp. 479, 483). It will not do to ignore these passages in finding out the derivation and meanings of the word vrata or to clap them in a separate group (as Prof. Apte does on p. 413) and distinguish them from other passages supposed to indicate the divine phase. There is nothing to show that Vedic sages distinguished between divine vratas and other vratas meant to be followed by Heaven and Earth, rivers, mountains and human beings. Some of these passages in which the word 'avrata' occurs strongly militate against the theory of Prof Apte. For example,¹⁵ in Ṛg. I. 101. 2 Indra is said to have killed Pipru who was *avrata* and in the very next verse it is said that Varuṇa and Sūrya abide in the vrata of Indra and the rivers also accept his vrata Therefore, vrata in this hymn must mean something akin to the meaning of vrata in *avrata* and not akin to 'tracks of luminaries'. Compare IX. 73 5 and 8 where avrata occurs with 'rakṣati vratam' in IX. 73 3 (both being verses about Soma)