Upabrmhana and Rgveda Interpretation

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

Page 15

The Upabrṁhana and the Rgveda Interpretation
have some ancient tales that appear in the Rgveda, in the Brāhmaṇas and in the Itihasa and the Purana literature. The Vamsa and the Vamśānucarita have been important sections of the Purana along with the Sarga and the Pratisarga as the Atharvaveda view of a “purānavit might indicate.
I am not here saying anything, by way of either supporting or reject. ing the theory of the Akhyānas as put forth by Oldenberg and others. What I am maintaining is that many episodes were preserved in both the traditions, in the religious hieratic Rși tradition of the Rgveda and in the secular popular Sūta tradition of the Itibāsa and the Purana. I might illustrate the point further.
Thus we have the story. or the Akhyāna of Sunahsepa in the Rgveda and in the Aitareya Brahmana (Ch. 33). The Rgveda gives us the songs of the Rşi Sunahsepa (I. 24-30) being very fervent prayers addressed to Varuna, Agui, Savits, Indra, Aśvinau and Uşas. Further, in the Rgveda itself there is a reference in
'sunaścicche pam niditam sahasrāt
yūpādamuñcah aśamişla hi sah' / (V. 2.7) in the song by Kumāra Atreya which in its essence appears to confirm the account as given by the Aitareya Brahmana. This reference also suggests that the story is an earlier one since the Fifth Book where this reference occurs belongs to the earliest strata of the Rgveda according to the generally accepted view about the chronological order of the ten books of the Rgveda, The Aitareya Brāhmaṇa in its own account of this story gives 'gathās' in plenty while the Rgveda is seen giving the prayers of Sunahsepa in the mantra' form. Again, the Aitareya Brāhmana acquaints us with the sages Parvata and Narada and the conversation of these two with Hariscandra, the Ikşvaku King is shown as proceeding in the gathās'. We are told that 'sa ekaya prstah daśabhiḥ pratyuvāca'. This fact would indicate the existence of the gatha' literature of the Purāņa type in the times of the Brahmanas and also would point out to the fact of the narra. tion of such early tales in both the traditions, the hieratic and the popular ones. This story is further narrated, often with added points, in the Mārkandeya Purāna (Ch. 8), the Brahma Purāna (Ch. 104), the Devibhāgavata Purāna (Ch. VII. 13-27) and the śrīmadbhāgavata Purāņa (Ch, 9.7). I would like to add here that it is of considerable significance that the Srimadbhāgavata Purana has attempted to skillfully weave its narration round the Aitareya Brahmana text. Several words and tags of sentences from the Brābmaņa are seen fitted in the text of the Purāna. One may refer in this context to the following words and expressions like, 'putro me jāyatām; tena tvāṁ yaje; tatheti; anena māṁ yajasva; yada pasuh nirdaśah syāt atha sa medhyah; dantah jayeran alha sa medhyah, sannähiko yada rajan' woven