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CHAPTER VI
VRATA-CONFEDERATION OF GANAS
When the primitive undivided Aryan savages were socially divided into pastoral and non-pastoral people, new Confederation forces of social expansion set in. Those of Ganas Gaņas who owned large herds of cattle were materially superior to those who did not possess cattle or possessed them in insignificant numbers. The materially superior class has a tendency to grab the inferior class and that is the prime motive of offences and wars. Internecine wars between Ganas have already been alluded to. When this warfare grew; the weaker Ganas for their protection and the stronger Ganas for their further victories joined hands together for common purposes. This was a loose confederation of Ganas for achieving victories in wars. Gana was the prime social institution of the undivided Aryans. This higher Aryan confederative social organisation is remembered in Ṛgveda as Vrāta.
Word Vrata is connected with
Vr in the sense of 'to choose, select, to like better than, prefer to.' Vrata means a multitude, flock, assembly, troop, host, association and guild. It has Latin, Slave, German and Anglo-Sexon equivalents. Word Vrata refers to an Aryan institution before their separation from their original home.
This word occurs in Rgveda, in different derivatives, only eight times. It refers to some institution or organisation of the Aryan society. The oldest section of Ṛgveda contains the significance of this word Vrāta. The occasion is Aśvamedha. We have earlier seen that Asva was later substituted for Man during the Ritualisation
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