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INTERVENING STORIES
157 In the Brahmanical tradition the Rgveda (10.7.90) mentions that the Brāhmaṇas are the mouth, the Rajanyas (Ksatriya) the arms, the Vaisyas the thighs and the Śūdras the feet of Prajapati. The Mahābhārata (12.296. 5-6), the Manusmrti (1.31), the VR (3.14.30), and the Vişnupurāņa (1.6.6) speak in the same light and declare that Brahmaņas originated from the mouth of Prajāpati and they constitute the first and the foremost varņa of the four-fold society.
17. Vasu, Parvataka and the Origin of the Yajña :
Răvaņa while on his war compaign reaches Rājapura (Rājagpha). There an animal sacrifice was being performed by king Marutta. Listening to the name of sacrifice (Jaņņa-yajña) Śreniką inquires about its origin and Gautama narrates the story (11.6-45).
Kșirakadamba, the preceptor of Ikşvāku king Vasu of Ayodhyā (the son of Ajita or Jiyārirāya 11.21 born of Surakāntā), had two more pupils, his own son Parvataka and brahmin Närada. Once on being enlightened by Căraņa muni, he became a Jaina monk. In due course there grew a controversy between Parvataka and Narada about the meaning of 'aja' which was to be used in the sacrifices. They went to Vasu for clarification. He gave his judgement from his bright crystal seat (phalihamaya asaņa) in the favour of Parvataka on the recommendation of the latter's mother explaining that 'aja' meant a goat and not the corns which would not germinate as advocated by Nárada. On account of telling a lie the earth split up and absorbed Vasu into it. He went to the seventh hell. Parvataka having been humiliated by the public, performed perverse penances and after his death, he was reborn as a Raksasa. He transformed himself into a brahmin and preached animal-killing, taking meat and drinking of wine on sacrificial occasions.
The Bhattaparinnā states that Vasu went to hell for telling a lie. The PCR (11.13-104) mentions Yayāti in place of Ajita. The PCS (15.9) refers to Vasu who went to hell on account of telling a lie, but the story is not narrated. The HVPJ (ch. 17) agrees with the PCV. The VH (p. 188-193) describes the topic under the Origin of the Anarya Veda.' It mentions that Vasu who belonged to Harivansa reigned Suktimati. Here Kșīrakadamba is said to have examined the prudence of his pupils through the test of killing an artificial ram. Parvataka killed it while Närada did not, because there was no place where no body could see his action. Therefore Kșīrakadamba made him his heir. The crystal slab is said to have been given to Vasu by a hunter. Parvataka was humiliated by the people for enmeshing Vasu to tell a lie. It further states that Madhupingala could not marry Sulasā on account of the
