Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Aryas included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).
Story of Āⲹ
The ṻ岹 gives us most of the information regarding the Āⲹ who came to the north of India during the times of the Vedas through the passes on that north-western side of ٲ. Sirdar K.M. Panikar writing in his preface to the 'ṻ岹saṃhitā' by Poet Vallathol summarises the information available in the ṻ岹 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, 屹ٲ, as his vehicle. Sing to the glory of Indra against whom in his chariot driven by two horses no enemy would dare to face.
The ṻ岹 gives great importance to agriculture. Areas under cultivation were called Urvara and 'ṣeٰ'. Fields were ploughed by attaching six, eight and even twelve bullocks to the plough. Water was taken from hṛadas and Kulyakas (ponds and tanks) for the purpose of irrigation. Agriculture was a very familiar art to them. They used to cultivate all sorts of grains and grams including yava. They conducted trade by the exchange of goods generally. There is a reference in one place of the use of a coin 'ṣk'
The Āⲹ were clever in the art of leather work, woodwork and metallurgy. They were well versed in medicine also. In a ūٲ of the ninth ṇḍ it is stated that the father of a ṛṣi was a medical practitioner. There are references to many industries also. Weaving was a very important industry at that time. Cotton cloth and woollen blankets were made by them on a large scale. Iron was used by them with great skill. The manufacture of armours and the descriptions about them in ṻ岹 are ample evidence of the proficiency of the Āⲹ in ironmongery and blacksmithy. Sea voyage was not familiar to them. References to traders cruising in boats in the Sindhu river do not give much importance to the cruising. In food rice and ghee were important. Meat was also relished. Rṣis wore animal skins but others wore dhotis and shawls.
During the Ṛgvedic times their social structure was divided into four stages: Ұ峾 was a colony of families and was the nucleus of the society. A number of gramas formed into a place called վṣaⲹ. A number of վṣaⲹs became what was known as 'Janam'. The importance of Janas can be understood by the statements made about ʲñᲹԲ and the existence of special Janas like 岹 Jana and ٲ Jana.
There is no wonder why the Āⲹ who had to live among enemies accepted kingship. The ṻ岹 narrates the difficulties people would have to encounter if they were left to fight their enemies without a proper leader and so advocates Kingship and gives it an exalted position in their social structure. Sūkta 22, Anuvāka 12 of Maṇḍala 10 describes the coronation of a King thus: "I do hereby crown you as King. Come to our midst. Rule us with courage and an unwavering mind. Let all your subjects love you. Let thy kingdom remain with you for ever". The next mantra is also of the same idea. A King is above punishment. The veda speaks about many famous kings of which the following are worth mentioning. پǻ, ܻ, īṣa, ṣa and ʳܰū.
The chief priest was always the political advisor also. վś峾ٰ and ղṣṭ were two great priests of the Bharata dynasty. There were other priests also. Mention is there about a Rājasabhā though nothing is said about their powers or functions. It can be surmised that the was constituted of only men of character and learning.
It is interesting to note the type of domestic life in vogue then. A father had the right, to sell his children, To cite an example is the story of Śunaśśepha who was made into a cow and sold to վś峾ٰ who looked after him well. The father had the right to make his children lose all rights over his properties. վś峾ٰ sent out from his family fifty sons who refused to obey him. Dowry was current then. Sūkta 11, Anuvāka 3, Maṇḍalam 10 ordains that the bride should go to the house of her husband after the marriage. Polygamy was not objected to. There is a mantra to harass the co-wife and its purpose is to make the husband more attached to her who hates the co-wife. The originator of this mantra was Իṇ�, the queen of Indra. Indra had many wives. Marriage was considered as a necessary duty. Widow marriage was allowed.
The ṻ岹 gives the picture of a society of people who were always at war with each other. "We are surrounded by mighty enemies. Help us". This is the slogan that rings out from the ṻ岹.
The ṻ岹 is a history of the Āⲹ. The march from Kubhātaṭa (Kubul) to the banks of ۲ܲ is depicted there. It was at Kubhātaṭa that the mantras were first made. When they reach the banks of the Ҳṅg the period of ṻ岹 ends. The crossing of each of the five rivers of ʲñԲ岹 is treated as a big event by the ṛṣis. When they saw the huge and deep river, Sindhu, they were amazed. The wonder is reflected in a lovely mantra. It was after crossing Sindhu that they had to oppose the 'Dasyus'. The ṻ岹 itself records that the Dasyus were more cultured than the Āⲹ. Ś, a Dasyu King, was the ruler of a hundred cities. Their fortresses were strong. They have been described in the ṻ岹 as Aśvamayī, Āyasī and Śatabhujī.
The chief opponents of the Āⲹ were a tribe of people called ʲṇi. From the Nirukta of 첹 we are given to understand that the ʲṇi were mainly engaged in trade. The ṻ岹 names many Dasyu kings of which the following few were more daring and brave and the Āⲹ acknowledged their superior strength and courage: Dhuni, Cumuri, Vipru, Varcis and Ś. Among the several divisions of the Dasyus, the Śimyus, ī첹ṭa, Śܲ and Yakṣus ranked foremost in power. They are described as having black colour and flat noses and speaking a language different from that of the Āⲹ. We may surmise from these facts that they belonged to the ٰ屹ḍa class of people. They never conducted yāga nor did they worship gods like Indra. They were idol worshippers for they have been abused as 'Śiśnadevas'. Later the Āⲹ learnt from the Dasyus the worship of Ś, ٱī and ṅg.
Conquering these daring and cultured enemies the Āⲹ reached the banks of the ۲ܲ to find to their pleasant surprise a radical change in themselves. The Bharatas settled themselves in the land between the ۲ܲ and Ҳṅg and remained friendly with the Dasyus living to the east of Ҳṅg. The Āⲹ who settled down in ʲñԲ岹 were strong and to prevent them from coming and conquering them Bharata tried to keep them remain on the other side of Śutudri (Sutlej). This led to a war called Dāśarājña.
This war is to be considered as one of the most important of wars in the world. Those who opposed ܻ were Āⲹ though among the supporters of ܻ were also Āⲹ. It was the people under ܻ who came out victorious in that war and put a stop to further conquests by the Āⲹ. From thereafter the Āⲹ joined hands with the aborigines and laid the foundation for the great Hindu civilization. Thereafter the ṻ岹 states about prayers for help to combat 'our enemies of Āⲹ and Dasyus'. The gods who were recognised later were those who were not found in the vedas of the Āⲹ. The worship of ѲDzī and ٱī found in Mohenjodaro is an evidence of this change.