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| इ॒न्द्रि॒याणि॑ शतक्रतो॒ या ते॒ जने॑षु प॒ञ्चसु॑ । इन्द्र॒ तानि॑ त॒ आ वृ॑णे ॥९॥ (Rig. Veda. 3.37.9) </blockquote>Panchakrshtayaha (पञ्चकृष्टयः) as in<blockquote>अ॒स्माकं॑ द्यु॒म्नमधि॒ पञ्च॑ कृ॒ष्टिषू॒च्चा स्व१र्ण शु॑शुचीत दु॒ष्टर॑म् ॥१०॥ (Rig. Veda. 2.2.10)</blockquote>Panchacharshanyaha (या पञ्चचर्षण्यः)<blockquote>या पञ्च॑ चर्ष॒णीर॒भी॑न्द्रा॒ग्नी ता ह॑वामहे ॥२॥ (Rig. Veda. 5.86.2)</blockquote>Panchakshitayaha (पञ्चक्षितयः)<blockquote>इन्द्र॒: पञ्च॑ क्षिती॒नाम्॥९॥ (Rig. Veda. 1.7.9)</blockquote>According to Pt. Kapil Dev Dwivedi, in the Aitareya Brahmana (8.3.14) we find an explanation about this term. The raja and praja (the king and the citizens) belonging to the purva (east), paschima (west), uttara (north) and dakshina (south) deshas (देश-s - places) along with the madhya-desha namely Kuru and Panchala rajyas constitute the Panchajanas (ध्रुवा मध्यमा प्रतिष्ठा). In this way Panchajana includes the the whole population in the region. According to Sayanacharya, Panchajana includes the people of the four varnas and the Nishada tribes.<ref name=":6" /> | | इ॒न्द्रि॒याणि॑ शतक्रतो॒ या ते॒ जने॑षु प॒ञ्चसु॑ । इन्द्र॒ तानि॑ त॒ आ वृ॑णे ॥९॥ (Rig. Veda. 3.37.9) </blockquote>Panchakrshtayaha (पञ्चकृष्टयः) as in<blockquote>अ॒स्माकं॑ द्यु॒म्नमधि॒ पञ्च॑ कृ॒ष्टिषू॒च्चा स्व१र्ण शु॑शुचीत दु॒ष्टर॑म् ॥१०॥ (Rig. Veda. 2.2.10)</blockquote>Panchacharshanyaha (या पञ्चचर्षण्यः)<blockquote>या पञ्च॑ चर्ष॒णीर॒भी॑न्द्रा॒ग्नी ता ह॑वामहे ॥२॥ (Rig. Veda. 5.86.2)</blockquote>Panchakshitayaha (पञ्चक्षितयः)<blockquote>इन्द्र॒: पञ्च॑ क्षिती॒नाम्॥९॥ (Rig. Veda. 1.7.9)</blockquote>According to Pt. Kapil Dev Dwivedi, in the Aitareya Brahmana (8.3.14) we find an explanation about this term. The raja and praja (the king and the citizens) belonging to the purva (east), paschima (west), uttara (north) and dakshina (south) deshas (देश-s - places) along with the madhya-desha namely Kuru and Panchala rajyas constitute the Panchajanas (ध्रुवा मध्यमा प्रतिष्ठा). In this way Panchajana includes the the whole population in the region. According to Sayanacharya, Panchajana includes the people of the four varnas and the Nishada tribes.<ref name=":6" /> |
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− | Traditional history knows of many different streams of tribes or peoples, but the two main streams are of those belonging to the Solar Race of the IkSvAkus, and those belonging to the Lunar Race of the AiLas. The AiLas are further divided into five main branches: the Yadu-s (यदु), TurvaSa-s (तुर्वश), Druhyu-s (द्रुह्यु), Anu-s (अनु) and PUru-s (पूरु).<ref name=":1" /> It is mentioned in the mantra as follows | + | Traditional history knows of many different streams of tribes or peoples, but the two main streams are of those belonging to the Solar Race of the IkSvAkus, and those belonging to the Lunar Race of the AiLas. The AiLas are further divided into five main branches: the Yadu-s (यदु), TurvaSa-s (तुर्वश), Druhyu-s (द्रुह्यु), Anu-s (अनु) and PUru-s (पूरु).<ref name=":1" /> It is mentioned in the mantra as follows<blockquote>यदि॑न्द्राग्नी॒ यदु॑षु तु॒र्वशे॑षु॒ यद् द्रु॒ह्युष्वनु॑षु पू॒रुषु॒ स्थः । |
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− | यदि॑न्द्राग्नी॒ यदु॑षु तु॒र्वशे॑षु॒ यद् द्रु॒ह्युष्वनु॑षु पू॒रुषु॒ स्थः ।
| + | अत॒: परि॑ वृषणा॒वा हि या॒तमथा॒ सोम॑स्य पिबतं सु॒तस्य॑ ॥८॥ (Rig. Veda. 1.108.8)</blockquote> |
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− | अत॒: परि॑ वृषणा॒वा हि या॒तमथा॒ सोम॑स्य पिबतं सु॒तस्य॑ ॥८॥ (Rig. Veda. 1.108.8)
| + | === यदु The Yadu-s === |
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− | === The Yadu-s === | |
| Mentioned frequently in the Rigveda, they are the people born in the race of Yadu. The Yadavas are mentioned with the Parshu, which according to Sayanacharya's commentary the son of Parashu. In the Dasarajna yuddha, the battle of the ten kings, the Yadus took part against Sudas.<ref name=":0" /> Indra is said to have crossed the ocean and brought back to the shores of Sapta-sindhu, the Yadu and Turvasa people who left their country and lived on the farther shores of the ocean as unanointed kings, probably in a new colony of their own (Rig. Veda. 4.30.17 and 6.20.12).<ref name=":1" /> | | Mentioned frequently in the Rigveda, they are the people born in the race of Yadu. The Yadavas are mentioned with the Parshu, which according to Sayanacharya's commentary the son of Parashu. In the Dasarajna yuddha, the battle of the ten kings, the Yadus took part against Sudas.<ref name=":0" /> Indra is said to have crossed the ocean and brought back to the shores of Sapta-sindhu, the Yadu and Turvasa people who left their country and lived on the farther shores of the ocean as unanointed kings, probably in a new colony of their own (Rig. Veda. 4.30.17 and 6.20.12).<ref name=":1" /> |
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− | === The Turvasa-s === | + | === तुर्वश The Turvasha-s === |
| The Turvasas are mentioned along with the Yadu in many places. They lived in the west of Parushni i.e. in the region which existed between Vitasta and AsiknI. In the Rgvedic mantra 6.45.1, it is indicated that Yadu and Turvasas come from Paraavata i.e. a distant land or brought by Indra from that region. It is stated that later they merged with the Krivis, etc., to give rise to the Pancala people.<ref name=":0" /> | | The Turvasas are mentioned along with the Yadu in many places. They lived in the west of Parushni i.e. in the region which existed between Vitasta and AsiknI. In the Rgvedic mantra 6.45.1, it is indicated that Yadu and Turvasas come from Paraavata i.e. a distant land or brought by Indra from that region. It is stated that later they merged with the Krivis, etc., to give rise to the Pancala people.<ref name=":0" /> |
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| + | === द्रुह्यु The Druhyu-s === |
| + | The Drhyu-s were as powerful as the Puru-s and Trkshu-s. They were the inhabitants of the region between Parushni in the east and Asikni in the west. Druhyu is regarded as one of the names of the five sons of Yayati. |
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| + | === अनु The Anu-s === |
| + | The Anus are mentioned with the Druhyus, Yadus and Turvasas (Rigveda 1.108.8, 7.18.14, 8.10.5). Some scholars believe they dwelt on the Parushni river as per the mantra 7.18.14. They are also mentioned in the later texts as one of the five sons of Yayati who dwelt by the Parushni river. |
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| + | === The Puru-s === |
| + | They are the most powerful among the five different people. Sayanacharya interprets the term "puru" as many. According to Yaska, PUru means man or supplicating men. They dwelt on the banks of the Sarasvati river as mentioned in the following mantra. |
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| + | उ॒भे यत्ते॑ महि॒ना शु॑भ्रे॒ अन्ध॑सी अधिक्षि॒यन्ति॑ पू॒रव॑: ।... ॥२॥ (Rig. Veda. 7.96.2) |
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| + | Supported by other scholarly views, C.V. Vaidya states that the Puru-s became prosperous and founded a kingdom in the present Ambala region on the banks of the river Sarasvati to which territory their representatives the Kurus eventually gave their name. |
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| + | D.C. Sircar also states that these people were later merged with the Kuru people.67 Renou holdsthatthe tribe ofthe Puru wasthe most important, at a latertime it entered into alliance with theBharata, forming them with the new group ofthe Kuru. Together withthe Pancala (formerlytheKrivi), theKuru who hadestablished themselves in theDoab (which the later literature, fromtheirname, called the Kuruksetra), formed the centre ofthe Vedic culture.68 Trasadasyu, Purukutsa and Kurusravanawere the kings of the Purus, as mentioned in the Rgveda. The Purus, Turvasas, the Yadus and theAnus formed acoalition againstthe chiefoftheTrtsus called Sudasinthe battle. Due to constant clash, the Purus were divided into the Bharatas, Trtsu, Kus^ka etc. |
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| The Rigveda is little concerned with the IkSvAkus as a people, inspite of the fact that it has the second most important dynasty of TRkSis, a branch of the Ikshvakus. The word Ikshvaku itself occurs only once in the Rgveda as a name of the Surya (10.60.4).<ref name=":1" /> | | The Rigveda is little concerned with the IkSvAkus as a people, inspite of the fact that it has the second most important dynasty of TRkSis, a branch of the Ikshvakus. The word Ikshvaku itself occurs only once in the Rgveda as a name of the Surya (10.60.4).<ref name=":1" /> |