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HISTORY AND LEGAL PRINCIPLES OF UŠANAS
SATYA PAL NARANG
History
Rgveda:
The word Uśanas is found in the Rgveda both as a name and in relation to kāvya. It appears that the first speech or uktha or the mantra was sung by Uśanas and later it was Vedhas ( Classical Lit. Brahmā) to whom the origination of the Vedas is attributed to sing it.2 Uśanas as generator (in the artistic sense with the Vtaks) of the power ( sahas saha) is also found in the RV. His kāvya bestows intelligence to the idiots. He transmitted the poems to Hotr.5 This kāvya might have been the first poem narrating the history of the birth of deities (devas ) against the cult of Vrtra and might be boosting the ethos of the followers of devas against the cult of Vstra. Řbhus had been the singers of these poems in the field. They were perhaps the artists whose main profession was agriculture and who were responsible to sing the kāvya of Uśanas amongst the warriors in the time of war. Macdonell has expressed his uncertainty about their exact form and profession. The use of the V brū shows that it was recited in battlefield loudly to inspire the warriors to come forward to fight as Gītā was recited in the battlefield in the Mahābhārata and inspired Arjuna. The use of the V brū in the context of Mitra to inspire the Jana (mitro janān yātayati bruvāṇaḥ-RV3.59.1) against those who try to take away the gavyūti also proves the same.
Perhaps, this kāvya found expression in the form of science of Politics of Uśanas which was responsible to kill the enemies of Indra represented by Vrtra. It was the conflict of Vrtrahan vs. Vrtra. It was to the extent that Indra himself is identified with Uśanas. If we accept Uśanas a land i.e. Oxus, Indra was a king who was responsible to kill Vrtra with whom the struggle and war is found
