Changes

In Sayana’s commentary, it is mentioned that Sarama’s episode with the Panis was communicated to Indra who kills them and brings back the cows. 

In Sayana’s commentary, it is mentioned that Sarama’s episode with the Panis was communicated to Indra who kills them and brings back the cows. 

== The perspective of the Westerns ==

Although slightly different versions of the legend is found in different places of the scriptures essentially the purport has changed over different commentaries over ages. Sayanacharya's works have been the basis of many early Indologists views and interpretations of Bharatiya veda samskruti. 

This story is called the “story of stealing the cows”, “ Go grahana”. This story is interpreted by Indologists and their followers through the Aryan-dravidian race theory. For them the panis are the Mulnivasis, the original native people of india, the Dravidians, they were the “dasyus”. The Aryans came from outside who owned the cows. There was constant conflict between the Dravidians and the Aryans. The Dravidians would hide the cows of Aryans repeatedly and one of such episodes is described here and that is their understanding.

Panis are basically the enemies of Indra, Soma, Agni, Brihaspathi and Angiras and their residential place is the Vayu Mandal. If you accept as truth that the Vedas descriptions of the dogs, then why is the Vedic description of the Panis residential place seen as untruth? Why this selective acceptance of truth? Here “Pani” word can be used as a miserly, tight-fisted person. They are called “Indra  Sathru” enemies of Indra: vala, bala. If we accept cows as defined in the previous chapter, then it could be said that Panis are the powers that can stop the progress of knowledge. The suktas  we can understand that the panis are the “jnana apaharaka Shakti (the robbers of knowledge). This indicates the struggle to acquire the knowledge. The dog that comes here is nothing but devaduthi (agent of the devatas) or the chitta (consciousness) which is always conscious in every living entity. The dog of the devathas is always alert and awake and has the power to know everything. She symbolically represents finding out the inner difficulties of living entities.

 

 

What is the meaning of the discussion between Sarama and the Panis?

 

What is the place beyond the Rasa River? Is it a physical place?

 

If Indra had to release the cows, then is Indra a historical personality? If that is true, then is it Indra’s right to claim that Indra is Arya and he was victorious against the Panis? Or to consider that Panis are some kind of group of people.  

 

If Angirasa is  brahmana, how come he had pet dogs, as a Brahmana why was he taking care of dogs? If he was not a brahamana then does he talk about the deeper definition of the cow? What is the meaning of Angirasa?

 

Is it true that Aryans raised dogs, instead of cows and horses?  Was that true that Dravidians did not have dogs with them?  

 

Why are there name related to dogs in Vedas: suna, saunaka, sunaka, sunasshepa, etc., Why would they have such names connected to dogs?

 

 

Panis are basically the enemies of Indra, Soma, Agni, Brihaspathi and Angiras.  Here “Pani” word can be used as a miserly, tight-fisted person. They are called “Indra  Sathru” enemies of Indra: vala, bala. If we accept cows as defined in the previous chapter, then it could be said that Panis are the powers that can stop the progress of knowledge.  

 

The suktas  we can understand that the panis are the “jnana apaharaka Shakti (the robbers of knowledge). This indicates the struggle to acquire the knowledge. The dog that comes here is nothing but devaduthi (agent of the devatas) or the chitta (consciousness) which is always conscious in every living entity.  

 

The dog of the devathas is always alert and awake and has the power to know everything. She symbolically represents finding out the inner difficulties of living entities.