Soma is yajasya tm (RV 9.2.10, 9.6.

8)
--Soma is pr divinity, deified objects of yaja in 12 pr skta; Vlakhilya in Rgveda (RV 8.49
to 8.59) is a brick

RV 9.2.10 Winner of kine, Indu, art thou, winner of heroes, steeds, and strength Primeval tm
of yaja. 'essential nature, principle of life, of sensation'

RV 9.6.8 8 tm of yaja., the juice effused flows quickly on: he keeps His ancient wisdom of
a Sage. 'essential nature, principle of life, of sensation'
Effect of Soma
The effect of Soma is excitation, inspiration:

RV 9.22.3 These Soma juices, blended with curds, purified, skilled in sacred hymns,
Have gained by song their hearts desire'. -- inspired, wise, learned, versed in or
acquainted with; thus, vipa, inspiration signifies vipacitah excitation.
How is Soma realized?

a thunder-cloud RV. iv , 10 , 5 (cf. Naigh. i , 10); n. (mostly in pl.) " coverer , investor ,
restrainer " , an enemy , foe , hostile host. Vrtra is Asura, the powerful being, the enveloping
cloud of unpurified Soma. Purification of Soma is the process of killing Vrtra with Indras
thunderbolt, to release the purified waters and make Soma Pavamna flow. Varua is also with
Vrtra and is persuaded to join Indra in the revolt against Vrtra (RV 10.124.7). Soma says: I have
spent many years within him.Now I choose Indra and desert the fatherthe power of kingship
has turned around (RV 10.124.4)

Griffith translation: RV 10.124.4 I tarried many a year within this altar: I leave the Father, for
my choice is Indra.
Away pass Agni, Varua and Soma. Rule ever changes: this I come to favour.

1
RV 10.l24.7 The Sage hath fixed his form by wisdom in the heavens: Varua with no violence
let the waters
flow. Like womenfolk-, the floods that bring prosperity have eau lit his hue and colour as they
gleamed and shone.
Benefits of Soma
What benefits accrue from Soma? Soma protects the body, removes illness, lifts from depression,
illumines scaring away darkness, averts hostility, exhilarates, inflames and illumines, stirs good
thoughts, puts one on top of the world, leads to immortality. (RV 8.48)
Griffith translation RV 8.48

1. WISELY have I enjoyed the savoury viand, religiousthoughted-, best to find out treasure,
The food to which all Deities and mortals, calling it meath, gather themselves together.
2 Thou shalt be Aditi as thou hast entered within, appeaser of celestial anger.
Indu, enjoying Indras' friendship, bring us, as a swift steed the car, forward to riches.
3 We have drunk Soma and become immortal; we have attained the light, the Gods discovered.
Now what may foemans' malice do to harm us? What, O Immortal, mortal mans' deception?
4 Absorbed into the heart, be sweet, O Indu, as a kind father to his son, O Soma,
As a wise Friend to friend: do thou, wideruler-, O Soma, lengthen out our days for living.
5 These glorious drops that give me freedom have I drunk. Closely they knit my joints as straps
secure a car.
Let them protect my foot from slipping on the way: yea, let the drops I drink preserve me from
disease.
6 Make me shine bright like fire produced by friction: give us a clearer sight and make us better.
For in carouse I think of thee, O Soma, Shall I, as a rich man, attain to comfort?
7 May we enjoy with an enlivened spirit the juice thou givest, like ancestral riches.
O Soma, King, prolong thou our existence as Surya makes the shining days grow longer.
8 King Soma, favour us and make us prosper: we are thy devotees; of this be mindful.
Spirit and power are fresh in us, O Indu give us not up unto our foemans' pleasure.
9 For thou hast settled in each joint, O Soma, aim of mens' eyes and guardian of our bodies.
When we offend against thine holy statutes, as a kind Friend, God, best of all, be gracious.
10 May I be with the Friend whose heart is tender, who, Lord of Bays! when quaffed will never
harm me-
This Soma now deposited within me. For this, I pray for longer life to Indra.
11 Our maladies have lost their strength and vanished: they feared, and passed away into the
darkness.
Soma hath risen in us, exceeding mighty, and we are come where men prolong existence.
12, Fathers, that Indu which our hearts have drunken, Immortal in himself, hath entered mortals.
So let us serve this Soma with oblation, and rest securely in his grace and favour.
13 Associate with the Fathers thou, O Soma, hast spread thyself abroad through earth and
heaven.
So with oblation let us serve thee, Indu, and so let us become the lords of riches,
14 Give us your blessing, O ye Gods preservers. Never may sleep or idle talk control us.
But evermore may we, as friends of Soma, speak to the synod with brave sons around us.

2
15 On all sides,. Soma, thou art our lifegiver-: aim of all eyes, lightfinder-, come within us.
Indu, of one accord with thy protections both from behind and from before preserve us.

One argument is that Rgveda venerates a brick altar and a brick is Vlakhilya. A synonym for
Agni is Ap Napt, i.e. one which does not allow water to fall down; thus, Agni as Energy may
mean latent heat of vapourisation of water - a form of Agni. Together with Agni as Ap Napt,
Soma as amu [cognate ancu, 'iron' (Tocharian)], the veneration of Agni and
Soma is a veneration of Energy forms thus, both Agni and Soma are pr divinities,
i.e. deified objects or cosmic phenomena. .

Drghatamas offers a new vision of Agni (RV 1.143.1): I bring forward a strong and new vision
(praise) to Agni, a hymn of Vc to the son of strength; [he is] Ap Napt, the beloved hot,
who together with the Vasus has sat down on the Earth observing the appointed time.

Laszlo Forizs traslates RV 1.143.8 indicating brick-altar: "O Agni (Sun), attentive with your
attentive, kind and powerful guardians
(i.e., the stars), preserve us; O Ii (Altar/Ap Napt),with your
unimpaired,uninflamed,unwinking [guardians],
protect our children!."

3
Sayana/Wilson translation: RV 1.143

1.143.01 I offer devoutly to Agni, the son of strength, an invigorating and most new sacrifice,
with words of adoration; (that Agni), the grandson of the waters, who, (present) in due season,
the friend and ministering priest (of the sacrificer), sits upon the altar with (many) good things.
[The grandson of the waters: apa_m napa_t; vegetable substances are the progeny of rain, and
fire is the progeny of vegetable substances, timber, or fuel; upon the altar: pr.thivya_m = lit. on
the earth, on the mount of earth constituting the altar].
1.143.02 As soon as born, what that (Agni) manifested to Mataris'van in the highest atmosphere,
and his radiance, kindled by vigorous effort, spread through heaven and earth. [ma_taris'van: to
the wind, to be fanned into flame; in another text: tvam agne prathamo ma_taris'vane a_virbhava,
by first manifest, Agni, to the wind; or ma_taris'van = yajama_na, or sacrificer].
1.143.03 His radiance is undecaying; the rays of him who is of pleasing aspect, are everywhere
visible and bright; the intensely shining, all-pervading, unceasing, undecaying (rays) of Agni,
desist not (from their functions). [Desist not: na rejante, do not tremble; they do not move, or are
moved in burning, maturing; da_hapa_ka_dis.u na calanti na ca_lyante va_ anyaih, or na may
imply comparison, when bha_tvaks.asasor na sindhavah = like the rays of the sun].
1.143.04 Bring to his own abode with hymns that Agni, the possessor of all riches, whom the
descendants of Bhr.gu placed by the strength of all beings upon the navel of the earth; for, like
Varun.a, he reigns sole (monarch) over (all) treasure.
1.143.05 Agni, who, like the roaring of the winds, like a victorious host, like the thunderbolt in
heaven, is not to be arrested, devours and destroys (our foes) with sharpened teeth (bharva
him.sa_ya_m; bharvatirattikarma_: Nirukta 9.23), and, as a warrior (annihilates his enemies), he,
(Agni), lays waste the woods.
1.143.06 May Agni be ever desirous of our praise; may the giver of wealth satisfy our utmost
expectation with riches; may the inspirer (of our devotion) hasten our rites to fruition. I glorify
him, the radiant-limbed (Agni), with this laudation.
1.143.07 The kindler (of the sacrificial fire) propitiates Agni, of glistening form; the upholder of
your ceremony, like a friend; well kindled and well supplied (with fuel); blazing brightly at holy
rites, he illumines our pure and pious observances. [Well kindled: akrah = fr. kram, to go=
akranta or anukra_nta, surpassed or exceeded by; jva_la_ samida_dibhih, flame, fuel and the

4
like].
1.143.08 Agni, never heedless (of us), guard us with never heedless, auspicious, and joy-
bestowing cares; do you, who are desired (by all), protect us, and those born of us, with
unobstructed unovercome, and never slumbering (vigilance).

Griffith: Agni. 143

1. To Agni I present a newer mightier hymn, I bring my words and song unto the Son
of Strength,
Who, Offspring of the Waters, bearing precious things sits on the earth, in season, dear Invoking
Priest.
2 Soon as he sprang to birth that Agni was shown forth to Matarisvan in the highest firmament.
When he was kindled, through his power and majesty his fiery splendour made the heavens and
earth
to shine.
3 His flames that wax not old, beams fair to look upon of him whose face is lovely, shine with
beauteous sheen.
The rays of Agni, him whose active force is light, through the nights glimmer sleepless, ageless,
like the floods.
4 Send thou with hymns that Agni to his own abode, who rules, one Sovran Lord of wealth, like
Varuna,
Him, Allpossessor-, whom the Bhrgus with their might brought to earths' central point, the centre
of the world.
5 He whom no force can stay, even as the Maruts' roar, like to a dart sent forth, even as the bolt
from heaven,
Agni with sharpened jaws chews up and eats the trees, and conquers them as when the warrior
smites
his foes.
6 And will not Agni find enjoyment in our praise, will not the Vasu grant our wish with gifts of
wealth?
Will not the Inspirer speed our prayers to gain their end? Him with the radiant glance I laud with
this my song.
7 The kindler of the flame wins Agni as a Friend, promoter of the Law, whose face is bright with
oil.
Inflamed and keen, refulgent in our gatherings, he lifts our hymn on high clad in his radiant hues.
8 Keep us incessantly with guards that cease not, Agni, with guards auspicious, very mighty.
With guards that never slumber, never heedless, never beguiled. O Helper, keep our children.

Phala or objective of Soma:

[p= 50,2] mfn. (fr. /) , the most distant , the last RV. x , 39 , 3 AV. x , 4 , 1

5
8.048.03 We drink the Soma, may we become immortal; we have attained the light of (heaven),
we have known the gods; what now could the enemy do to us, or what, O immortal, should the
aggriever do to the mortal? [Taittiri_ya Sam.hita_ 3.2.5: the past tense is used in the sense of
wish, as'am.sadyotana_ya bhu_ta_rthanir des'ah].

We have drunk soma and attained immortality; we have ourselves seen that light which was
discovered by the Gods. Now then what harm can the evil intentions of our enemies do to us? Of
what avail is the deception of mortals, O immortal one!

Soma confers wealth, treasures:

O Indra, O Soma, send us now great opulence from every side, pour on us treasures a thousand
fold (RV 9.90.3)

Since you are purified, give us the strength of a hero and riches to those who worship you. (RV
9.40.5)

Soma possessor of weapons. Pour on us streams of riches doubly great; and make us better than
what we are. (RV 9.4.7)

Allegorical rreferences to Soma to many forms of life and things: Soma is a strong bull (RV
9.2.1; 9.5.7), splendid specimen of cattle (RV 9.2.2), a war horse (RV 3.3; RV 9.28.1); a bird
upon the wings (RV 9.3.1); a tree whose praise never fails to yield heavenly milk amidst our
hymns (RV 9.12.7)

Soma is the food of the Gods, flows to the banquet of the gods; feast and service for the Gods
(RV 9.1.4; RV 9.6.6); Soma goes to Indra, Vayu and Ashvins gives them joy (RV 9.7.7).

Lszl Frizs, 2007, Ap Napt, Drghatamas and the Construction of the Brick Altar Analysis
of RV 1.143 http://www.forizslaszlo.com/tudomany/forizs_dirghatamas.pdf

Binjor. ca. 2500 BCE. yaja kua

6
 Sanchi.Sculptural friezes. Smiths at work. yaja
kua

Angkorwat. Sculptural frieze.yaja kua

7
Site Name: Bharhut
Monument: Bharhut stupa
Subject of Photo: section of coping from vedika
Locator Info. of Photo: 3rd section from the left
Photo Orientation: overview

Dynasty/Period: Sunga
Date: ca. 100-80 BCE, 100 BCE - 80 BCE

Material: brown sandstone

Architecture: structural
Current Location: Indian Museum, Calcutta, West Bengal, India

Copyright Holder: Huntington, John C. and Susan L.

Photo Year: 1970
Scan Number: 0004827

8
Tukulti-Ninurta I (meaning: "my trust is in [the warrior god] Ninurta"; reigned 12431207 BCE)
was a king of Assyria (Sumer-Akkad) during the Middle Assyrian Empire (1366 - 1050 BCE)

9
 Rgveda Samhit. English translation
(Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 2014).

10
 Atirtram yaja implements.yena citi. yaja
kua in the shape of falcon. Replicas of utensils used.
1. HAVIR YAJNA

Agnyadheya
Agnihotra
Darshapaurnamasya
Chaturmasya
Agrayaneshti
Niruudha pashubandha
Sautramani

2. SOMA YAJNA

Agnishtoma
Atyagnishtoma
Ukthya
Shodashi
Atirathra
Aptoryama
Agnichayana
Vajapeya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FISuF_kJS4A Panjal Athirathram 2011 Documentary

English.wmv
The oldest surviving Vedic ritual - ATHIRATHRAM will be performed at Panjal in Trichur
district of Kerala, India from 4 - 15 April, 2011.

11
12
13
14
15
16
rauta utensils used in the yaja. Tretagni in Soma yaja.
YAJAMANA: The Yajamana is the individual on whose behalf the Yaga is conducted.
Traditionally, the Yajamana is a male, and cannot perform the Yaga in the absence of his wife,
the yajamana-patni.

ADHVARYU : The adhvaryu is usually learned in the Yajurveda and is therefore an expert
in ritual. The adhvaryu is the central official in the conduction of the Yaga.

HOTA: The hota is a Rgvedin, and is necessary for the chanting of the invocatory hymns,
which are primarily from the RgVeda.

UDGATA : The udgata is an expert Samavedin, who sings the saman chants that are part
of the soma sacrifices.

BRAHMA : The brahman is the overseer of the sacrifice. Although supposed to be

affiliated to the Atharvaveda, the brahman is often an adherent of one of the three other Vedas.
This substitution is unavoidable given the few Atharva vedis remaining in India.

The more complex yagas require a complete battery of 12 more experts to assist the above 4.
These are listed below according to their vedic affiliation:

1. RG VEDA :
maitravaruna
acchavaka
gravastut

2. YAJUR VEDA :
pratiprasthata
neshaa
unneta

3. SAMA VEDA :
prastota

17
 pratiharta
subrahmanya

4. ATHARVA VEDA :
brahmanacchamsin
Agnidhra
Pota
First day

The Yajamna and his priests enter into the ritual enclosure carrying three sacred fires in pots.
The Ukha pot, the main ritual vessel is prepared from clay. An animal sacrifice is performed
for Vyu. The five chief priests (adhvaryu, brahman, hota, udgata, and sadasya) are officially
selected. Fire is produced by friction. An isti is performed and is followed by the consecration of
(diksa) of the Yajamana (a turban is tied around his head, he is protected by a golden breast
plate, he is given a staff and he closes his fists and deprived of speaking (except for recitations),
from bathing etc. The Yajamana picks up the Ukha pot, which is filled with fire, and takes three
steps with it.

Second day

The mahavira pot, main ritual vessel of the pravargya, is prepared from clay.

Third day

A sacrificial pole is made. To the east of the old enclosure , in which the three altars have already
been made, the measurements of the mahavedi and of the bird-shaped offering altar are laid out.

Fourth day

The new domestic altar replaces the old offering altar one. The adhvaryu consecrates each brick.
The fire from Ukha pot is added to the installed fire An introductory isti is performed .The
purchased Soma stalks are measured , transport in Somacart on the bullock skin. King soma is
installed on a throne and an isti is performed in honor of him .Except Yajamana and chanters,
sprinkle Soma. The Indra , gods etc is invited to attend the forth -coming Soma pressing . The
first pavargya and Upasad are performed. The seeds are sown in the plowed ground and buried
several items like tortoise, the Ukha pot, The hiranmaya Purusha etc...The construction of bird
shaped altar started with a stone at the center. All bricks are consecrated by adhvryu. The
Pravargya and Upsad performed.

Tenth to Twelfth day

The ceremonies from tenth day will continue throughout out the next two days and nights. The
tenth day is known as sutya. Pressing of soma begins after the hotas morning recital and Soma
oblations are offered. Some priests including Yajamana crawl in snake like procession on to
altar for offering. In the north of altar the three chant bahispavamana-stothra. Numerous rites are
performed simultaneously .Fires are installed in hearths in the recital hall also. Eleven animals

18
are sacrificed( 1975 ,only symbolic).Except Acchavaka Soma juice in the sadas. and hota recites
sastra recitation. .Like this four Soma sequence are performed. Soma offering is made into the
offering fire.

During the pressing on the mid day, gravastut recites Rgveda verses with blind folded cloth in
which Soma was wrapped. .The Yajamana is anointed .

The remaining 14 Soma sequences continue through eleventh day ,night upto the dawn of
twelfth day. On the twelfth day unnetha priest make two Soma offering for Indra Ancestral rites
are performed. The Yajamana and Yajamanapathni take avabhratha bath followed by a
concluding isti is performed and final goat is sacrificed(1975 ,only symbolic). The Yajamana
installs three fires on his home after returning to the home .He perform morning and evening
Agnihothra for the rest of his life!
http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28550

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnicayana

http://www.vedicsociety.org/an_introduction_to_somayagnyas_and_vedic_yagnyas_in_general.
pdf An introduction to Somayagnyas and Vedic Yagnyas in general by RS Alvar, Geetha Alvar,
MA Lakshmithathachar, MA Alwar, 2010: Ingredients in yajna offerings: rice, corn, specific
samithas, blades of grass, milk, other cereals, curd, barley, fruits, various powders, vegetables
and flowers. Ninth mandala 114 suktas of Rigveda relate to Soma pavamana (purified soma)
Soma is described as possessing a brown hue or a tawny (orange brown) shade. It is also green
and green hued or golden hued. The molten soma is bright red. Soma is bright and shining.
Soma is pressed by stones. Woollen straining cloth is used in filtration and purification. Use of a
sieve is mentioned which is a reference to removal of sediments and other impurities, perhaps by
oxidation. Soma was pressed in every temle, using the Lingam a heavy stone mill. (p.34)

Yajamana makes a donation of ten things including a one year old cow, gold, goats, bull, cart as
price for purchase of Soma. (p.44) Stone called upaanshusavan is used to strike once and make a
single dent on soma, extracting using the words 'Prajaapati Svaaha'. (p.45)

https://www.scribd.com/doc/266386836/An-introduction-to-Somayagnyas-and-Vedic-Yagnyas-
in-general-by-RS-Alvar-Geetha-Alvar-MA-Lakshmithathachar-MA-Alwar-2010

19
(KMS No 35-38) Edited & Translated by: C. G. KASHIKAR 2003, 4 vols., xlv+1844pp

Baudhyana-rauta-sutra
The Baudhyana-rauta-sutra together with an English translation is in four volumes. The
Baudhyana-rauta-sutra belongs to the Ka Yajurveda Taittirya recension. It represents the
oral lectures delivered by the teacher Baudhyana, hence is the oldest rautatext. The text is
revised here in the light of the variant readings recorded by W. Caland in his first edition
(Calcutta 1906), and is presented in a readable form. The mantras forming part of the Siitras have
been fully rendered into English. The translation is supplied with notes giving reference to the
mantras and explanations of the rituals. The work is expected to serve as an advancement of
Taittirya ritualistic studies.http://ignca.nic.in/km_35_38.htm

Mujavan:
Dearer to me the die that never slumbers than the deep draught of Mujavan s
rvs.10.34
own Soma.

10.034.01 The large rattling dice exhilarate me as torrents borne on a precipice flowing in a
desert; the exciting dice animate me as the taste of the Soma of Maujavat (delights the gods).
[Flowing in a desert: irin.e varvr.ta_nah: a reference to the dice; rolling on the dice-board;
exciting dice: vibhi_taka, the seed of the myrobalan, used as a die; Maujavat: a mountain, where
is said the best Soma is found].
[0502205] His mansions are the Mujavans, and the Mahavrishas his home,
avs.5.22
Thou, Fever, ever since thy birth hast lived among the Bahlikas.
avs.5.22 [0502207] Go, Fever, to the Mujavans, or, farther, to the Bahlikas.

20
 avs.5.22 [0502208] Go hence and eat thy kinsmen the Mahavrishas and Mujavans.
avs.5.22 [0502214] We to Gandharis, Mujavans, to Angas and to Magadhas.

k This is thy portion, O Rudra; rejoice in it; with it for food, do thou go away
yvk.1.8 beyond the Mujavants.
l With unstrung bow, thy club in thy hand, clad in skins.

From N.N. Bhattacharyya, "The Geographical Dictionary -- Ancient and Early Medieval India"
1991, Munshiram:

Mujavant, Mujavat >A people that took their name from Mujavant, a mountain in the Himalayas.

They are mentioned along with the Mahavrsas, Gandhaaris and Baalhikas in AV V.22.5-14.
They are also mentioned in Taitt. Sam. I.8.62; Kaathaka Sam.IX.7, XXXVI.14; Mait. Sam.
I.4.10.20; Vaaj. Sam. III.61; Sat. Br.>II.6.2.17; Baudh. D.S. II.5

I found the following references in Macdonell and Keith, Vedic Index, 1958, Motilal:

MUjavant is the name of a people who, along with the mahAvRshas, the gandhAris, and the
balhikas, are mentioned in the Atharvaveda (v.22,5.7.9.14 cf. baudhAyana Srauta sUtra, ii.5) as
dwelling far away, and to whom fever is to be banished. Similarly in the yajurveda saMhitAs
(TaittirIya S, i.8,6,2;Kathaka S, ix.7; xxxvi.14; maitrAyaNI s, i.4,10.20; vAjasneyi s, iii.61;
Satapatha b, ii.6,2,17) the mUjavants are chosen as a type of distant folk, beyond which rudra
with his bow is entreated to depart. In the Rgveda (x.34,1) soma is described as maujavata,
'coming from the mUjavants,' or, as yAska (Nirukta, ix.8) takes it, 'from mount mUjavant.' The
Indian commentators (mahIdhara on vAjasneyi s, loc.cit.; sAyaNa on RV. i.161,8; baudhAyana
Srauta sUtra and prayoga, cited by Hillebrandt, vedische mythologie, 1,63) agree with yAska in
taking mUjavant as the name of a mountain, and though Hillebrandt (op.cit., 1,65) is justified in
saying that the identification of mUjavant by Zimmer (Altindisches leben, 29) with one of the
lower hills on the south-west of kashmIr lacks evidence, it is not reasonable to deny that
mUjavant was a hill from which the people took their name. yAska (loc. cit. cf. siddhAnta
kaumudI on pANini, iv.4,110, where instead of
maujavata in RV x.34, maunjavata is read) suggests that mUjavant is equivalent to munjavant,
which actually occurs later, in the epic (mahAbhArata, x.785; xiv,180) as the name of a
mountain in the himAlaya.

Georges Pinault pointed to the concordance between Vedic and Tocharian: amu ~~ ancu, 'iron'
(Tocharian). Amu is a synonym for Soma (as Louis Renou noted that Rigveda is present in nuce,
'nutshell' in the themes related to Soma). The direction of borrowing amu ~~ ancu is a matter to
be studied further in historical linguistic studies, but is relatable to a date prior to 1800 BCE, the
date of the Tarim mummies in Tushara (Tocharian). Tushara are mleccha (meluhha).
The Tarim mummies are a series of mummies discovered in the Tarim Basin in present-day
Xinjiang, China, which date from 1800 BCE to the first centuries BCE. Many centuries separate
these mummies from the first attestation of the Tocharian languages in writing. A 2008 study by
21
Jilin University that the Yuansha population has relatively close relationships with the modern
populations of South Central Asia and Indus Valley, as well as with the ancient population of
Chawuhu. (Mitochondrial DNA analysis of human remains from the Yuansha site in Xinjiang
Science in China Series C: Life Sciences Volume 51, Number 3 / March, 2008). The scientists
extracted enough material to suggest the Tarim Basin was continually inhabited from 2000 BCE
to 300 BCE and preliminary results indicate the people, rather than having a single origin,
originated from Europe, Mesopotamia, Indus Valley and other regions yet to be
determined.(Amanda Huang https://archive.today/bK4h).
The Samskritam expression tra, 'frost, snow' is consistent with the Tushara ~~Tocharian
cognates since Muztagh Ata is a high Himalayan mountain (24,758 ft.) cognate Mujavant was
the mountain from which Soma was traded. Frits Staal has indicated possible routes for such
trade. (Staal, Frits, 2004, in: Three mountains and seven rivers in: Hino, Shoun and Toshihiro
Wada, 2004, Three mountains and seven rivers: Prof. Musashi Tachikawa's Felicitation Volume,
Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass, pp.3-24). This trade in Soma (or, amu ~~ ancu) might have
occurred anytime after 7th millennium BCE, or 4th millennium BCE, the dates indicated for
Rigveda, respectively, by astronomical/ archaeological or language evidence contained in the
text.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/03/a-new-start-for-vedic-and-ie-studies.html

Plate 1: The Hellenistic World and the Early Silk Road. This sketch is based on the other maps
about Hellenistic World and the Silk Road, especially the one in Hiebert, et al 2008: 43. The
countries, areas, cities, and towns along the early Silk Road in this sketch are oriented on the
ancient Chinese historical books about the Western Regions and the records from the Classical
authors as well as the archaeological sites discovered recent years. There are many unresolved
and disputable issues in it.

http://wp.chs.harvard.edu/chs-fellows/2014/10/03/hellenistic-information-in-china/

22
23
http://balkhandshambhala.blogspot.in/2013/08/shambhala-roman-republic-500-20-bc.html

Vedic instruction on geometric design of sacred structures, spaces.

The Sulbasutras deal with geometrical constructions, a large majority of them for the purpose of
carrying out Vedic rituals at precisely constructed altars and similar such ends, that are popularly
believed to date to the millennium before Christ or the end of the Vedic age. Of these,
Baudhayanas Sulbasutra is believed to date to the 8th century B.C. Later, other authors
including Apastamba, Manava, Katyayana,Satyasadha Hiranyakesin, Vadhula, Varaha and
Kathaka composed sulbasutras as well, although the chronological order in which these texts
were composed remains unknown as yet.

The first five of the sulbasutras is found available in text form while the manuscripts of the
others are known to exist. Still later, the commentaries of Kapardi, Karavinda, Sundararaja and
Dwarkanath aappeared. In more recent times there have been commentaries written by Thibault
and Van Geldner in the second half of the 19th century A.D., followed by S. N. Sen and the last
by A.K. Bag in 1983.

Baudhayanas work and his successors

24
The Baudhayana Sulbasutram (BSS) is possibly the most important sulbasutra text since it
contains the principles of prescribed geometry for the Vedic altar space. Baudhayana, after
dwelling upon the basic geometrical construction concepts prevalent during his and earlier times
in the first set of sutra, described the Vedic altar space in general and then the
14uttaravedi forms. His descriptions of the uttaravedis reveal a remarkable approach to
geometry and the text serves as a model for technical accuracy and brevity. The order present in
the geometrical analysis as well as in the flow of the text, its subject matter, reveal great clarity
of thinking in the authors mind and set the text apart from its later counterparts.

The later sulbasutras either dealt with matters mentioned in Baudhayanas work and developed it
further, or discussed issues that were omitted from this earlier work. Some of these works may
be considered supplementary material. Katyayanas text described how the construction of the
uttaravedis may range from a size of 7.5to 101 purusam square in a clear narrative style.
Similarly, Manava documented the examples of 8.5 square purusam uttaravedis, something that
neither Baudhayana nor Katyayana had done. Manava further stated a new approach to the use of
the purusam measure and a new unit of measure called pancangi. While a continuity of subject-
matter may be observed in Katyayanaand Manavas work, Apastambas output did not conform
to the trend set by Baudhayana. No clear enhancement or elucidation of former works on
geometry was discernible in his work. He described two forms of brick layout for the pithan
syenaciti and new kanka and alaja citis, and his work on this proved to be very popular.

Recent Interest in the Sulbasutras

The cryptic style of the sulbasutra texts was essentially suited to the Vedic ritualists and in the
wake of a break with traditional rituals and practices after the Vedic period, the texts could have
lost their popular relevance. In some cases, this seems to be exactly what happened- a disconnect
between the content of the text and the purposes to which it no longer was applicable. This made
it very difficult to retrieve the sulbasutras completely at a later date when scholastic interest in
them was reawakened. Therefore, it is doubtful how far the earlier mentioned commentaries are
capable of revealing the real geometrical contents of the sulbasutra in all their glory.

The work done on the sulbasutras since the 19th century A.D. has, however, been followed with
interest in recent times. It is clear that the major concern of the sulbasutra is geometry alone,
although some observations of the srauta nature and certain mathematical operations connected
with geometry also find mention in these texts. It is worth noting that the geometry of the
sulbasutra has more affinity to modern engineering practice than to theoretical mathematics of
the present times. This is natural given that the Vedic geometers were more concerned with
accurate constructions of ritual altars and the altar space than with proving a theorem.

The essence of the sulbasutras lies more in the concepts discussed therein than in the authors
use of grammatical accentuation. The latter was incidental Baudhayana employed the then

25
prevalent style of the sutra and the other authors followed in a similar fashion. One of the reasons
for the perhaps inaccurate reproduction of the geometry of the sulbasutra may be the approach
adopted by later commentators, an approach that was affected by strongly pre-conceived
grammatical notions. Instead, the sulbasutras ought to be approached with an inquiring mind
regarding the meanings of the words in association exclusively with the subject under discussion.
The modern Indian commentators further tend to find arithmetical and mathematical references
in the sulbasutra, references that are unlikely to have been intended as such by the authors. One
of the acid tests for the accuracy of presentation of a particular meaning is whether it may result
in constructions of the Vedic style. Thus, while?2 is of great concern to the sulbavid (author of a
sulbasutra) the same may not be said of?3 which is irrelevant to Vedic constructions, although
more recent commentators have interpreted the sulbasutras to ascribe relevance to this numerical
value.

The sulbasutra on the other hand reveal a great degree of development of geometry not only as
applied to techniques of constructions, but also extending to conceptual symmetries and an
unknown methodology of evolution of the conceptual approach to such geometry. While this is
the very approach to basic geometry, it then becomes a passionate progress to various shapes of
the uttaravedis. In fact, the very geometry of the mahavedi, in which the uttaravedi is an element,
is of unique conceptual beauty. The 30-36-24 regular trapezium of the mahavedi contained
several triples in their construction format such as 3-4-5, 12-5-13,15-9-17, 35-12-37 which could
be employed to attain the accuracy of layout. The area of the mahavedi thus being 972 square of
18 prakramam, the uttaravedis were initially of 1/3rd of 972 and at the same time the square of
18. Then 1.3rd of 324 is 108, an important number since ancient times for obvious reasons. A
trapezium shape of 10-12-8 amounting to an area of 108 thus became the smallest size of the
uttaravedi in prakramam measures.

26
Figure 1: Mahavedi

The taper of this trapezium narrowing down to the east is impressed upon by all the sulba texts.
The eastward striving nature of the uttaravedi (for, gods reside at the east) is of paramount
importance to the vedic rituals and one could not possibly say for what long period of time it
took, to later develop into highly complex and realistic geometrical shapes in the form of three
later uttaravedis, meant as kamyaciti. In the further development of the uttaravedis, the concept
of saptavidha: sampadyate, meaning that the area of the uttaravedi should follow a certain
pattern became a great spirit of enquiry. The eastward striving nature and this new concept put
together developed into highly complex and yet beautifully conceived geometrical shapes of
symmetry perhaps unparalleled in the history of geometry and mathematics. It is at an unknown
point of time after that Baudhayana stood and decided to document it for posterity. And it is this
very thing that the modern commentators, in a way, failed to redeem and realise.

At the very first, the term saptavidha: was insufficiently interpreted to mean as 7.5 times the
purusam measure, whereas it was really referred to as the 7 stages of development from the 7.5
to the 101 as area and corresponding sizes. Later, Katyayana described this in good detail, which
also went properly not delineated. While Manava updated to the mathematical order of his time
and described several types of equalities and arithmetical series, it was ironically Apastamba
who was accredited with several modern mathematical interpretations. As a whole, it would be
fair to state that the magnificent total geometry of the sulbasutra remains undiscovered as on
date. The BSS contains 21 major sutra sets, of which the first two describe basic geometrical

27
constructs. They contain basic units of measurements, conversions from one shape to another of
equal area, notions of right angles and the value of ?2 etc. Sutra 3 and 4 describe the geometry
and general concepts of the total altar space. Sutra 5 and 6 are general in nature as well, but in
sutra 7 an initiation of the geometrical complexities to follow is indicated by the description of
the new garhapatyaciti of 21 bricks.

The general layout of the pracinasala and mahavedi, with a detailed definition of the position of
the uttaravedi, is already clear at this point, since it uses the rathacakraciti with its well-defined
centre for the purpose. The next 14 sutras are devoted to the various formats of the uttaravedi.

After describing 2 brick-laying orders of the pithan syenaciti, syenaciti of pancapatri, sadpatri,
kanka and alaja forms are described. These distinct bird shaped altars used different methods to
fulfill the saptavidha: concept with the7.5 purusam square as the basis. All of them are based
on clear symmetries and on basic formative squares and rectangles. Next, two simple triangular
praugaciti are described. Then the geometrical content is intensified to describe the
rathacakraciti, 3 dronociti, the smasanaciti, and the kurmaciti. Esoteric compositions are
displayed in the final sutra which goes beyond the bounds set by basic, definitive principles. It is
possible that this process of creative design and constructions was already declining before the
time of Baudhayana and this motivated him to create the BSS text.

While going through the BSS text, one may doubt that all of the citi formats described by him
were in practice during his time since the descriptions contain varying levels of details, though
each of the descriptions could be termed as sufficient in itself. It is here and in the unknown
nature of the time line that the strength of the sruti is revealed in its capacity to travel intact wide
expanses of time. Indeed there are very specific examples of such demonstration of strength of
the system in its further travel to our present times. What is more demonstrative in the second
period of about 2800 years since Baudhayana is that the text travelled intact almost without its
meanings really taken in. And yet there are words in the BSS which could have easily got
transformed into something else but did not. Then there are such instances where certain versions
of the manuscripts tried to inject words into the body text which were found to be stoically
resisted by the extant contents.

In comparison, the later sulbasutra texts are explanatory in nature with some additional altar
designs and some mathematical updates by the authors. These have definitely added strength to
the information system on the one hand and then silently declared that they have stepped out of
the sruti circuit to certain extent. The very sruti system might indeed have had several parallel
flows where the sulbasutra and that of the rituallistic practices could have existed even without
mixing. Where some amount of cross references only existed without one being part and parcel
of the other is a distinct possibility. And possibilities for further studies are plentiful, as the
present attempt of delineation of the sulbasutra could open up a better historical perspective and
the timeline of the progress of not only geometry and mathematics of the period of first
millenium BC but a host of other related subjects. It provides a better clarity to matters beyond

28
the second millennium BC as well. For the geometrician of today and such enthusiasts, a large
volume of exercise is provided by Katyayana, as his formulae for taking the citi forms from 7.5
to 101 purusam squares remain untested and untried.

A Few Sutras
An extract from the book
with Commentary by Parameswaran Murthiyedath

Sutra 12 (Kankaciti)

Sutra 12.1 Kankacita etenatma Puccam ca vyakhyatam

(The Kankacita defined here will have a body and a tail)

The Kankacita is known to have the shape of a heron.

Sutra 12.2

sirasi pancopadadhyat

tasyakrtirvyakhyata

sirasi pancopadadhya

ttasyakrtirvyakhyata

(the head will be obtained as 5 by definition of its shape)

As per the definition the head will be obtained as 5.

This states that the length of the head along the east west is 5 aratni from the body. With the
same words a meaning that the area of the head is 5 sq. aratni could also be derived. Both
meanings are true and so meant.

Sutra 12.3

29
Saptapancasaddaksine paksa upadadhyat
tathottare

(5 and 7 to south the wing will be obtained next the north)

The wing at south will be obtained as 5 and 7and likewise the north. Again, The wing tips are at
a distance of 12aratnis to south (5+7) and at the same time it means that the area of the wings
are 57 sq. aratni.

Sutra 12.4

Vyayamena sapradesna paksayorapanamah pancamabhagiyardhyabhih sat sat patrani kuryat

adhyardhavasisyate vyayamena sapradesnapaksayorapanamah pancamabhagiyardhyabhih sat
sat patrani kuryat adhyardhavasisyate

(by vyayama measure with the pradesa the wings bent with the pancami and adhyardha six and
six wing cuts as stated an adhyardha will be balanced)

Figure 2: Karika city layout (BSS-12.2-6)

(The wings will be set out at a measure of 1 vyayama added with 1 pradesa at an angle and the
wings tips will have six notches of a measurement of 1 pancami by 1 pancami and a half. An
adhyardha will be balanced)

The configuration of the wings are made by the diagonal of a square of 108A first taken forward
and then retraced to give a mirrored bent. The sutra further categorically states that the wing tips
configuration is with 6 nos of 1aratni by 1 adhyardha cuts. This adds to the area of 54 sq. aratni
and additional 3aratni and the statement of 57 sq. aratni are now established. The statement

30
adhyardhavasisyate is about the excess area resulted amounting to 1 aratni in the
configuration which will be later adjusted by the leg trimming of the tail.

Fig. 12.1 given here shows the citi geometry. First a basic square 1-2-3-4 will be established with
side as 144A, deriving from the statement of saratnipradesa. The south end of the wings from
which the wing tips take off is line 9-10, parallel to1-4 and at a distance of 12 aratni (288A).
Line 4-8 is the diagonal of a square of 108A as side. Line 8-9 is mirrored from line 4-8. Thus the
wing formation of 4-8-9-10-13-1 is established. The six wing tips are formed by the diagonals of
boxes of an aratni by an adhyardha (1 aratni) as sides, as shown within9-10-11-12.

Sutra 12.5

taya pucchasyavastat padavaratnimatravaratnyantaralau pradesavyasau

bhavatah tayoravastadabhito dvaudvavastamabhagau pragbhedavupadadhyat taya
pucchasyavastat padavaratnimatravaratnyantaralau pradesavyasau bhavatah
tayoravastadabhito dvaudvavastamabhagau pragbhedavupadadhyat

(At the backside of the tail feet of an aratni length in an aratni gap with 1 pradesa as width at the
back and near as 2 and 2, and 8 sided with a forward cut will be obtained)

The tail is having a forward cut of 1 aratni length and 1 pradesa as width of sides, in a gap of 1
aratni, and thus having 8 sides split into two as forward cut.

The tail portion of 15-14-16-17 contains the details mentioned above. Thus the tail have two cuts
of 1 aratni square which is modified to form the root and two such feet are placed touching each
other as stated forming an 8 sided cut in total.

A statement like pancadasa pucche is judiciously left out for the reason of the cut in the tail,
though the overall outline agreed to such a statement. Further in sutra 12.8 the placement of two
astamsi bricks at the tail to obtain this configuration are mentioned, to which the presentation
here corresponds.

31
Figure 2: Karika city layer 1

Sutra 12.6

evam saratnipradesah saptavidhah sampadyate evam saratnipradesah saptavidhah sampadyate

(With only the aratni and pradesa the saptavidhah concept will be achieved)

Thus with the aratni and pradesa measures alone, the saptavidhah concept will be achieved.
Indeed, the altar shape graphically feeds back an area report of exactly 7.5 times the purusam
square, as could also be seen from the calculation of area given here.

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Table 1: Area of Kankacit

Sutra 12.7

athestakanam vikarah pancamabhagiyah savayavah padestakam caturbhih

parigrhniyadardhapradesenadhyardhapradesena

Figure 4: Karika city, Layer 2

pradesena pradesasavises eneti adhyardhestakam caturbhih parigrhniyadardhavyayamena

dvabhyamaratnibhyamaratnisavises eneti tah sat

Figure 5: Karika city, Bricks

Athestakanam Vikarah pancamabhagiyah savayavah padestakam caturbhih

parigrhniyadardhapradesenadhyardhapradesena pradesena pradesasavises eneti
adhyardhestakam caturbhih parigrhniyadardhavyayamena dvabhyamaratnibhyamaratnisavises
eneti tah sat

33
Now the bricks configuration with the pancami all over with the pada square brick with
surrounded (sliced) ardha and pradesa and the adhyardha and pradesa and the adhyardha and
pradesa with pradesa and a modified pradesa with the adhyardha brick from a square brick with
the surrounded (sliced) half vyayama by two and by aratni and aratni modified like that six.

With pancami as the basic brick allover with the pada of a square brick, and the ardha, the
adhyardhardha and pradesa sliced, the vyayama and the aratni sliced, the modified aratni
consisting 6 bricks will be used.

However, some more bricks are found required and the lists of bricks are as given below:

Sutra 12.8

tasam caturasrapadyah sastamabhagah padayorupadhaya sesam yathayogam yathasamkhyam

yathaadharmam copadadhyat

with these the caturasrapadyah and 8 divided part at the wings having placed balance as required
in as many numbers as per rules be placed

The caturasrapadyah and the astamsi bricks having placed as the feet, the balance will be filled
with the required numbers as per rules.

Table 2: Kanchita Bricks

34
Parameswaran Murthiyedath is a scholar of Vedic Mathematics. From "Kriti Rakshana",
National Mission for Manuscripta.

The following table shows the various kingdoms, provinces and tribes mentioned in the
epicMahabharata. As kingdoms they represent a geographical region that existed in ancient India
which was then known as the Bharatavarsha and as the Jamvudvipa (the continent of the Jamvu
tree). As tribes they existed at some geographical region at some point of time and moved to
other regions or spread into multiple regions at different points of time.

Gandhara Kamboja Kekaya Madra Kuru-Bahlika

Dwaraka Anarta Sindhu Sauvira Sivi
Sudra Abhira Nishada Nishadha Matsya
Kasmira Prakjyotisha Trigarta Kuru Salwa
Karusha Dasarna Chedi Panchala Surasena
Avanti Kunti Vatsa Kasi Kosala Malla
Hehaya Saurashtra Nasikya Anupa Surparaka
Vidarbha Dandaka Asmaka Kishkindha Karanataka
Konkana Gomanta Mahishaka Mushika Kerala
Lanka Vanavasika Kanchi Chola Pandya
Sinhala Vanga Kalinga Telinga Dravida
Mekala Utkala Odra Andhra Dakshina Kosala
Suhma Pundra Anga Magadha Kikata
Lauhitya Prakjyotisha Videha Kirata Yaksha
Deva Asura Pisacha Kinnara Gandharva
Uttarakuru Suparna Naga Kimpurusha Rakshasa
Uraga Aratta Loha Rishika China
Tushara Strirajya Aswaka Romana Huna
Parasika Yavana Mleccha Darada Saka

An important passage in the Mahabharata useful for anybody studying about the ancient
kingdoms and tribes of Bharatavarsha is found at MBh 6.9 (Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva
(volume 6), chapter 9).

Sanjaya told to Dhritarashtra:- Listen to the names of the provinces as I mention them. They are
the Kuru-Panchalas, the Salwas, the Madreyas, the Jangalas, the Surasena, the Kalingas,

35
the Vodhas, the Malas, the Matsyas, the Sauvalyas, the Kuntalas, the Kasi-kosalas, the Chedis,
the Karushas, theBhojas, the Sindhus, the Pulindakas, the Uttamas, the Dasarnas, the Mekalas,
the Utkalas; thePanchalas, the Kausijas, the Nikarprishthas, Dhurandharas; the Sodhas,
the Madrabhujingas, theKasis, and the further-Kasis; the Jatharas, the Kukuras, O Bharata;
the Kuntis, the Avantis, and the further-Kuntis; the Gomantas, the Mandakas, the Shandas,
the Vidarbhas, the Rupavahikas; theAswakas, the Pansurashtras, the Goparashtras, and
the Karityas; the Adhirjayas, the Kuladyas, theMallarashtras, the Keralas, the Varatrasyas,
the Apavahas, the Chakras, the Vakratapas, the Sakas; the Videhas, the Magadhas, the Swakshas,
the Malayas, the Vijayas, the Angas, the Vangas, theKalingas, the Yakrillomans; the Mallas,
the Suddellas, the Pranradas, the Mahikas, the Sasikas; theValhikas, the Vatadhanas, the Abhiras,
the Kalajoshakas; the Aparantas, the Parantas, the Pahnabhas, the Charmamandalas;
the Atavisikharas, the Mahabhutas, O sire; the Upavrittas, the Anupavrittas,
theSurashatras, Kekayas; the Kutas, the Maheyas, the Kakshas, the Samudranishkutas;
the Andhras, and, O king, many hilly tribes, and many tribes residing on lands laying at the foot
of the hills, and the Angamalajas, and the Manavanjakas; the Pravisheyas, and the Bhargavas, O
king; the Pundras, the Bhargas, the Kiratas, the Sudeshnas, and the Yamunas, the Sakas,
the Nishadhas, the Anartas, the Nairitas, the Durgalas, the Pratimasyas, the Kuntalas, and
the Kusalas; the Tiragrahas, the Ijakas, the Kanyakagunas, the Tilabharas, the Samiras,
the Madhumattas, the Sukandakas; the Kasmiras, theSindhusauviras, the Gandharvas, and
the Darsakas; the Abhisaras, the Utulas, the Saivalas, and theValhikas; the Darvis,
the Vanavadarvas, the Vatagas, the Amarathas, and the Uragas; theVahuvadhas, the Kauravyas,
the Sudamanas, the Sumalikas; the Vadhras, the Karishakas, theKalindas, and the Upatyakas;
the Vatayanas, the Romanas, and the Kusavindas; the Kacchas, theGopalkacchas,
the Kuruvarnakas; the Kiratas, the Varvasas, the Siddhas, the Vaidehas, and theTamraliptas;
the Aundras, the Paundras, the Saisikatas, and the Parvatiyas, O sire.

There are other kingdoms, O bull of Bharata's race, in the south. They are the Dravidas,
the Keralas, the Prachyas, the Mushikas, and the Vanavashikas; the Karanatakas,
the Mahishakas, the Vikalpas, and also the Mushakas; the Jhillikas, the Kuntalas, the Saunridas,
and the Nalakananas; theKankutakas, the Cholas, and the Malavayakas; the Samangas,
the Kanakas, the Kukkuras, and theAngara-marishas; the Samangas, the Karakas, the Kukuras,
the Angaras, the Marishas: the Dhwajinis, the Utsavas, the Sanketas, the Trigartas, and
the Salwasena; the Vakas, the Kokarakas, the Pashtris, and the Lamavegavasas;
the Vindhyachulakas, the Pulindas, and the Valkalas; the Malavas, theVallavas, the further-
Vallavas, the Kulindas, the Kalavas, the Kuntaukas, and the Karatas; theMrishakas,
the Tanavalas, the Saniyas; the Alidas, the Pasivatas, the Tanayas, and the Sulanyas; theRishikas,
the Vidarbhas, the Kakas, the Tanganas, and the further-Tanganas. Among the tribes of the north
are the Mlecchas, and the Kruras, O best of the Bharatas; the Yavanas, the Chinas, theKamvojas,
the Darunas, and many Mleccha tribes; the Sukritvahas, the Kulatthas, the Hunas, and
theParasikas; the Ramanas, and the Dasamalikas. These countries are, besides, the abodes of
manyKshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra tribes. Then again there are the Sudra-abhiras, the Dardas,
theKasmiras, and the Pattis; the Khasiras; the Atreyas, the Bharadwajas, the Stanaposhikas,
thePoshakas, the Kalingas, and diverse tribes of Kiratas; the Tomaras, the Hansamargas, and
theKaramanjakas. These and other kingdoms are on the east and on the north.

36
 All the western Indian kingdoms were known by the general name Bahlika (Vahika, Vahlika
and Valhika are variations of the name) meaning outsider. Thus these people were considered
as outsidersof the Vedic culture. However, the name Bahlika is sometimes used to denote a
kingdom within the present Punjab, different
from Madra, Sindhu, Kekeya, Gandhara or Kamboja. As per the epicMahabharata,
the Kuru king Santanu, a forefather of Kauravas and Pandavas, had a brother who ruled the
Bahlika kingdom and a Bahlika king took part in the war aiding Duryodhana. He was killed by
thePandava Bhima.

References in Mahabharata

Bahlika mentioned as a kingdom of Ancient India (Bharata Varsha)

Mbh (6,9)

the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Yakrillomans; the Mallas, the Suddellas, the
Pranradas, the Mahikas, the Sasikas; the Valhikas, the Vatadhanas, the Abhiras, the
Kalajoshakas; the Aparantas, the Parantas, the Pahnabhas, the Charmamandalas; the
Atavisikharas, the Mahabhutas, the Upavrittas, the Anupavrittas, the Surashatras, Kekayas; the
Kutas, the Maheyas, the Kakshas, the Samudranishkutas; the Andhras

The non-Vedic natue of Bahlika culture

See the main artilce Bahlika Culture, to know more about Bahlika Culture, based on the
epicMahabharata.

Words of Narada

The Valhika race is the stain of the Earth (12,328). This mentione is found in the midst of a
passage that describes how Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa studied Vedas, classified it and spread it
through his four disciples into the whole world. Narada is telling these words to Vyasa:- The
stain of the Vedas is the suspension of their recitation. The stain of the Brahmanas is their non-
observance of vows. TheValhika race is the stain of the Earth. Curiosity is the stain of women.

Words of Vidura

The scum of the Vedas is want of study; of Brahmanas, absence of vows; of the Earth, the
Vahlikas; of man, untruth; of the chaste woman, curiosity; of women, exile from home. The
scum of gold is silver; of silver, tin; of tin, lead; and of lead, useless dross. (5,39)

37
 Dispute between Karna and Shalya in the midst of Kurukshetra War

Karna and Shalya were two generals in the Kaurava army during the Kurukshetra War. They
engaged in a verbal dispute, owing to their deslike of each other. Both of them hailed from a
different culture. Shalya was from the west, being the king of Madra Kingdom in the Bahlika
region. Karna was from the east, being the king of Anga Kingdom. Both these kingdom existed at
the fringes of Vedic culture, practiced in its normal form, mainly in Kuru - Panchala kingdoms in
the middle.

The actual location of the Bahlika culture

Karna said, Listen with devoted attention to this, O ruler of the Madras (Shalya), that was heard
by me while it was recited in the presence of Dhritarashtra. In Dhritarashtras abode
the Brahmanas used to narrate the accounts of diverse delightful regions and many kings of
ancient times. An old Brahmana while reciting old histories, said these words, blaming
the Vahikas and Madrakas, "One should always avoid the Vahikas, those impure people that are
out of the pale of virtue, and that live away from theHimavat and
the Ganga and Saraswati and Yamuna and Kurukshetra and the Sindhu and its five tributary
rivers. (8,44)

The food habbits of Bahlikas in the town of Sakala

I remember from the days of my youth that a slaughter-ground for kine and a space for storing
intoxicating spirits always distinguish the entrances of the abodes of the (Vahika) kings. On
some very secret mission I had to live among the Vahikas. In consequence of such residence the
conduct of these people is well known to me. There is a town of the name of Sakala (modern
day Sialkote), a river of the name of Apaga, and a clan of the Vahikas known by the name of
the Jarttikas. The practices of these people are very censurable. They drink the liquor called
Gauda, and eat fried barley with it. They also eat beef with garlic. They also eat cakes of flour
mixed with meat, and boiled rice that is bought from others. Of righteous practices they have
none. (8,44)

Bahlika horses

Bahlika region was famous for its horses. They were used by kings in wars.

Vasudeva Krishna also gave unto Arjuna hundreds of thousands of draft horses from the country
of the Valhikas as his sister, Subhadras excellent dower. (1,223)

Sikhandin's son Kshatradeva used steeds from Valhika in the Kurukshetra War. (7,23)

38
 Bahlika breed of horses were one among the type of horses employed in Kurukshetra War:-
Many steeds of the Vanayu, the hilly, the Kamvoja, and the Valhika breeds, with tails and ears
and eyes motionless and fixed, possessed of great speed, well-trained, and ridden by
accomplished warriors armed with swords and lances, were seen (7,34)

Bhagiratha gave away a hundred thousand horses of the Valhika breed, all white of complexion,
adorned with garlands of gold. (13,103)
Dhritarashtra wished to give sixteen cars made of gold, each drawn by four excellent and well-
adorned steeds of uniform colour and of the Vahlika breed to Vasudeva Krishna who came to
talk to him on behalf of the Pandavas (5,86)

Kings of Bahlika

Bahlika the son of Pratipa

Bahlika the son of Pratipa is mentioned in the following passages in Mahabharata:-

Kuru king Dritarashtra's words to his son Duryodhana:- Even the eldest son may be passed over
and deprived of the kingdom, and younger sons may, in consequence of their respectful
behaviour to the aged, obtain the kingdom. So also, conversant with every virtue there was my
fathers grandfather, king Pratipa, who was celebrated over the three worlds. Unto him, were
born three sons, Of them,Devapi was the eldest, Vahlika// the next and **Santanu of great
intelligence, who was my grandfather, was the youngest. Devapi, endued with great energy, was
virtuous, truthful in speech, and ever engaged in waiting upon his father. But that best of kings
had a skin-disease. Popular with both the citizens and the subjects of the provinces, respected by
the good, and dearly loved by the young and the old, Devapi was liberal firmly adhering to truth,
engaged in the good of all creatures, and obedient to the instructions of his father as also of the
Brahmanas. He was dearly loved by his brother Vahlika as also the high-souled Santanu. Great,
indeed, was the brotherly love that prevailed between him and his high-souled brothers. In course
of time, the old and best of kings, Pratipa, caused all preparations to be made according to the
scriptures for the installation of Devapi (on the throne). Indeed, the lord Pratipa caused every
auspicious preparation. The installation of Devapi, however, was forbidden by the Brahmanas
and all aged persons amongst the citizens and the inhabitants of the provinces. Hearing that the
installation of his son was forbidden, the voice of the old king became choked with tears and he
began to grieve for his son. Thus, though Devapi was liberal, virtuous, devoted to truth, and
loved by the subjects, yet in consequence of his skin-disease, he was excluded from his
inheritance. The gods do not approve of a king that is defective of a limb. Thinking of this, those
bulls among Brahmanas forbade king Pratipa to install his eldest son. Devapi then, who was
defective of one limb, beholding the king (his father) prevented (from installing him on the
throne) and filled with sorrow on his account, retired into the woods. As regards Vahlika,
abandoning his (paternal) kingdom he dwelt with his maternal uncle. Abandoning his father and
brother, he obtained the highly wealthy kingdom of his maternal grandfather. With Vahlikas
permission, Santanu of world-wide fame, on the death of his father (Pratipa), became king
of Kuru Kingdom. (5,149)

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 Kuru King Pratipa had three sons, viz Devapi, Valhika and Santanu. (1,95)
Bhishma consulted his uncle Valhika to clear doubts about giving in marriage, the tree maidens
that he brought from Kasi Kingdom to his step-brother Vichitravirya (13,44).
Yudhisthira addressed Bahlika as son of Pratipa, in a message sent to Kauravas.(5,23)
Yudhisthira also addressed the Kurus of the Pratipa dynasty viz the Vahlikas(5,57)

Bahlika the father of Somadatta

The lineage that links Bahlika with the Pandavas and Kauravas, as per Mahabharata is as
follows:-

Pratipa -> Devapi (became a sage)

Pratipa -> Bahlika -> Somadatta -> Bhurisravas, Sala
Pratipa -> Santanu -> Bhishma
Pratipa -> Santanu -> Vichitravirya -> Dhritarashtra -> Kauravas
Pratipa -> Santanu -> Vichitravirya -> Pandu -> Pandavas

A Bahlika king took part in the Kurukshetra War. He was related to the Kauravas and
the Pandavas, and was a king in the Kuru dynasty. This make Bahlika older than Bhishma,
making him the oldest among, the warriors who fought the Kurukshetra War. But there is
references in Mahabharata thatBhishma was the oldest warrior in the Kurukshetra War. So there
could be some missing king in this lineage of Bahlikas. It could be that Somadatta's father who
took part in the war was the son of the Bahlika mentioned at (Mbh 1,95) as Pratipa's son.

Pratipa -> Devapi (became a sage)

Pratipa -> Bahlika -> Bahlika -> Somadatta -> Bhurisravas, Sala
Pratipa -> Santanu -> Bhishma
Pratipa -> Santanu -> Vichitravirya -> Dhritarashtra -> Kauravas
Pratipa -> Santanu -> Vichitravirya -> Pandu -> Pandavas

This makes the warrior Bahlika, contemporary to Bhishma and his son Somadatta, contemporary
to Dhritarashtra. Somadatta's sons Bhurisravas and Sala also took part in the Kurukshetra War.
Thus four Bahlika war-heroes, spanning three generations, fought the Kurukshetra war. King
Bahlika was present in the self choice event of Draupadi the princess of Panchala Kingdom.
(1,188). He also came to the Rajasuya sacrifice of Pandava king Yudhisthira, brought there
by Nakula (2-33,34). King Bahlika was present with the Kurus of Hastinapura, on almost all the
important events that happened in Hastinapura:- on the arrival of Kunti with the
young Pandavas (1,126), on the occasion of a tournament of war-craft by the Kuru princes
(1,136), When the Pandavas left Hastinapura to the town of Varanavata (1,145), during the play
of dice (2-62,72,76,79)(3,13), during the planning ofKurukshetra War (5-62,63) etc

Bahlika king and his sons and grandsons disliked Duryodhana, but was allied to his
fatherDhritarshtra and grandfather Bhishma (5-58,65,80,83,89,90,124,128,129,131

40
 Bhishma's rating of Vahlika as a car-warrior:-Vahlika is in my judgment, an Atiratha.(5,168)

Bhurisravas and Somadatta (denoted as Vahlika) were two among the eleven generals of
Kaurava army, leading an Akshouhini of troops (5,156)

Bhalika fught as a warrior in Kurukshetra War under the generalissimos viz Bhishma (6-
17,45,48,59,60,76,82,93,97,103,105,118) and Drona (7-20,30,37,72,83,92,93,118,152

Bahlika was slain by Bhima (7,154). Somadatta (7,159) and Bhurisravas (7,140) were slain
bySatyaki in the Kurukshetra War. The death of all these three in the war is mentioned together
at (8,1), (9-2,24,32,63), (10,9), (15-29,32) At (8,5), the slain Bahlika is describeds as grandfather
of Dhritarashtra. At (11,22) he is described as Pratipa's son. This is the only two places where
both the Bahlikas, the son of Pratipa and the father of Somadatta were described as same. King
Bahlika's funeral rites were performed by Dhritarashtra (15-11,14)

Pandava general Satyaki's father Sini, and Somadatta were of the same generation. They were
enemies. When Sini lived at Surasena Kingdom, he battled with Somadatta and defeated him due
to a dispute on a maiden (Vasudeva Krishna's mother Devaki). Satyaki and Somadatta's son
Bhurisravas, were of the same generation and were enemies too. (7,141)

Under the generalissimo Bhishma stood Warrior Sala who was a countryman of the Valhikas
(6,20) .His battles are described at (6-61,86) (7-35,101,153,161). He is slain in battle, by some
unknown hero, as his death is mentioned at (9,2), (18,5)

Other Bahlika kings

A Bahlika king is mentioned as one among the 24 great kings (1,1)

A Bahlika king is mentioned along with the kings present in Yama's court (2,8)

Madra king Shalya is described as a Bahlika king (1-67,113) .Shalya's sister Madri also is
described as princess of Valhika (Bahlika) (1,125)

King of Darada Kingdom is described as the ruler of Valhika (2,43)

One among the eight kings who were the sons of a Janamejaya who himself was the son of Kuru,
the founder of the dynasty was named Valhika (Bahlika). (Kuru -> Janamejaya -> Dhritarashtra,
Pandu, Valhika, Nishadha, Jamvunada, Kundodara, Padati and Vasati the eighth.) (1,94)

Conquests of Karna

The Utpalas, the Mekalas, the Paundras, the Kalingas, the Andhras, the Nishadas, the Trigartas,
and the Valhikas were all defeated by Karna in battle (7,4)

41
 Conquests of Arjuna

The following passage from Mahabharara, gives glimpses of the contemporary kingdoms and
tribes in the Bahlika area, ie the areas north west to the Kuru Kingdom.

Arjuna defeated the brave Kshatriyas of Kashmira and also king Lohita along with ten minor
chiefs. Then the Trigartas, the Daravas, the Kokonadas, and various other Kshatriyas advanced
against him.Arjuna then took the delightful town of Avisari, and then brought under his sway
Rochamana ruling in Uraga (Urug ?). Then Arjuna, pressed the delightful town of Singhapura
that was well-protected with various weapons. Then he fiercely attacked the regions called
Suhma and Sumala. After pressing them with great force, brought the Valhikas always difficult
of being vanquished, under his sway. Then Arjuna, taking with him a select force, defeated
the Daradas along with the Kambojas. (2,26)

Tribute from Bahlika to Pandava king Yudhisthira

The people of Valhika gave unto Yudhisthira as tribute ten thousand asses, of goodly size and
black necks and daily running two hundred miles, And those asses were of many shapes. And
they were well-trained and celebrated all over the world. And possessed of symmetrical
proportion and excellent colour, their skins were pleasant to the touch. And the Valhikas also
presented numerous blankets ofwoollen texture manufactured in Chin and numerous skins of the
Ranku deer, and clothes manufactured from jute, and others woven with the threads spun by
insects. And they also gave thousands of other clothes not made of cotton, possessing the colour
of the lotus. And these were all of smooth texture. And they also gave soft sheep-skins by
thousands. And they also gave many sharp and long swords and scimitars, and hatchets and fine-
edged battle-axes manufactured in thewestern countries and perfumes and jewels and gems of
various kinds by thousands. (2,50)

Yudhisthira also got a car (chariot) from Bahlika king:- Yudhisthira riding upon the car that had
been given him by the king of Valhika, and attired also in royal robes, set out with his brothers,
(to play dice in Hastinapura). (2,52), (2,57)

Bahlika army in Kurukshetra War

The heroes from Bhalika were, king Bahlika, his son Somadatta and his grandsons Bhurisravas
and Sala. Apart from them we find mention of Bahlika army along with the armies of other
neighbouring kingdoms taking part in the Kurukshetra War.

the Kamvojas and with the Valhikas (6,75)

king Vahlika with Vahlikas (6,82), (6,103)
the Nishadas, the Sauviras, the Valhikas, the Daradas, the Westerners, the Northerners, the
Malavas, the Abhighatas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, the Vasatis, the Salwas, the Sakas, the
Trigartas, the Amvashthas, and the Kekayas (6,118)

42
 Yavanas and Paradas and Sakas and Valhikas, and Mlecchas (7,90)
Valhikas with Karna (7,110)
Sakas and Kamvojas and Valhikas and Yavanas and Paradas, and Kalingas and Tanganas and
Amvashtas and Pisachas and Barbaras and mountaineers(7,118)
the Amvashthas, the Malavas, the brave Trigartas and the Sivis, the Abhishahas, the Surasenas,
the Valhikas, and the Vasatis, the Yaudheyas, the Malavas, the Madrakas (7,154)
the Saindhavas and Valhikas(7,177)
the Vasatis, the Sivis, the Valhikas and the Kurus (7,190)
the Pulindas, the Khasas, the Bahlikas, the Nishadas, the Andhakas, the Tanganas, the
Southerners, and the Bhojas (8,20)
the Bahlikas, and the Kaikayas, the Matsyas, the Vasatas, the Madras, and Saindhavas (8,56)
the Kurus and the Bahlikas(8,74)

Rise of Bahlika Power in Ancient India

The words of sage Markandeya to Yudhisthira, in the form of a prediction, hints at the rise of
power of western kingdoms in Ancient India.

The Andhhas, the Sakas, the Pulindas, the Yavanas, the Kamvojas, the Valhikas and
the Abhiras, then become possessed of bravery and the sovereignty of the earth. (3,187)

http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/kuru-bahlika
https://www.scribd.com/doc/266346253/Baudhayana-Srauta-Sutra-Ed-Trans-CG-Kashikar-2003

A historical note

Addendum

Baudhyana-rautastra Chapter XVIII.44 contains an important reference attesting to the

migrations of two groups of people away from Kurukshetra region (Sarasvati River basin).

"Translation of BSS XIII.44: Ayu migrated eastwards. His (people) are the Kuru-Pancalas and
the Kasi-Videhas. This is the Ayava (migration). Amavasu migrated westwards. His (people) are
the Ghandhari, Parsu and Aratta. This is the Amavasu (migration).

"According to the correct translation, there was no movement of the Aryan people from
anywhere in the north-west. On the other hand, the evidence indicates that it was from an
intermediary point that some of the Aryan tribes went eastwards and other westwards.

This would be clear from the map that follows, noted BB Lal (2009).

43
http://archaeologyonline.net/artifacts/19th-century-paradigms.html
S'adaupas'ada are also known as PaurUravasau.

44
45
46
Vaidika Samsodhana Mandala, Pune, 2013

47
19 Yupa inscriptions of Bharatam and East Borneo are a continuum of Vedic tradition of
octagonal yupa found in Bijnor

The structure of the octagonal yupa signifying Vajapeya Soma yaga includes an
octagonal cala signified by the hour-glass-shaped Vajra

Commemorative stone yupa, Isapur from Vogel, 1910-11, plate 23; drawing based on Vedic
texts from Madeleine Biardeau, 1988, 108, fig. 1; cf. 1989, fig. 2); C. Miniature wooden yupa
and caSAla from Vaidika Samsodana Mandala Museum of Vedic sacrificial utensils from
Dharmadhikari 1989, 70) (After Fig. 5 in Alf Hiltebeitel, 1988, The Cult of Draupadi, Vol. 2,
Univ. of Chicago Press, p.22)

Isapur Yupa inscription (102 CE, dated in year 24 in Kushana king Vasishka's reign) indicates
performance of a sattra (yajna) of dvadasarAtra, 'twelve nights'. (Vogel, JP, The sacrificial posts
of Isapur, Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India, 1910-11: 40-8).The Isapur yupa
is comparable to the ring and vajra atop

Oblations, prayers to pr are to different manifestations of Agni, Energy.

- P. (- Aitareya Brhmaa ii , 4 ; aor. Subj. 2. sg. - / RV. ii , 6 , 8) to

satisfy , conciliate , propitiate , please;f. pl. (- / [ AV. xi , 7 , 19] and - []) N. of
particular invocations spoken previous to the offering of oblations (according to --
iii , 2 , 5 seqq. they are different in different schools; e.g. / / RV. v , 28 , 1, in
the school of ; / RV. vii , 2 , 1, in that of ; / / RV. x , 110 ,
1, in that of others ; Grgya on this passage gives ten hymns belonging to different
schools, to different gtra-s ; also on RV. i , 13 [/ / , the -hymn of
the school of ] , who enumerates twelve s and explains that twelve deities are
propitiated ; those deities are personified objects belonging to the fire- yaja , viz. the fuel , the
sacred grass , the enclosure , &c , all regarded as different forms of ; hence the objects are
also called s , or , according to others , the objects are the real s , whence the hymns
received their names.

48
Of the ten Aprisuktas mentioned in commentary of Grgya , I.13 and I.142 both invoke
the Narasa and Tannapt
manifestations of Agni, I.188, III.4, IX.5 and X.110 invoke only the Tannapt manifestation
and II.3, V.5, VII.2 and X.70 invoke only the Narasa manifestation.
prskta i Gotra
1.13 Medhtithi Kva Kva
1.142 Drghatam Aucathya ngirasa
1.188 Agastya MaitrvaruI Agastya
2.3 Gtsamada aunahotra aunaka
3.4 Vivmitra Gthina Kauika
5.5 Vasuruta treya treya
7.2 Vasiha MaitrvaruI Vsiha
9.5 Asita or Devala Kypa Kypa
10.70 Sumitra Vdhryava Bharata
10.110 Rma Jmadagnya or Jamadagni Bhrgava

49
Griffith:Agni 131 AGNI, wellkindled-, bring the Gods for him who offers holy gifts.
Worship them, Purifier, Priest.
2 Son of Thyself, present, O Sage, our sacrifice to the Gods today.
Sweet to the taste, that they may feast.
3 Dear Narasamsa, sweet of tongue, the giver of oblations, I
Invoke to this our sacrifice.
4 Agni, on thy most easy car, glorified, hither bring the Gods:
Manu appointed thee as Priest.
5 Strew, O ye wise, the sacred grass that drips with oil, in order due,
Where the Immortal is beheld.
6 Thrown open be the Doors Divine, unfailing, that assist the rite,
For sacrifice this day and now.
7 I call the lovely Night and Dawn to seat them on the holy grass
At this our solemn sacrifice.

50
8 The two Invokers I invite, the wise, divine and sweet of tongue,
To celebrate this our sacrifice.
9 Ila, Sarasvati, Mahi, three Goddesses who bring delight,
Be seated, peaceful, on the grass.
10 Tvastar I call, the earliest born, the wearer of all forms at will:
May he be ours and ours alone.
11 God, Sovran of the Wood, present this our oblation to the Gods,
And let the giver be renowned.
12 With Svaha pay the sacrifice to Indra in the offerers' house:
Thither I call the Deities.

Griffith: Apris. 142

1. KINDLED, bring, Agni, Gods today- for him who lifts the ladle up.
Spin out the ancient thread for him who sheds, with gifts, the Soma juice.

51
2 Thou dealest forth, Tanunapat, sweet sacrifice enriched with oil,
Brought by a singer such as I who offers gifts and toils for thee.
3 He wondrous, sanctifying, bright, sprinkles the sacrifice with mead,
Thrice, Narasamsa from the heavens, a God mid Gods adorable.
4 Agni, besought, bring hitherward Indra the Friend, the Wonderful,
For this my hymn of praise, O sweet of tongue, is chanted forth to thee.
5 The ladleholders- strew trimmed grass at this wellordered- sacrifice;
A home for Indra is adorned, wide, fittest to receive the Gods.
6 Thrown open be the Doors Divine, unfailing, that assist the rite,
High, purifying, muchdesired-, so that the Gods may enter in.
7 May Night and Morning, hymned with lauds, united, fair to look upon,
Strong Mothers of the sacrifice, seat them together on the grass.
8 May the two Priests Divine, the sage, the sweetvoiced- lovers of the hymn,
Complete this sacrifice of ours, effectual, reaching heaven today-.
9 Let Hotra pure, set among Gods, amid the Maruts Bharati, Ila, Sarasvati, Mahi, rest on the
grass, adorable.
10 May Tvastar send us genial dew abundant, wondrous, rich in gifts,
For increase and for growth of wealth, Tvastar our kinsman and our Friend.
11 Vanaspati, give forth, thyself, and call the Gods to sacrifice.
May Agni, God intelligent, speed our oblation to the Gods.
12 To Vayu joined with Pusan, with the Maruts, and the host of Gods,
To Indra who inspires the hymn cry Glory! and present the gift.
13 Come hither to enjoy the gifts prepared with cry of Glory! Come,
O Indra, hear their calling; they invite thee to the sacrifice.

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Griffith: Apris. 188
1. WINNER of thousands, kindled, thou shinest a God with Gods today-.
Bear out oblations, envoy, Sage.
2 Child of Thyself the sacrifice is for the righteous blent with meath,
Presenting viands thousandfold.
3 Invoked and worthy of our praise bring Gods whose due is sacrifice:
Thou, Agni, givest countless gifts.
4 To seat a thousand Heroes they eastward have strewn the grass with might,
Whereon, Adityas, ye shine forth.
5 The sovran allimperial- Doors, wide, good, many and manifold,
Have poured their streams of holy oil.
6 With gay adornment, fair to see, in glorious beauty shine they forth:
Let Night and Morning rest them here.
7 Let these two Sages first of all, heralds divine and eloquent,
Perform for us this sacrifice.
8 You I address, Sarasvati, and Bharati, and Ila, all:
Urge ye us on to glorious fame.
9 Tvastar the Lord hath made all forms and all the cattle of the field
Cause them to multiply for us.
10 Send to the Gods, Vanaspati, thyself, the sacrificial draught:
Let Agni make the oblations sweet.
11 Agni, preceder of the Gods, is honoured with the sacred song:
He glows at offerings blest with Hail!

53
54
Griffith: Apris. 3
1. AGNI is set upon the earth well kindled; he standeth in the presence of all beings.
Wise, ancient, God, the Priest and Purifier, let Agni serve the Gods for he is worthy.
2 May Narasamsa lighting up the chambers, bright in his majesty through threefold heaven,
Steeping the gift with oil diffusing purpose, bedew the Gods at chiefest time of worship.
3 Adored in heart, as is thy right, O Agni, serve the Gods first today- before the mortal.
Bring thou the Marut host. Ye men do worship to Indra seated on the grass, eternal.
4 O Grass divine, increasing, rich in heroes, strewn for wealths' sake, well laid upon this altar,
On this bedewed with oil sit ye, O Vasus, sit all ye Gods, ye Holy, ye Adityas.
5 Wide be the Doors, the Goddesses, thrown open, easy to pass, invoked, through adorations,
Let them unfold, expansive, everlasting, that sanctify the class famed, rich in heroes.
6 Good work for us, the glorious Night and Morning, like female weavers, waxen from
aforetime,
Yielders of rich milk, interweave in concert the longextended- thread, the web of worship.
7 Let the two heavenly Heralds, first, most wise, most fair, present oblation duly with the sacred
verse,
Worshipping God at ordered seasons decking them at three high places at the centre of the earth.
8 Sarasvati who perfects our devotion, Ila divine, Bharati all surpassing,
Three Goddesses, with power inherent, seated, protect this holy Grass, our flawless refuge!
9 Born is the pious hero swift of hearing, like gold in hue, well formed, and full of vigour.
May Tvastar lengthen our line and kindred, and may they reach the place which Gods inhabit.
10 Vanaspati shall stand anear and start us, and Agni with his arts prepare oblation.
Let the skilled heavenly Immolator forward unto the Gods the offering thrice anointed.
11 Oil has been mixt: oil is his habitation. In oil he rests: oil is his proper province.
Come as thy wont is: O thou Steer, rejoice thee; bear off the oblation duly consecrated.

55
Griffith: Agni. 6
1. AGNI, accept this flaming brand, this waiting with my prayer on thee:
Hear graciously these songs of praise.
2 With this hymn let us honour thee, seeker of horses, Son of Strength,
With this fair hymn, thou nobly born.
3 As such, lover of song, with songs, wealthlover-, giver of our wealth!
With reverence let us worship thee.
4 Be thou for us a liberal Prince, giver and Lord of precious things.
Drive those who hate us far away.
5 Such as thou art, give rain from heaven, give strength which no man may resist:
Give food exceeding plentiful.
6 To him who lauds thee, craving help, most youthful envoy! through our song,
Most holy Herald! come thou nigh.
7 Between both races, Agni, Sage, well skilled thou passest to and fro,
As envoy friendly to mankind.
8 Befriend us thou as knowing all. Sage, duly worship thou the Gods,
And seat thee on this sacred grass.

56
57
Griffith: Apris. 4
1. BE friendly with each kindled log of fuel, with every flash bestow the boon of riches.
Bring thou the Gods, O God, unto our worship: serve, wellinclined-, as Friend thy friends,
O Agni.
2 Agni whom daily Varuna and Mitra the Gods bring thrice a day to this our worship,
Tanunapat, enrich with meath our service that dwells with holy oil, that offers honour.
3 The thought that bringeth every boon proceedeth to worship first the Priest of the libation,
That we may greet the Strong One with our homage. Urged, may he bring the Gods, best
Sacrificer.
4 On high your way to sacrifice was made ready; the radiant flames went upward to the regions.
Full in the midst of heaven the Priest is seated: sirew we the sacred grass where Gods may rest
them.
5 Claiming in mind the seven priests' burntoblations, inciting all, they came in settled order.
To this our sacrifice approach the many who show in hero beauty at assemblies.
6 Night and Dawn, lauded, hither come together, both smiling, different are their forms in colour,
That Varuna and Mitra may accept us, and Indra, girt by Maruts, with his glories.
7. I crave the grace of heavens' two chief Invokers: the seven swift steeds joy in their wonted
manner.
These speak of truth, praising the truth eternal, thinking on Order as the guards of Order.
8 May Bharati with all her Sisters, Ila accordant with the Gods, with mortalls Agni,
Sarasvati with all her kindred Rivers, come to this grass, Three Goddesses, and seat them.
9 Well pleased with us do thou O God, O Tvastar, give ready issue to our procreant vigour,
Whence springs the hero, powerful, skilled in action, lover of Gods, adjuster of the pressstones-.
10 Send to the Gods the oblation, Lord of Forests; and let the Immolator, Agni, dress it.
He as the truer Priest shall offer worship, for the Gods generations well he knoweth.
11 Come thou to us, O Agni, duly kindled, together with the potent Gods and Indra.
On this our grass sit Aditi, happy Mother, and let our Hail delight the Gods Immortal.

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Griffith: Apris. 5
1. To Agni, Jatavedas, to the flame, the wellenkindled- God,
Offer thick sacrificial oil.
2 He, Narasamsa, Never beguiled, inspiriteth this sacrifice:
For sage is he, with sweets in hand.
3 Adored, O Agni, hither bring Indra the Wonderful, the Friend,
On lightlyrolling- car to aid.
4 Spread thyself out, thou soft as wool The holy hymns have sung to thee.
Bring gain to us, O beautiful!
5 Open yourselves, ye Doors Divine, easy of access for our aid:
Fill, more and more, the sacrifice.
6 Fair strengtheners of vital power, young Mothers of eternal Law,
Morning and Night we supplicate.
7 On the winds' flight come, glorified, ye two celestial Priests of man
Come ye to this our sacrifice.
8 Ila, Sarasvati, Mahi, three Goddesses who bring us weal,
Be seated harmless on the grass.
9 Rich in all plenty, Tvastar, come auspicious of thine own accord
Help us in every sacrifice.
10 Vanaspati, wherever thou knowest the Gods mysterious names,
Send our oblations thitherward.

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11 To Agni and to Varuna, Indra, the Maruts, and the Gods,
With Svaha be oblation brought.

Griffith: Agni. 28
1. AGNI inflamed hath sent to heaven his lustre: he shines forth widely turning unto Morning.
Eastward the ladle goes that brings all blessing, praising the Godswith homage and oblation.
2 Enkindled, thou art King of the immortal world: him who brings offerings thou attendest for
his
weal.
He whom thou urgest on makes all possessions his: he sets before thee, Agni, gifts that guests
may
claim.
3 Show thyself strong for mighty bliss, O Agni, most excellent be thine effulgent splendours.
Make easy to maintain our household lordship, and overcome the might of those who hate us.
4 Thy glory, Agni, I adore, kindled, exalted in thy strength.
A Steer of brilliant splendour, thou art lighted well at sacred rites.
5 Agni, invoked and kindled, serve the Gods, thou skilled in sacrifice:
For thou art bearer of our gifts.
6 Invoke and worship Agni while the sacrificial rite proceeds:
For offeringbearer- choose ye him.

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Griffith: Apris. 2
1. GLADLY accept, this day, our fuel, Agni: send up thy sacred smoke and shine sublimely.
Touch the celestial summits with thy columns, and overspread thee with the rays of Surya.
2 With sacrifice to these we men will honour the majesty of holy Narasamsa-
To these the pure, most wise, the thought. inspirers, Gods who enjoy both sorts of our oblations.
3 We will extol at sacrifice for ever, as men may do, Agni whom Manu kindled,
Your very skilful Asura, meet for worship, envoy between both worlds, the truthful speaker.
4 Bearing the sacred grass, the men who serve him strew it with reverence, on their knees,
by Agni.
Calling him to the spotted grass, oilsprinkled-, adorn him, ye Adhvaryus, with oblation.
5 With holy thoughts the pious have thrown open Doors fain for chariots in the Gods assembly.
Like two full mother cows who lick their youngling, like maidens for the gathering, they adorn

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them.
6 And let the two exalted Heavenly Ladies, Morning and Night, like a cow good at milking,
Come, muchinvoked-, and on our grass be seated ' wealthy, deserving worship, for our welfare.
7 You, Bards and Singers at mens' sacrifices, both filled with wisdom, I incline to worship.
Send up our offerings when we call upon you, and so among the Gods obtain us treasures.
8 May Bharati with all her Sisters, Ila accordant with the Gods, with mortals Agni,
Sarasvati with all her kindred Rivers, come to this grass, Three Goddesses, and seat them.
9 Well pleased with us do thou, O God, O Tvastar, give ready issue to our procreant vigour,
Whence springs the hero, powerful, skilled in action, lover of Gods, adjuster of the pressstones-.
10 Send to the Gods the oblation, Lord of Forests, and let the Immolator, Agni, dress it.
He as the truer Priest shall offer worship, for the Godsgenerations' well he knoweth.
11 Come thou to us, O Agni, duly kindled, together with the potent Gods and Indra.
On this our grass sit Aditi, happy Mother, and let our Hail! delight the Gods Immortal.

Griffith: Apris. 5
1. ENKINDLED, Pavamana, Lord, sends forth his light on, every side
In friendly show, the bellowing Bull.
2 He, Pavamana, Selfproduced-, speeds onward sharpening his horns:
He glitters through the firmament.
3 Brilliant like wealth, adorable, with splendour Pavamana shines,
Mightily with the streams of meath.

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4 The tawny Pavamana, who strews from of old the grass with might,
Is worshipped, God amid the Gods.
5 The golden, the Celestial Doors are lifted with their frames on high,
By Pavamana glorified.
6 With passion Pavamana longs for the great lofty pair, wellformed-
Like beauteous maidens, Night and Dawn
7 Both Gods who look on men I call, Celestial Heralds: Indras' Self
Is Pavamana, yea, the Bull.
8 This, Pavamanas' sacrifice, shall the three beauteous Goddesses,
Sarasvati and Bharati and Ila, Mighty One, attend.
9 1 summon Tvastar hither, our protector, champion, earliestborn-,
Indu is Indra, tawny Steer; Pavamana is Prajapati.
10 O Pavamana, with the meath in streams anoint Vanaspati,
The evergreen-. the goldenhued-, refulgent, with a thousand boughs.
11 Come to the consecrating rite of Pavamana, all ye Gods,
Vayu, Surya, Brhaspati, Indra, and Agni, in accord.

63
Griffith: Apris. 70
1. ENJOY, O Agni, this my Fuel, welcome the oilfilled- ladle where we pour libation.
Rise up for worship of the Gods, wise Agni, on the earths' height, while days are bright with
beauty.
2 May he who goes before the Gods come hither with steeds whose shapes are
varied, Narasarhsa.
May he, most Godlike, speed our offered viands with homage Godward- on the path of Order.
3 Men with oblations laud most constant Agni, and pray him to perform an envoys' duty.
With lightlyrolling- car and best draughthorses-, bring the Gods hither and sit down as Hotar.
4 May the delight of Gods spread out transversely: may it be with us long in length and fragrant.
O Holy Grass divine, with friendly spirit bring thou the willing Gods whose Chief is Indra.
5 Touch ye the farextending- height of heaven or spring apart to suit the wide earths' measure.
Yearning, ye Doors, with those sublime in greatness, seize eagerly the heavenly Car that cometh.
6 Here in this shrine may Dawn and Night, the Daughters of Heaven, the skilful Goddesses, be
seated.
In your wide lap, auspicious, willing Ladies may the Gods seat them with a willing spirit.
7 Up stands the stone, high burns the fire enkindled: Aditis' lap contains the Friendly Natures
Ye Two Chief Priests who serve at this our worship, may ye, more skilled, win for us rich
possessions.
8 On our wide grass, Three Goddesses be seated: for you have we prepared and made it pleasant.
64
May Ila, she whose foot drops oil, the Goddess, taste, manlike-, sacrifice and wellset- presents.
9 Since thou, God Tvastar, hast made beauty perfect, since hou hast been
the Angirases' Companion,
Willing, most wealthy, Giver of possessions, grant us the Gods assembly, thou who knowest.
10 Wellknowing-, binding with thy cord, bring hither, Lord of the Wood, the Deities' assembly.
The God prepare and season our oblations may Heaven and Earth be gracious to my calling.
11 Agni, bring hither Varuna to help us, Indra from heaven, from airs' midrealm- the Maruts.
On sacred grass all Holy ones be seated and let the Immortal Gods rejoice in Svaha.

Identity of Soma as pr divinity in Rigveda. Baudhyana-rautastra: Archaeometallurgy,

Agnicayana and locus of Bhratam Janam of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization
Why is Soma an pr divinity in the pr sukta of Rishi Asita kAzyapa (RV 9.5)?

The reasons are found in RV 9.5.10, wherein the nature of Soma is explained:
'the green bright golden-hued Vanaspati with its thousand branches.'

In this rica, the gloss [p= 929,1] means m. (also written /) a shoot , branch ,
twig RV. AV. BhP. (Monier-Williams). The word bhrAja is also significant in the context of
archaeometallurgy; the word denotes 'act of frying, roasting' and explains fully the AtirAtra
yajna for five days and nights continuously in a fire-altar achieving upto 1500 degrees centigrade
Agni, fire to purify the hiraNyam, soma, amzu, valzam: bharjana n. act of parching or roasting
Ktyr., bhrajjana -- n. lex. [bhrajj] Pk. bhajjaa -- , aya -- n. id. ; A. bhzan act of
frying , B. bhjan, bhjn; M. bhja, bhj n. act of parching, grain put to be parched ;
Si. badina -- tel frying oil . <-> Kho. (Lor.) bedi wheat parched or ground < *bharjanik --
? bharjita fried, parched Sur. [bhrajj] Pk. bhajjia -- fried , bhajji -- f. fried vegetables
; Pr. bz, bz meat NTS xv 255; K. abozu cooked in water and not fried in oil ;
S. bhj f. vegetables (?), Ku. bhj; N. bhji brinjal fried in oil ; A. bhzi fried
vegetables ; B. Or. bhji anything fried ; H. bhj f. fried greens, greens ; G. M.bhj f.
vegetables . <-> See *bhrjjita -- and bhj -- Add. WPah.kg. bhji, kc. bhaje f. vegetables,
greens, mushrooms , J. bhji f.(CDIAL 9400, 9401)

In 9.5.1 Sayana explains the pr TanUnapAt 'a name of Soma, abhyo ams'avo jAyante tatah
somo jAyate, from the waters are born ams'u, from these is born Soma. If ams'u is rendered as
'shoot', the explanation points the the nature of Soma as endowed with ams'u, 'shoots'. [p=
1,1] m. a filament (especially of the plant); a ray , sunbeam; end of a thread , a minute
particle; a point , end (Monier-Williams).

When Soma is purchased from the seller who comes from Mt. Mujavat, how is Soma measured?

The details are provided in Baudhyana-rautastra (the entire text with English translation is
embedded), with the following excerpts from Pages 355, 363, 365.

In these excerpts, Baudhyana explains how Soma is measured.

65
The Adhvaryu touches King Soma with the hand equipped with gold with the formula, 'Let thy
shoot be mixed with shoot, joint with joint; may the fragrance evoke the desire; may the firm
juice cause excitement. Thou art a house-holder; thy libation is bright.' He measures Soma with
one finger at a time. In respect of all (fingers) he applies the thumb. The golden-handed wise has
measured the heaven with his form. Five times with the formula, five times silently. Measuring
ten times, he measures half the quantity of king Soma. Thus, the Soma shoots are measured as
20-finger width. Adhvaryu then binds Soma with the turban (piece of cloth). Adhvaryu confirms
from the soma-seller: 'O Soma-seller, is thy Soma to be purchased (by us)?' 'It is for purchase,'
says the other. 'Is it from the Mujavat mountain?' 'Indeed from the Mujavat,' says the other. Then
he barters for a cow, 'I purchase it for a cow'. 'This Soma has been purchased. Speak out the
valuables'. 'This Soma-purchasing cow is thine. Gold is thine; the female goat is thine; piece of
cloth is thine.' Then he barters for gold. (p.365).

This measure of Soma shoots by scores of finger-widths determines the barter price for Soma.

What are these ams'u? Soma shoots measured by finger-widths. Such a method of measurement
yields the nature of Soma as electrum ore blocks with shoots -- ams'u or vals'a -- of electrum.

Some images of such ore complexes can be seen. What was the ore block called by the Soma-
seller from MUjavat?

Naturally occurring

electrum. Sample of gold, silver and copper in Andean South America

66
While gold is often found mixed with iron, finding raw ore where gold, silver and copper are
mixed is not as common; Top Left: A sample of all three metals in one rock; Top Right: All
three metals bubbled up in a single rock; Bottom: A solid vein of gold, silver and copper,
estimated at 14,000 tons of ore containing about 385 tons of copper, 2,350 oz. of gold, 14,700 oz.
of silver in an area that is known as a gold, silver and copper producer in
Peru http://nephicode.blogspot.in/2015_04_01_archive.html

"Because atoms of gold and silver have the same atomic radius, gold nuggets commonly contain
some amount of silver. For example, gold from California commonly contains 10-15 % silver. If
silver is greater than 20%, the resultant alloy is electrum. In addition to silver, native gold may
contain small amounts of copper (Cu) and iron (Fe). Trace amounts of bismuth (Bi), lead (Pb),
tin (Sn) and zinc (Zn) as well as platinum group metals are also sometimes found in native gold."

A gold grains and cube with quartz.

67
http://www.gg.uwyo.edu/content/laboratory/gold/geology/mineral/electrum.asp?callNumber=34
981&SubcallNumber=0&color=6699CC

Vulture mine, Arizona.Primary dipping

vein. "Gold and silver were discovered in quartz veins and in silicified and altered host rock
within and adjacent to a prominent northnortheast-dipping quartz-porphyry dike that intrudes
Proterozoic basement rock and grades into a Late Cretaceous granite to granodiorite pluton to the
west. The precious metal occurs in the form of native gold and electrum and is associated with
sulfides including pyrite (fools gold), argentiferous galena (silver-bearing lead-sulfide) and
minor chalcopyrite (copper-iron-sulfide) and sphalerite (zinc-sulfide). White (1988) reported a
positive correlation of gold with abundance of secondary silica and sulfides. Pervasive wall rock
alteration adjacent to the vein resulted in replacement of feldspar and mafic minerals to produce
sericite, hematite and clay; thus the altered dike now consists of quartz eyes in a fine-grained
altered matrix. Gold is concentrated in quartz veins and in silicified and altered rocks within and
adjacent to the dike." http://vultureaz.blogspot.in/

I suggest that an ore block was called ancu -- Tocharian (cognate ams'u -- Vedic). In Tocharian,
ancu meant 'iron' as noted by the lexicographer Georges Pinault.

The search is on to trace the movements from Andronovo or Afanasievo cultures, the way the
search is on for the Urheimat of PIE. Based on what Nicholas Kazanas has pointed out and
argued, the search for Urheimat for PIE may lie closer to the river basin where most of Rigveda
was composed and chanted: Sarasvati River Basin. This river basin attests a spoken,
administrative language: Mleccha (Meluhha) which may include many mispronunciations of
reconstructed IE glosses and expressions and closely associated with the Prakrits which may also
be termed Proto-Indo-Aryan. Tocharian speakers got isolated from the rest of the Indo-
Europeans but had apparent trade contacts with the Rigvedic people for exchanges of Soma
(ancu) from Mount Mujavant (Muztagh Ata) of the Tarim Basin as argued with the evidence of
cognates (Soma syonym) ams'u~~ancu pointed out by Georges
Pinault.http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/03/some-tarim-mummies-on-trade-caravans.html

French scholar, Prof. Pinault identifies amu of Rigveda with anzu of Tocharian. In Tocharian it
means 'iron'. Tocharin language as an Indo-European language has revealed a word anzu in
Tocharian which meant 'iron'. It is likely that this is the word used for soma in Rigveda.

68
See also: Gerd Carling, Georges-Jean Pinault, Werner Winter, 2008, Dictionary and thesaurus of
Tocharian A,Volume 1, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. Georges-Jean Pinault, 2006, Further links
between the Indo-Iranian substratum and the BMAC language in: Bertil Tikkanen & Heinrich
Hettrich, eds., 2006, Themes and tasks in old and middle Indo-Aryan linguistics, Delhi, Motilal
Banarsidass, pp. 167 to 196. "...we have Toch. A. *ancu 'iron', the basis of the derived adjective
ancwaashi 'made of iron', to which corresponds Toch. B encuwo, with the parallel derived
adjective encuwanne 'made of iron'...The two forms go back to CToch. oencuwoen- non.sg.
*oencuwo, the final part of which is a regular product of IE *-on...This noun is deprived of any
convincing IE etymology...The term Ved. ams'u-, Av . asu- goes back to a noun borrowed from
some donor language of Central Asia, as confirmed by CToch. *oencuwoen-...the BMAC
language would not belong to the Indo-European family; it does not seem to be related to
Dravidian either...New identifications and reconstructions will certainly help to define more
precisely the contours of the BMAC vocabulary in Indo-Iranian, as well as in
Tocharian."(p.192)]
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2011/09/central-asian-seals-seal-impressions.html

Pinault parallels amu of Rigveda with acu of Tocharian. In Tocharian it means 'iron'. Tocharin
language as an Indo-European language has revealed a word anzu in Tocharian which meant
'iron'. It is likely that this is the word used for soma in Rigveda. I have posted about this in the
context of identification (discussed in this blog) of Muztagh Ata of Kyrgystan as Mt. Mujavat
(mentioned as a source of soma in Rigveda). It is notable that in Mesopotamian legend of
Ninurta, god of war and agricultural fertility hunts on the mountains, Anzu which is the lion-
headed Eagle with the power of the stolen Tablet of Destinies. The 'eagle' is identified as yena
in Rigveda and Avesta (saena meregh) as the falcon which brought the nectar, Soma. It is likely
that soma as electrum (silver-gold ore) was bought from the traders who brought anzu from Mt.
Mujavat.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com.tr/2011/10/itihasa-and-eagle-narratives.html

RV 9.5: r.s.i: asita ka_s'yapa or devala ka_s'yapa; devata_: a_pri_su_kta (1 idhma or samiddha
agni, 2 tanu_napa_t, 3 il.a_, 4 barhi, 5 devi_ dva_ra, 6 us.a_sa_nakta_, 7 divya hota_gan.a
pracetas, 8 sarasvati_, il.a_, bha_rati_-- tisro devya, 9 tvas.t.a_, 10 vanaspati, 11 sva_ha_kr.ti

69


9.005.01 The pure-flowing (Soma) shines forth in its brightness, the universal lord, the showerer
of blessings, the rejoicer, uttering a loud sound. [The deities, samidh and others are severally
invoked in the successive verses. Soma is praised in the form of the A_pris, and samiddhah is
explained as samyagdi_ptah].
9.005.02 The pure-flowing Tanu_napa_t, rushes sharpening its splendour on the height and
hastens through the sky. [Tanu_napa_t = a name of Soma, abhyo ams'avo ja_yante tatah somo
ja_yate, from the waters are born beams, from these is born Soma; hastens through the sky: that
is, to the dron.akalas'a, according to the text, 'he takes a_grayan.a libation with two streams'].
9.005.03 The pure-flowing bright (Soma), the bounteous giver, worthy of all praise, shines forth
in its might with the streams of water.
9.005.04 The bright golden-hued pure-flowing one rushes in its might, strewing the sacred grass
in the sacrifice with its points towards the cast.
9.005.05 The bright golden doors, praised by the priests together with the Soma, rise up from the
vast horizon.
9.005.06 The pure-flowing (Soma) longs for the fair-formed wide-reaching mighty Night and
Dawn not yet visible.
9.005.07 I invoke the two divine priests, the two deities who behold men-- the pure-flowing
(Soma) is radiant and the showerer (of benefits). [The pure-flowing Soma is radiant: perhaps, an
identification of Soma with Indra, just as in the next verse, Indu (i.e. Soma) is identified with
Indra.
9.005.08 May the three beautiful goddesses, Bha_rati_, Sarasvati_, and mighty Il.a_, come to this
our offering of the Soma.
9.005.09 I invoke Tvas.t.a_, the first-born, the protector, the leader; the golden-coloured pure-

70
flowing Indu is Indra, the showerer, the lord of all creatures.
9.005.10 Pure Soma, consecrate with your streaming ambrosia the green bright golden-hued
Vanaspati with its thousand branches.
9.005.11 O all ye gods, come together to the consecration of the Soma-- Va_yu, Br.haspati,
Su_rya, Agni and Indra.

71
(p.355, p.363, p.365)
Baudhayana ca. 800 BCE. Baudhyana-rautastra and Baudhyana-ulbastra belong to
Taittiriya recension of Krishna Yajurveda Samhita..

I suggest that the reference to woollen sieve or straining-cloth or filter in Rigveda is a clear
indication of the material resource of Soma as an pr divinity. The avyo vAra is an evocation of
the golden fleece used to separate placer gold particles from the silica particles of river bed
sands.

The fleece was the skin of sheep and used to sieve gold from the mud where the Placer gold was
found. The woollen sieve may be a reference to such a golden fleece. Reducing agents include
alkaline as well as combustible materials --vegetable and animal products-- such as: herbs
(ks.a_ra), barley--grains and cooked pin.d.a, milk, curds, clarified butter, viands (animal fat),
bones (used in cupellation processes, and for making crucibles, during the bronze-age), sheep's
hair or wool (reminisced as golden fleece).

For e.g., Soma is described as parvata_ vr.dhah in a verse, that the pyrites are from the mountain
slopes: 9.046.01 Begotten by the stones the flowing (Soma-juices) are effused for the banquet of
the gods' active horses. [Begotten by the stones: or, growing on the mountain slopes].

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/05/objects-identified-as-apri-in-rigveda.html Objects
identified as pr in Rigveda, life-activities of metalcasters of Sarasvati-Sindhu river basins.

The importance of the woollen straining-cloth as a sieve, as a fleece, is seen from repeated
reference to the metaphor of the fleece to create pavamaana, purified Soma, potable electrum to
flow into the pots.
Soma is meant for the gods; thus, gods in the Rigveda are an allegorical personification of the
purification processes (of Soma), just as Soma is an a_pri deity, together with other materials and

72
apparatus (ladles and vessels) employed in the yajn~a, accompanied by r.cas (or, agnis.t.oma).

If Soma is electrum and Indra is burning embers (such as charcoal, indha, used in a furnace), the
yajn~a can be interpreted, at the material level, as a process of reduction (or, pavitram,
purification), using ks.a_ra, of a metallic ore compound (ma_ks.ika_ or quartz or pyrites) to yield
the shining metals: potable (pavama_na, rasa-- raso varjrah, cf. RV 9.048.03, i.e. rasa, vigorous
as a thunderbolt) gold and silver (hiran.yam and rayi), after oxidising the baser metallic elements
(in the unrefined pyrite ores) such as lead (na_ga or ahi or vr.tra) and copper (s'ulba).

Soma, flow on with pleasant stream, a Bull devoted to the Gods, Our fiend, unto the woollen
sieve. Alternative trans. 9.006.01 Soma, who is the showerer (of benefits), devoted to the gods,
favourable to us, flow with your exhilarating stream into the woollen sieve. [In Sa_maveda, avyo
va_rebhih replaces avyo va_res.vah].9.5.4 points to the pavamaana assuming golden ojas,
'light, splendour, lustre' like a cast metal.

9.005.04 The bright golden-hued pure-flowing one rushes in its might, strewing the sacred grass
in the sacrifice with its points towards the cast. 9.13.6 Like coursers by their drivers urged ,they
were poured forth, for victory, wift through the woollen straining cloth.9.28.1 Urged by the men,
this vigorous Steed, Lord of the mind, Omniscient, Runs to the woollen straining-cloth.9.38.1
This Steer, this Chariot, rushes through the woollen filter, as he goes to war that wins a thousand
spoils.9.61.17 The gladdening and auspicious juice of thee, of Pavamana, King! Flows o'er the
woollen straining-cloth. Alternative trans. 9.061.17 Bright shining Soma, the juice of you, when
your flow enters the woollen filter, exhilarating free from evil.Adapted from Haug's notes from
Sa_yan.a's commentary on Aitareya Bra_hman.a:

The adhvaryu takes the skin (carma or tvac) and puts on it the filaments or shoots of the Soma
(am.s'u). He then takes two boards (adhis.avan.a), puts one on top of the Soma shoots, and beats
them with the stones (gra_va_n.a). Then the Soma is put between the two boards, and water is
poured on them from the vasati_vari_ pot. Soma is then shaken in the hota_ cup (camasa), wetted
again with vasati_vari_ water and put on a stone. Grass is laid on them, and they are beaten so
that the juice runs out. The juice is allowed to run into the trough (a_havani_ya), then strained
through the cloth (pavitra or das'a_pavitra) which is held by the udgata_. The filtered soma is
caught in another trough (pu_tabhr.t). Libations are poured from two kinds of vessels: grahas or
saucers, and camasas or cups.

The vedi (altar) is the earth and as the agni (fire) raises towards the heaven, the poetic
imagination of the r.s.is (priests) expands into realms of cosmological thoughts, unparalleled in
recorded history of early human civilizations. Thus, at a cosmic level, the Rigveda raises
profound philosophical questions which have been the fountain-head of Indian philosophical
traditions. "Bronze tools, implements, and weapons and gold jewelry appear together in the
Royal Cemetery of Ur, the royal shaft graves of Alaca Huyuk, and the various treasures (really
hoards) of Troy II. The same is true for the bronze metallurgy and gold jewelry of Poliochni V
(yellow). All this begins in the twenty-sixth century BCE, the date of the Royal Cemetery, and
continues over the next few centuries down to about 2200 BCE. As indicated above, the
possibility of tin, gold, and lapis lazuli coming into Mesopotamia from Afghanistan is certainly

73
an attractive one. Of these three raw materials, however, we can be sure of the provenance of
only one. Most, if not all, of the lapis lazuli used by the Sumerians came from northeast
Afghanistan, from the Sar-i Sang mines in the region of Badakhshan. As for tin and gold, it can
only be said that both metals are present in significant quantities in Afghanistan and in alluvial
form. The recovery of fine gold particles from streams, making use of the woolly fleece of sheep
(the famous Golden Fleece of Greek legend), was still practiced in Afghanistan well into the
twentieth century." (James D. Muhly, 1995, Mining and Metalwork in Ancient Western Asia, in:
Jack M. Sasson, ed. 1995, Civilizations of the Ancient Near East, Vol. III, New York, Charles
Scribner's Sons, pp.1501-1521).

The Pennsylvania University Museum for Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia (Penn
Museum) has a large collection of metal artefacts made of copper, bronze, silver and gold, which
Sir Leonard Woolley had excavated in the royal tombs of Ur (middle of the 3rd millennium)
between 1922 and 1934. Of the finds, one quarter went to the University Museum for
Archaeology in Philadelphia, one quarter to the British Museum in London, and the remaining
half to the Baghdad Museum. Before the 1st Gulf War in 1991 these objects were moved to the
vault of the national bank, along with many other gold artefacts, and they have recently been
rediscovered there.

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75
Fig. 02: This bulls head was attached to a lyre as decoration. It consists of gold and lapislazuli,
the eyes are inlaid with shells, and decorated with bitumen. The find comes from the Kings
Grave.

Analytical Examinations of the Metal Finds

The DBMs first work on the artefacts began in 2009. The museum had agreed to a request to
carry out analytical examinations of the metal finds. To begin with, 31 of the best known and
most beautiful gold objects were analysed non-destructively with a portable x-ray fluorescence
spectrometer to determine their chemical compositions.

Fig. 03: Numerous beads were recovered from the royal graves, many of them golden butterfly
beads. They were made of two pieces of gold foil welded together. This image was recorded in
the Penn Museum with a transportable digital microscope from Keyence.
Very Interesting Results
The measurements produced very interesting results. Of particular interest was evidence of
gilding using a tumbaga alloy: to simulate gold, i.e. to create a gold-rich surface layer, the
original copper-silver-gold alloy was treated with acids. This ingenious technique was therefore
not invented in South America in the 15th century CE, as previously assumed, but was already
known in the ancient world around 2500 BCE. These preliminary studies gave rise to a DBM
research project with several partners. Following offers to extend the analyses to the finds in the
British Museum, a continuation of the current project phase is under
consideration.http://www.ruhr-uni-

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bochum.de/archaeologie/forschung/projekte/koenigsgraebervonur.html.enA legend of Vac
frequently referred to in the Brahmanas is that of Soma being brought back from the Gandharvas
at the price of Vac transformed into a woman. (AB 1-27).

Satapata Brahmana (8-1-1-2) tells us that metres,

like other beings, were created by Prajapati. In 3-9-4-10. It mentions gayatri as a mystical name
of Agni who carries off Soma. Gayatri, in the form of a bird, fetches the Soma from
heaven. http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/faith-and-rituals/advanced-grammar-
and-linguistics-in-vedic-india

Vlakhilya in Rgveda (RV 8.49 to 8.59) is a brick

Vlakhilya are tiny people, dwarfs. A sculptural frieze of Kailasanatha Mandiram of

Kanchipuram, shows gaea dancing with the gaa, group of kharva 'dwarfs' rebus: karba 'iron'.
Such dwarfs are also associated with ivalinga atop a smelter in Mathura museum. Khava,
'dwarfs' in association with Kubera signify wealth.

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Marut-gaa including Gaea on a sculptural panel. Kailasantha Temple,Kanchipuram.

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8.049.01 I would praise to you the bounteous Indra as is fit, the wealth-abounding Maghavan,
who loves to help with thousandfold treasure those who praise him.
8.049.02 He rushes on boldly like a weapon with a hundred edges, he smites the enemies of his
worshipper; the gifts of him who feeds many, swell like the streams of a mountain.
8.049.03 The expressed exhilarate Soma, O Indra, lover of hymns, fills you for bounty, O hero,
O thunderer, as the waters flow to their accustomed lake.
8.049.04 Drink the incomparable, helpful, swelling Soma, the sweet of the Soma, that in your
exultation you may pour out treasure for us, just as the mill-stone pours out meal. [dhr.s.ad =
dr.s.ad].
8.049.05 Come quickly to our praise--urged on by the Soma-pressers like a horse-- which the
kine make sweet, for you, O Indra, of independent mighty; there are gifts (for you) among the
Kan.va's. [stomam = somam].
8.049.06 We have approached you with homage like a mighty hero, the pre-eminent one, of
imperishable wealth; O Indra, thunderer, our prayers flow forth as an abundant fountain
pours out its streams.
8.049.07 Whether you are now present at a sacrifice, or whether you are abroad on the earth,
come from thence with your swift steeds to our sacrifice, O you of lofty counsel, come, strong
one, with the strong (steeds).
8.049.08 Agile and swift are your steeds, overpowering like the winds; with which you encircle
the race of Manus, with which he whole heaven becomes visible. [Or, with which you encircle
all...]

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8.049.09 O Indra, we long for such a bounty of yours, rich in kine; (help us), Maghavan, as you
did help Medhya_tithi with wealth, as you did help Ni_pa_tithi.
8.049.10 As you, Mahavan, did give abundant kine and gold to Kan.va and Trasadasyu, to
Paktha and Das'avraja; as you did give them to Gos'arya and R.jis'van.

8.050.01 I would praise the far-famed, the bounteous S'akra, for the sake of his protection, who
gives desirable wealth by thousands to the presser of the Soma and the offerer of hymns.
8.050.02 Invincible are his hundred-edged weapons, he mighty arrows of Indra; he pours forth
blessings on his liberal worshippers like a mountain rich in springs, when the effused Soma has
exhilarated him.
8.050.03 When the effused Soma-drops have exhilarated the beloved one, my oblation is offered
abundantly like the waters, O gracious Indra-- it is like the kine to the worshipper.
8.050.04 The prayers which consecrate the Soma flow forth to the incomparable one who calls

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you for his favour, the Soma-drops which invoke you, O gracious one, have set you in the midst
of the hymns.
8.050.05 He rushes hurrying like a horse to the Soma offered in our festival, which the hymns
make sweet to you, O you that love sweet viands, you approve the summons to the satisfying
Soma. [Paura may be a proper name; you approve the summons to (the house of) Paura].
8.050.06 Praise the mighty hero, wide-grasping, spoil-harrying, who has control over vast
treasure; you, O thunderer ever pour forth wealth to the worshipper like an abundan fountain.
8.050.07 Whether you are in the far distance or in the earth or in heaven, O Indra, god of lofty
counsel, yoke your steeds, come here, lofty one, with the lofty.
8.050.08 Your harmless steeds which draw your chariot, which surpass the strength of the wind,
with which you silence the enemy of man and with which you go round the sky. [Or, of Manus,
dasyum manus.ah].
8.050.09 May we once more know you as such, O gracious hero, as when you did aid Etas'a in
the decisive battle, or Vas'a against Das'avraja.
8.050.10 As you were willing to give, O Maghavan, to Kan.va in the sacrificial feast, or to
Di_rghani_tha the friend of the house, as you were willing to give, O slinger, to Gos'arya, so give
to me a herd of kine shining like gold.

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8.051.01 As you did drink, O Indra, the effused Soma beside Manu, the descendant of
Sam.varan.a, by Ni_pa_tithi and Medhya_tithi, by Pus.t.igu and S'rus.t.igu, O Maghavan (so do
you drink it here).
8.051.02 The descendant of Pr.s.advana entertained the aged Praskan.va who lay rejected (by his
kindred); aided by you the seer Dasyave-vr.ka desired to obtain thousands of cows.
8.051.03 Sing that Indra with the new hymn who has no lack of praises, who is wise and the
inspirer of seers, who is as it were eager to enjoy.
8.051.04 He to whom they sang the seven-headed hymn with its three parts in the highest region,
he has made all these worlds tremble, and has thus brought forth his power. [i.e. sun by seven
divine singers in heaven].
8.051.05 We invoke that Indra who gives us wealth; for we know his new favour; may we obtain
a stall rich in cows.
8.051.06 He whom you help, O gracious one, to give, obtains abundance of wealth; bringing the
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Soma we invoke you, Indra, Maghavan, you that love hymns.
8.051.07 Never are you niggardly, Indra, and give not to the worshipper; but your godlike gifts,
O Maghavan, are poured forth more and more.
8.051.08 He who overpowered Krivi by his might and silences Sus.n.a with his weapons, when
he spread abroad yonder sky and propped it up, then first the dweller on earth was born.
8.051.09 That wealth, which every A_rya here covets and every miserly Da_sa, is sent direct to
yo, the pious Rus'ama Paviru.
8.051.10 The zealous seers have sung a hymn, sweet with Soma and dropping ghi_; wealth and
manly strength hav espread themselves among us, and so too the expressed Soma drops.

8.052.01 As you, S'akra, did drink the effused Soma from Manu Vivasvat, as you did accept the
hymn from Trita, so do you gladden yourself with A_yu.
8.052.02 You did enjoy, Indra, the effused drink with Pr.s.adhra, Medhya and Ma_taris'van, just

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as you did drink the Soma with Das'as'ipra, Das'on.ya, Syumaras'mi, and R.junas.
8.052.03 (It is Indra) who has appropriated the hymns for himself, who has bravely drunk the
Soma, for whom Vis.n.u strode the three steps according to the ordinances of Mitra.
8.052.04 O S'atakratu, you who are bountiful to him whose praises and oblations you delight in,
we, desiring wealth, invoke you, as the milkers call a cow which bears abundant milk.
8.052.05 He who gives to us is our father, the mighty, the strong, he who acts as the sovereign,
may he, the strong rich Maghavan, give us kine and horses, even without our asking for it.
8.052.06 He to whom you give a present that he may obtain abundance of wealth; we, desiring
wealth, invoke with our praises Indra S'atakratu, the lord of wealth.
8.052.07 Never are you heedless, you guard both races, (gods and men); O fourth A_ditya, to
you belongs the Indra invocation, the ambrosia has risen to heaven. [i.e. with Varun.a, Mitra and
Aryaman].
8.052.08 (As you hear) the worshipper who you favour, O Indra, Maghavan, liberal one, you that
love hymns, so, gracious one, hear our hymns and our invocation of praise, like Kan.va's.
8.052.09 The old hymn has been sun, you have uttered the prayer to Indra; they have shouted
many br.hati_ verses of the rite, many hymns of the worshipper have they poured forth.
8.052.10 Indra has heaped together vast stores of wealth, the two worlds and the sun; the bright
pure Soma-drink mixed with milk, has exhilarated Indra.

8.053.01 We come to you, O Maghavan Indra, the highest of Maghavans, the strong of bulls, the
mightiest breakere of forts, the provider of kine, the lord of wealth.
8.053.02 You who, waxing in might day by day, did destroy A_yu, Kutsa, and Atithigva, we

84
invoke you, S'atakratu, with your bay horses, rousing you by our offerings.
8.053.03 Let the stones our forth the Soma for us all, the Soma-drops which have been pressed
by men afar or near.
8.053.04 Smite all our enemies and drive them away, may we all obtain their wealth; even amont
the S'i_s.t.as are you exhilarating Soma-stalks, where you fill yourself with the Soma.
8.053.05 Indra, come very near with your firmly-wise protections; come, O most healthful, with
your mos healthful aid, come, good kinsma, with your good kinsmen.
8.053.06 Make rich in children that chief of all me, who is victorious in battle and a strong
protector; proper thoroughly with your powers your singers who cintinually purify their minds.
8.053.07 May we be in battle as one who is the sure to gain your protection; we worship you
with invocations and prayers wen we obtain our desire.
8.053.08 With your help, O lord of bay steeds, I always go into prayer and into battle, seeking
spoil; it is you whom I insist upon, when I go, longing for horses and kine, at the head of
plunders. [mati_na_m = mathi_na_m, in the beginning of my prayers].

8.054.01 The singers with their hymns, O Indra, this might of yours; singing loudly, they have
brought you sacred viands dropping with Soma; the offerers have drawn near with their prayers.
[Or, the Pauras].
8.054.02 They have drawn near Indra with holy rites for his protection, they in whose libations

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you rejoice; as you did rejoice in Samvara and Kr.s'a, so now, Indra, do you rejoice in us.
8.054.03 You gods, come all with one accord to us; let the Vasus and Rudras come for our
protection, let the Maruts hear our call.
8.054.04 May Pu_s.an, Vis.n.u, Sarsvati_, and the seven rivers, favour my call; may the waters,
the wind, the mountains, the trees, the earth, hear my call.
8.054.05 With yours own special gift, O Indra, best of Maghavans, be you our boon-companion
for good, our liberal benefactor, O slayer of Vr.tra.
8.054.06 O lord of battle, lord of men, mighty in action, do you guide us in the conflict; far-
famed are those who obtain their desires by sacrificial feasts, by invocations, and by entertaining
the gods.
8.054.07 Our prayers abide in the true one, in Indra is the life of men; draw near to us,
Maghavan, for our protection; milk for the streaming drink.
8.054.08 O Indra, we would worship you with hymns; O S'atakratu, you are ours; pour down
upon Pras'kan.va great, solid, inexhaustible, exuberant abundance.

8.055.01 Great indeed is Indra's might; I have beheld it; your gift approaches, O Dasyave vr.ka
[O foe to the Dasyu].
8.055.02 A hundred white oxen shine like stars in the heaven, by their size they have almost held
up the heavens.
8.055.03 A hundred bamboos, a hundred dogs, a hundred dressed hides, a hundred bunches of
balbaja grass, and four hundred red mares are mine.
8.055.04 May you have the gods propitious to you, O descendants of Kan.va, living through
youth on youth; step out vigorously like steed.
8.055.05 Let them praise the seven-yoked team, great is the strength of that which is not yet full-
grown; the dark-brown mares have rushed along the paths so that no eye can follow them.

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8.056.01 Your inexhaustible gift has appeared, O Dasyave vr.ka, its fullness is in extent like the
sky.
8.056.02 Dasyave-vr.ka, the son of Putakrata, has given to me ten thousand from his own store.
8.056.03 A hundred asses a hundred woolly sheep, a hundred slaves, beside garlands.
8.056.04 There too has been brought for Putakrata a well-adorned mare, which is not one of the
common horses of the herd.
8.056.05 The shining Agni has appeared, the bearer of the oblation, with his chariot; Agni has
gleamed forth brilliantly with his bright flame as Sra, he has gleamed forth in heaven as Su_rya.

8.057.01 You have come quickly, you two gods, with your car, endowed with ancient might, O
sacred As'vins, truthful ones, with your powers, drink this third libation.
8.057.02 The three-and-thirty truthful gods saw you before the truthful one; O As'vins, gleaming
with fire, drink the Soma, enjoying our offering, our libation. [i.e. before the Sun; the dawns are
compared to truthful active women; cf. RV. 1.79.1].

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8.057.03 That work of yours, O As'vins, is worthy of wonder, the bull of the heavens, the
firmament and the earth; and your thousand blessings in battle, for all these come here to drink.
[i.e. the Sun, which they may be said to reveal, as they come with the earliest dawn].
8.057.04 O sacred ones, this your portion has been placed for you, O truthful ones, come to these
your praises; drink among us the sweet Soma, succour your worshipper with your powers.

8.058.01 He whom the wise priests bring, when they arrange the offering in many ways, who
was employed as a learned bra_hman.a, what is the offerer's knowledge regarding him?
8.058.02 Agni is one, though kindled in various ways; one is the Sun, pre-eminent over all; one
Dawn illumines this all; one is that which has become this all.
8.058.03 The brilliant chariot, diffusing splendour, rolling lightly on its three wheels, offering an
easy seat, and full of many gifts, at whose yoking the Dawn was born, rich in marvellous
treasures, I invoke that your chariot (O As'vins), come you here to drink.

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8.059.01 These your offered portions stream forth, O Indra and Varun.a, to your honour in the
oblations; at every sacrifice you hasten to the oblations, when you help the offerer who presses
out the Soma.
8.059.02 The plants and the waters were efficacious, they have attained their power, O indra and
Varun.a, you who have gone beyond the path of the firmament, no godless man is worth being
called your enemy.
8.059.03 True, O Indra and Varun.a, is that saying of Kr.sa's, 'the seven sacred voices distil a
stream of honey', for their sake help the worshipper, O you lords of splendour, who reverence
you devoutly in his thoughts. [RV. 9.103.3, 'the Soma streams through the sheep's wool round
the honey-dropping vessel, the seven voices of the sacred bards shout to it'].
8.059.04 The seven sister-streams of the Soma, in the hot the offering, pour forth ghi_-dripping
streams of yours, O Indra Varun.a, provide for and help the offerer.
8.059.05 To our great happiness we hae declared to these two brilliant ones the true might of
Indra; O indra and Varun.a, lords of splendour, help us, the offerers of ghi_, with the company of
thrice seven. [cf. use of the same phrase in: RV. 1.133.6: O irresistible one, you destroy not men
with the warriors, with the thrice seven warriors].
8.059.06 O Indra and Varun.a, I have seen what you formerly gave to the seers, wisdom, power

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of song, and fame, and the places which the wise have prepared for themselves, as they spread
the web of the sacrifice with holy austerities.
8.059.07 O Indra and Varun.a, give to the offerers cheerfulness without levity, and abundance of
wealth; give to us offspring, food, prosperity; prolong our lives to length of days.

Father of Vlakhilya is intelligence personified (as a son of and one of the -s or

the seven or ten principal s Mn. i , 35 MBh. i , 2518 & 2568 Hariv. &c ; [N. of a star] (-
's -);
married to and father of 60 ,000 s BhP. iv , 1 , 39 ; husband of - , vi , 6 , 33).

Swaminathan provides a narrative on Vlakhilya citing ancient tests. [quote] Valakhilyas are
thumb sized ascetics accompanying the sun in its every day travel in the sky. They are protecting
the humanity by taking all the extra heat and act like the ozone layer. They are 60,000 in number
they are shining like brilliant lights because of their severe penance. They used to hang upside
down in the trees while doing penancethese are some of the interesting facts that are found in
the Vedas, the epics and the mythologies. Tamil literature adds more details about these strange
kinds of ascetics.

Valakhilya hymns, eleven in number, are the appendix of the eighth Mandala of the Rig Veda.
But famous commentators like Syaa rejected them as interpolations. The Ramayana and the
Mahabharata have a lot of references to the Valakhilya Rishis...

Ancient Sangam Tamil literature refers to Valakhilyas in Puranaanuru (verse 43),

Tirumurugatrup patai (lines 16-109), post Sangam book Silappadikaram (Vettuvavari 15) and in
the poems of middle age poet Arunagirinathar.

Valakhilyas were born to Kratu and Kriya. Once Kasyapa did a Yagna (fire sacrifice) to beget
children. He invited all the Devas and Rishis to help him in the task. Everybody readily agreed.
Mighty Indra, the King of Heaven, brought wood for the ceremony. Valakhilyas were emaciated
due to severe penance. They were hardly able to lift anything but leaves. Even when they were
moving leaves like ants, they fell into rain water puddles, because they were so tiny. It amused
Indra and he laughed loudly. Valakhilyas were very much offended. They made a vow to do a
separate yagna to create another Indra. When Indra listened to their vows he was afraid and ran
to Kasyapa to explain what had happened.

Kasyapa lent a patient ear, but warned that he could not stop the powerful Valakhilyas. But he
gave an assurance to Indra that he would find a compromise. When he met Valakhilyas he
requested them to drop the yagna to create a new Indra. He also assured them that whoever they
create will be the Indra of the birds and Valakhilyas agreed to this new plan.

After the yagna Valakhilyas prasad (food offering) was given to Vinata, one of the two wives of
Kasyapa. She gave birth to two children Aruna and the most powerful golden-hued eagle,
Garuda. Long after this Garuda flew to Indraloka to get Amrita and defeated Indra. The Second
wife of Kasyapa Kadru gave birth to the Nagas or the Snake race. Garuda on his way back sat on

90
the tree where Valakhilyas were doing penance. The tree broke into many branches, but Garuda
lifted all the ascetics with the branch and put them in a safe place.

The Rig Veda says that they sprang from the hairs of Prajapati Brahma. They are the guards of
the Chariot of the Sun. They are also called the Kharwas. The Vishnu Purana describes them as
pious, chaste and resplendent as the rays of the sun.

Tamil literature is very clear in saying that the main task of the short and smart ascetics is to
prevent human beings from being scorched. So they absorb the excess heat from the sun by
travelling in front of him. Tamil books also add they were in turn given energy by Lord Skanda
and Goddess Durga. Even the hunters in the forest pray to Durga for this. Another Tamil poet
compares the sacrifice of the Valakhilyas to the sacrifice of the Emperor Sibi who gave his flesh
to an eagle to save a pigeon. The famous story of Sibi was referred to in four Sangam Tamil
books. Sibi was praised as the forefather of the famous and powerful Tamil Chola dynasty. The
food of Valakhilyas is only wind.

Another story in the Hindu mythology is that the sun has to fight a set of demons called
Mandokarunar on a day to day basis for survival. Valakhilyas stand beside the Sun in battle. We
dont know whether there is scientific basis for this story. Mandokarunar maybe a reference to
the dangers of solar flares or magnetic
storms. [unquote] http://swamiindology.blogspot.in/2011/12/valakhilyas-60000-thumb-sized-
ascetics.html

n. (also written , of doubtful derivation) N. of a collection of 11 (accord. to some

only 6 or 8) hymns of the -(commonly inserted after viii , 48 , but numbered separately as
a supplement by some editors ; they are also called , with or scil. , or ,
and ) ; (/) pl. N. of a class of s of the size of a thumb (sixty thousand
were produced from 's body and surround the chariot of the sun) ( -)

f. N. of a partic. kind of brick ( atapatha Brhmaa A piece of rock in the

earth; RV.6.28.2.)

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