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Vol. XXX, 2006
HISTORY AND LEGAL PRINCIPLES OF UŠANAS
Kautilya. X.6.35. A śyena array is mentioned by Kautilya. in X.6.12 though not Krauñca. An array called Sakata is mentioned in the Dronaparvan 7.24 which occurs in Kautilya. also at X.6.2615
Identity and Authorship
Uśanas: as mythological figure:- In the Mahābhārata, he is mentioned as sitting by the side of Bhisma with other rsis.16
Uśanas's identity as śukra:
He is compared to Sukra. Perhaps, the white colour vis-à-vis with blackish colour of the charcoal) Angiras might be the reason of their identity.17 His transformation to śukra is also alluded to in the Mahābhārata. 18
Uśanas's identity as Bhārgava:
A verse of Uśanas or Bhārgava highlights the importance of the acquisition of a king vis-à-vis the wives and the money.19 Most probably the Bhārgavas had been the custodians of the mountains oozing fire and their profession was to make charcoal in the fireplaces to identify them with Angirasas also.20 In the Puranas, Bhrgu has been accepted as a range of the Himalayas whose peak is known as Bhrgutunga.21
Uśanas as an authority:
In the Mahābhārata (śānti 59.80-85), it is described how the Supreme Being composed a hundred thousand śloka on dharma; how Manu Svāyambhuva promulgated those dharmas and how Uśanas and Brhaspati composed śāstras based on the work of Manu Svyāmbhuva.22
Besides the works on Nīti and Politics, Aušanasas wrote on the Pāñcarātra system as well. It is one of the 108 texts listed in the Padmatantra.23 This is mentioned as a source book in Hariharacaturanga24 which is a work on chess and quite possible originally a work on military science dealing with four types of army. But the correct reading is īśānasamhitā.25
Uśanas's Sūtra : work of:
From quotations from Haradatta's commentary on Gautama and Smrticandrikā it appears that they had access to a sūtra work of Uśanas dealing
