Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.1365

c4.1365

The Ṛgveda gives us most of the information regarding the Āryas who came to the north of India during the times of the Vedas through the passes on that north-western side of Bhārata. Sirdar K.M. Panikar writing in his preface to the ‘Ṛgvedasaṃhitā’ by Poet Vallathol summarises the information available in the Ṛgveda about Āryan culture and says: “When the Āryans first entered India they were rich in cattle. They used to breed goats, dogs, donkeys, and horses. The elephant was unknown to them. In the Vedas the vehicle of Ind a is a horse and not an elephant. When hailing Indra they shout ‘come, come on your horse-back’. The Veda does not say anything about how Indra got the elephant, Airāvata, as his vehicle. Sing to the glory of Indra against whom in his chariot driven by two horses no enemy would dare to face.