Most Ancient Aryan Society

Author(s): Ram Chandra Jain
Publisher: Institute of Bharatalogical Research Sriganganagar Rajasthan

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the word Gaņa as Company. This clearly indicates that the institution of Vrāta was a higher institution formed of smaller institutions.
Vrāta is Samgha—a federation or a confederation. The Gambling-Hymn (Rgveda 10.3.5) throws sufficient light on these two institutions. The Akşa is compared to a great military leader (Senānirmahats), the Gaņa leader (Gaṇasya rājā) and the chief of the Vrāta (Vrātasya prathamo). Though Sāyaṇa paraphrases Ķce in a slightly different manner; he admits the difference between Gaņa and Vrāta.
The difference, according to him, is slight. The epithets Gaṇasya rājā and Vrātasya prathamo are very significant. The conception of Gaņa-rājā bas been examined earlier. Vrātasya prathamo refers to the first citizen of the Vrāta. These two institutions were popular among the Brahmāryans during their offensive stage in Bhārata and also a little afterwards, though undergoing some modifications later due to local influences. Sāyaṇa was so far removed in time from the actual events that he could not appreciate the real difference between these two institutions and also their real character though he recognised the difference between the two. Gaņa is the unitary institution while Vrāta is a confederation or Samgha.
The social system of the Greekāryans was also organised into gens, phratry and basilia (tribe). The gens was also
, known as patry. Phratry was the intermediate Phratry and Phratriach in unit between gens and tribe. Originally when Greece
the gens were fighting with each other ; there was no question of co-existence of two gens. One gens shall not exist separately; it has to be amalgamated with the other through consent, rarely, through war generally. But after a long course of history ; the neighbours gens learnt the futility of war and thought it beneficial to join together to