Upabrmhana and Rgveda Interpretation

Author(s): T G Manikar
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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The U pabrîhana and the Řgveda Interpretation
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136) could with justification be looked upon as having relation with the kind poetry with which the Sülas are primarily associated. Nor could any line of distinction be drawn on account of learning and spiritual powers. At best what could be asserted is that the Sūtas were concerned with really popular poetry. I would with some liberty sum up my view in this matter by observing that the Rșis were interested in religion and philosophy while the sūtas were interested in man and history. If the Rșis sang of the great and significant happenings in Nature, the exploits of gods, the Sūtas sang of exploits of man and his powers and qualities. All this is very natural and right from the early times man has been interested in himself. What the myth is in respect of god, the legend is in respect of man. If on the plane of mythology the Rșis could be interested in the exploits of Indra and Varuna, the two divine kings, 'samrājau', the Sütas were intere. sted in their counterpart on the social plane, the King and therefore in the royal personalities. If on their plane the Rsis were interested in Agni and Brhaspati the divine priests, the Sūtas were interested in the priestly dignitories like Agastya, Visvämitra, Bhrgu, Angiras and so on. Man has been endowed with a fertile imagination and he sets himself busy about creating myths and legends about the powers of Nature that overawe him and about his own illustrious ancestors and members of the generations of earlier times. These two are as I see primary and co-existing tendencies in man and an effort to see any chronological order in them is futile. As a result songs in which gods were praised and also songs in which human heroes were praised came into existence in human society at the same time. It is therefore that the Rgveda contains many historical songs in which happenings are related with men. The Rgveda speaks of Sudāsa, Purūravas, Mudgala and of the happenings in their lives. This is matter which really is connected with what we call the Sūta tradition. It is not therefore surprising at all to see some material common to these two tradi. tions the Rşi and the Sūta of which we have been speaking.
The Purāṇas as known to us are perhaps the products of a much later date, perhaps of centuries after Christ but there could be no doubt about their having an antiquity that takes them back to the Vedic times. The Rgveda itself use the word Purāņa at III. 54.9. 'sa na puranam adhyemi'; III. 58. 6. 'purānamokaḥ sakhyam śivam vām'; X. 130.6. vaihe jate pitaro naḥ purāne'; but it is clear that at these places the word 'puräna' simply means old or ancient. The word 'purani' occurs in the context of the Uşas in "punahpunarjāyamānā purāni (I. 92. 10) and also in the context of a gātha, a popular verse, in 'tam gāthayā puranya punānam abhya. nūsata' (IX. 99. 4), This last mentioned use appears somewhat interesting to me since it indicates the existence of the 'gathas', popular Verses, in the times of the Soma Mandala, the Book IX of the Rgveda,