History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c90.137

v7.c90.137

The personality of Sūta is somewhat of an enigma in the Mahābhārata and the Purāṇas. Sūta is called Romaharṣaṇa¹³⁹⁵ or Lomaharṣaṇa because he made the hair (*roman* or *loman*) of his audience bristle or stand erect by his touching and eloquent speech. In the Skanda it is stated that he was so called because his own hair stood on end when he was being instructed by Dvaipāyana One meaning of the word *sūta* is 'chrioteer' and another meaning is 'a person of a mixed *pratiloma* caste born of the union of a brāhmaṇa woman with a kṣatriya male' and the cognate word 'Māgadha' means 'one who is born of a pratiloma union between a vaiśya male and a kṣatriya female' (vide Manu X. 71, Yāj I 93–94). The Arthaśāstra of Kauṭilya says¹³⁹⁶ the same thing about sūta and māgadha, but adds that 'the sūta and māgadha mentioned in the Purāṇas are different from these, because he (the sūta) is distinguished from (ordinary) brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas'. Kauṭilya means that in his days sūta and māgadha were *pratiloma* castes, but the sūta and māgadha mentioned as the first reciters of the Purāṇas are a category apart, that they do not belong to the pratiloma castes and are both distinguished from brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas (i. e. sūta of the Purāṇās is treated more or less as a great sage or semi-divine person). The Vāyu (1 26–33 and 62–147 ff), Padma (II. 27. 65–87, V. 1. 29–32), Brahmāṇḍa (II 36 158–173), the Skanda (Prabhāsakhaṇḍa 1. 8) say¹³⁹⁷ that in the sacrifice of Pitāmaha (i. e Brahmā) Sūta sprang up as a partial *avatāra* of Viṣṇu on the day when soma juice was extracted and māgadha also thus arose. It is further stated in the same Purāṇas that the *havis* (offering) meant for Indra (symbol of the kṣatriya class) got mixed with that meant for Bṛhaspati (symbol of brāhmaṇa class and learning) and that the sūta was born just at the time when the mixed-up offering was presented to the gods. From this the sūta (in later times) had duties similar to those of the original sūta and it was said that the sūta is offspring of the mixed union of brāhmaṇa (woman) with kṣatriya (male). Then another story is grafted on to this (in Vāyu 62. 147 ff, Brahmāṇḍa II. 36. 170-173 and in others) that the original¹³⁹⁸ Sūta and Māgadha sang the praises of king Pṛthu, son of Vena, who being pleased, made a present of the country of Anūpa to Sūta and the country of Magadha to Māgadha and since that time sūtas and māgadhas sing the praises of kings and awaken them in the morning with blessings. The Vāyu itself,¹³⁹⁹ however, says (1. 33-34) that sūta was born at the time of the extracting of soma juice in the sacrifice of Pṛthu Vainya.