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The Hymn of Mudgala Bhārınyašva (X. 102) the yuke, 'nusmai tīņam nodakam ubharantyuttaro dhuro vahati pradediśat'(10). Indra has protected the chariot (1) given protection to the bull and given victory to a weak friend. (7, 12).
It really needs no argument to prove that all this is war imagery and therefore it is a war that appears to be the central event. In spite of this, one may justifiably say, overwhelming clear internal evidence, Dange observes that it can be said with certainty that there is no indication of a race or a battle in it, though the words like aji' and 'abhimuti' are apt to lead one to this bypothesis'. He is of the view that the words 'bhare krtam'which obviously support the battle or the face.theory are not to be taken in too literal sense. To him it appears that the words are agha ko nu ittha dadarśa' (10) are difficult to be understood in the context of a battle. In yam yunjanti tamya sthapayanti,' according to him, the race or the battle is helpless. It is amusing to see liim observe again - after having denied with certainty the existence of any indication of a race or battle we have in this hymno a figurative use of the race or the battle and further in all probability. we bave here a traditional ritual couched in the terminology of battle'. On the strength of the word mithūkstam in the context of
rathain' (1) he takes the chariot to be a inock one, a procedure in which he is supported by Velankar and Geldner, and further takes the enemies, the jghamsato, abhidasato, uryasya va dasasya vadha(3) abhimati(4) as 'imaginary opponents' and in spite of the clear past tense in 'ajayat sahasram',
jigaya sahasram (2, 5, 9), he observes that this fight is a mock one, not for anything lost, but for avoiding a possible loss. To him the words «dhanabhaksa'(1) and "garisti' (2) indicate ant agricultural or a pastoral ritual,
Now what are the details or indications of this agricultural or pastoral ritual' in the hymn itself ? In the innocent description of the fair driver "uta sina vuto vahati viso asyah' Dange sees a suggestion of her being naked' obviously because for a rain ritual a naked woman plays some part amongst the Kocha women or in South India and the Behirs. Mudgalāni who is Indrasenā, the same as Indrāni and represents the Earth and is symbolically the wife of Indra that would bring rain, So Mudgalaor is the field-wife of Indra, Next, the kūta' refers to the plough-share that digs in the ground
with the and in the process removes the barrenness 'abhimati' connected soil. The air is not a battlefield but is the ordinary field and the thundering and the urinating of the bull (5) is a 'fertility-charm based on sympathetic action to cause rain, To him it appears that the 'gah pas paszinah are at the other end of the field waiting to be 'touched' by the bull for their fecundation. The drughana' is cast at the other end is an unholy thing.' Mudgala and Mudgalani are not to be taken as individuals with proper nouns but are the village-head and his wife who might first plough the
