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Indra has been described as a friend of munisti er'. The Atharva Veda (VII. 78 1) ascribes an arrow to a muni whom Sayana identifies with Atharvan. Munikesa (having hair like a muni) is described by Sayana as demon (VII. 6.17). As has already been said the Vatarasana Munayah are Vedic seers and the Taittiriya Aranyaka expressly states it. The Vedic Munis, therefore, were a part and parcel of the Vedic society, lived in it and worked for it. It is not clear from the scanty description in the Vedic Samhitas as to whether they were householders or recluses. They cannot, however, be regarded as belonging to a non-Vedic tradition. The mention of Satam Vaikhanasah and Vamro Vaikhanasah as Vedic seers and the statement that persons practising penances etc. in mountains and on river banks become vipras-kavis-munis indicate that forest hermits existed among the Vedic Aryans.
The Vratya Kanda
12. According to the Atharva Veda. a Vratya is a dynamic force who is the source of all this world and its accompaniments including men, animals, the moveable and the immoveable elements, actions and all else. Nothing can move without this force is seen in human guests and scholars also who have been described at length in the Vratya Kanda. Dr. Sampurnanand preceeded by Ksema Karana and Jai Deva have correctly called this force 'the Supreme Soul'. The Atharava Veda has described this force by various names as Prana, Rohita, Kala, Kama, Brhmachari and so on. Referring to this force appearing in the form of a guest or a scholar Sayana says that such a scholarly
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person respected by all, pure in nature is hated by persons who are devoted to actions only. Such persons, in the words of the Yajurveda, live in darkness and are to be condemned:
अन्धन्तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽ विद्यामुपासते ।
Sayana has nowhere said that the Vratya of the Atharva Veda is hated by all types of Brahmanas.
13. The description of the Vratyas as persons not observing religious practices and celibacy and not devoted to worldly duties like agriculture and trade and duties like agriculture worthy of condemnation (Tandya Brahmana XVII. 2.) refers to a later degenerated class of persons who called themselves Vratyas and who were far below the standard of Vedic Vratyas described above. It must have happened just in the same way as we have these days spurious mendicants and ascetics who are a slur on the Hindu society.
14. It does not appear to be natural to read or infer a description of Lord Rsabha Deva in some of the verses of the Vratya Kanda. When Vratya has been. described as standing for a year he has been associated with all the seasons of the year, all the different types of Vedic verses, various Samans and the Veda. In his movements for the various directions he has been associated with the Vedic texts gods, rites and ceremonies and other forces of the universe. Among other things he has been associated with samiti, sena and sura (which is of special significance if it means wine or liquor). His company makes a man fit to achieve various objects including the Devayan and Pitryana and knowledge of vital airs, earth, heaven and sky. He is not opposed to sacrifices and visits sacrificers.
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