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D. D. KOSAMBI
according to Sāyana, "with few children'') ; then Vasiştha becamc thcir chicf pricst (purohita) and from the Titsus developed progeny (višas)" (vii,33,6). The statement is perfectly clear, and the special Vasiştha prayer for issue is to be scen in vii:4.7-8. Our versc abovc mcans that thc Trisus were a branch of thc Bhiaratas_though the name is taken by somc as synonymous for all thc Bharatas, which looks unlikcly unless it is from some other language. Vasiştha was not originally their pricst, but hc became thc purohita at somc later stage, and then the tribe multiplicd. Actually, in vii.33.10-11 Vasiştha derives his origin from Mitra-Varuna' and the very next versc from an asaras, both of which mystcrious legends have bccn amplificd later. This, with thc abscncc of an animal or trcc totcm, would strengthen thc implication that Vasiştha (whose name is merely an adjcctive proclaiming his superlative glory) was not as other Aryan mcn. On the other hand, hc cannot be taken as a divinc hcing
1 Of course, we have other descendants of the gods. Bhrgu is somctimes a descendant of Varuna: X.16-19 arc by sons or descendants of Yama, x.135 by a Kumara Yamayana: x 161 by Yami. . Arnong sons of Indra arc counted Virnada, author of x.20-20, the ape Vrsakapi of x.80, and Jaya, author of x.180. All gotra names ending in slamba are Bharadvajas,
1 Apsu is good Sumerian for the sweet (potalle) waters Ixoth alove and below the carth and the apsaras (in spite of Graumann's derivation at patas) is a water dcity. One may note other Sumcrian ciemenis in plenty. The gox Anu might even have been worshipped by the Anu tribe of the dásarajna enerics of Sudás. Certainly, Enki has features that remind us of Yama; his lucing a god of the absu, and slccping (after creation), are reminiscent of the later Indian Narayana. The reason for not diving way to this sort of speculation alsout the Slimcrians is the lack of clcar dorurnentary conncction between the two cultures, and the great difference in dates, though nothing prevents the legends and cults being common property of pre-Aryan pcoplcs some of whom later becamc Brahmins. The other difficulty is our ignorance of the actual phonetic values wliich were assigned 10 Sumerian ideo. gratis at various times and places; a personage whon textbooks of a geticration ago called the "batesi Of Shirourla'' is now known as the "isag of Lagash.” So, those who wish to follow in the footsteps of
* Waddell should find plenty of latitude of their conjectures. Let me present coniccture-nongers with the undeniable fact that the spotted cow l'Fani containing the sun, moon, and stars (viii.94,2) fits
an picture of the world.cow while Rgveda ii. 13.8 mcntions a Närmara whom someone is eure to eduatc to the Pharaoh Narmcr-Mcncs. Then take the Yaksus (vii. 18.15 as the tubos and so on.
1 Savana's gloss as well as the Brhaddcvata comment accm to take māna in vii. 33.13 as referring to Avastva'i birth from a jar, bregotten from the joint semen of Mitra-Varuna, llcre, it may be pointed
a stands in a special relationship to Varuna not only in his descent but in the intensity feeling of guilt, demonstrated in the four hymns vii. 80-89, In víi. 84.4, the ser asks what his sin Poi wishes to stril:chim down; in 5, he wishes for relcasc from come ancestral transgression
the next sk plcats action against the singer's will and the seventh or ctrayal : ava drugdhäni pitryā srja; the next sk plcada action against the ingree with
service or thic humblest sort : aram dāso na mihase karāni. In vii, 87 the tone of self-abnegation is not so proninetit, but the final versc again ycarns for blamelessness before Varung
for blamelessness before Varuna,. The lyricfest of the lot, vii.89 seems charged with this scrise of guilt acquired by unspecified but neer kratrah samalia dinata pralipam jagama Suve; mpī suksalra mīlaya, Nothing of this is
out Varuna as the first-born, just, benign, and peaceful god. seer of the Higveda, though they all honour Varuna as the first-horn, just, benina
t Vacistha was really guilty of having alsandoned the an. We might venture upon the interpretation that Vasistha was really guilty of having
the yaifia and worship of the war-gord Indra; cestral cult in favour of more paying practices, such as the yajfia and worshin or the walls
In this case, vii.88.4 would cven acquire a it is for this that his descendants had to ask forgiveness. In this case, vii.88.4 would special significance in its statement that Varuna had made a si of Vasistha. When and
have been carly to give ther. Vasig has their
When and where this supp
Cat. Brah. xii.6.141, 11.4.4.2.ctc.), Aryan traditional priority in Fajna ritual (Bhaddevalá v, 166-160; Sat, Brāh, xít.8.1941
mass and this has left its mark upon the tyvedic wanderings extended far beyond the upper Indus land-mass and this has left its mark in tradition älso, Vasistha speaks of bcing taken up on the ship of Varuna, and Kaksivän eine
o Phuivut being sayed at sca by the Násatyas, Aship with a hundred oars (1.116.6) and tric daaraway from the shore would hardly be expected on the upper Indus or any lake in the P... Quite incidentally, the father of Bhujyu is Tugra (1.110,3,117.4), which is also the name of a of Indra (vi.20,8; vi,20,4; x. 49.4).
