Upabrmhana and Rgveda Interpretation

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

Page 27

LECTURE II
THE HYMN OF MUDGALA BHĀRMYAŚVA (X 102)
A FRESH APPROACH
The Hymn of Mudgala Bhārmyasva (X.102) is a very baffling hymn and at the same time very interesting one. As it is, the Hymn appears to be fragmentary and Griffith thinks it to be impossible to interpret It fully and satisfactorily'. Sāyaṇa offers somewhat limited help for a satisfactory understanding of the Hymn and therefore Wilson who is seen following Sāyaṇa is also not of much significant use. Ludwig in his effort to understand the hymn in a cogent manner is forced to have a recourse to many conjectures. Bloomfield, Geldner, Pischel, Velankar and Dange have also rendered this Hymn, each in his own way. Not being completely satisfied with any of these interpretations though these interpretations are undoub. tedly from very able and competant hands I have here undertaken a study of this very Hymn with a view to offer another interpretation,
The Hymn clearly centres round an incident in which a certain Mudgala and Mudgalānı are involved. Who are these two personalities ? According to Velankar, this is a Brābmin couple while according to Bloomfield, Geldner and others they are a 'sage and his wife'. To Dange, however, Mudgala and Mudgalāoi are not proper nouns and these two are according to him 'a village head-man and his wife' To Dange it appears improbable that sage Mudgala has anything to do with this hymn and he remarks that it is pertinent to note that Mudgalāni does not come elsewhere as the wife of Mudgala and in the Mabābhārata there is only a passing reference to Mudgala and his wife Indrasenā and not Mudgalāni. He explains away this reference to the obscure tradition of the Vedic hymn and he does not consider that there is historical fact behind it.
There is however evidence to show that Mudgala Bhārmyaśva was a king and Mudgalānī wa his wife. Mudgala belonged to the clan of the Trtsus and an account of this particular dynasty is available in the Harivamsa (32.63-80) and this account is supported by an account available in several Purānas; thus the Vayu Purana (99.194-210), the Matsya Purana (50.1-16). the Brahma Purāņa (13.93-101), the Vişnu Purāņa (IV.19.56-72), the Agni Purāņa ( 278.18-24 ), the Garuda Purāņa (I. 140.17-24 ), and the Bhagavata Purāna (IX.19.56-72). It will appear that this traditional account upto King Mudgala Bbārmyašva is cogently preserved and confusion appears to enter in the account of the princes after Mudgala. Mudgala had two sons in Brahmiştha and Vadhryasva. The Mahabharata (111,113.23-24) informs us