Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s16.14

v1.c3.s16.14

Jana, besides meaning ‘man’ as an individual, with a tendency to the collective sense, commonly denotes a ‘people’ or ‘tribe’ in the Rigveda and later. Thus, the ‘five tribes’ (Panca Janāḥ or Janāsaḥ) are frequently referred to, and in one hymn of the Rigveda¹ the ‘people of Yadu’ (yādva jana) and the Yadus (yādvāḥ) are synonymous. Again, the king (rājan) is described as ‘protector (gopā) of the people (janasya),’² and there are other references to king and Jana.³ The people of the Bharatas (bhārata jana) is also mentioned;⁴ there is no ground to assume with Hopkins⁵ that Jana in this case means a clan or horde (Grāma), as distinguished from a people.