Page 34 - SST Class 06

RIGVEDA AS A SOURCE MATERIAL FOR legend connected with sage Vishvamitra and how
WRITING HISTORY two rivers, Beas and Sutlej, got their names. All

The hymns of Rigveda are hymns in praise of the three actually existed; only the dialogue is a
Gods; some are dialogues between sages and legend. However, the legend may have influ-
river. Still some are dialogues between the lofty enced the people’s beliefs, as the rivers were later
mountains and sages. These mountains and worshipped as Goddesses.
rivers like Saraswati may have dried up.
Similarly, the mountains, the animals, the plants
and others mentioned in the hymns, exist in
reality. From these dialogues, the historians pick
up the information and collaborate this with the
physical surroundings. However, there also exist
legends which do not provide a source material
for writing history. For example, there is one
A Page from a Manuscript of the Rigveda

LEGEND by throwing himself atop Mount Meru, but fell
Vishvamitra and the Rivers down into the sea below and was saved. He,
then jumped into the river and the river took the
There is a legend about how the rivers Sutlej and
Beas were so named. Sutlej was called Shatadru, form of Vipasha, saving the sage Vasishtha. This
meaning ‘flowing in hundred bracnches’ and river is known as Beas today, drainging the Kullu
Beas was known as the Vipasha, meaning valley. Vasistha, then tried to kill himself by
‘without bonds’. There also lived a sage, called jumping into another swiftly flowing river. He
considered many river mentioned in the
Vishvamitra who called these rivers ‘sister’. This
Rigveda, like Indus, Ganga, Yamuna and
popular sage of the Rigvedic period is also
Sarasvati, a tributary of Indus, but choose the
mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata. His
nearest one. He was again saved when the river
rival was another sage, Vasishtha, who is said to
emptied its water in a hundred streams and the
be the son of Brahama. Vishvamitra and
Vasishtha were both jealous of each other on river was known as Shatadru, now called Sutlej.
account of the wisdom they possessed. Upon this, Vishvamitra called the river ‘O
Vishvamitra, also coveted a royal position of a Sisters’. Vasishtha, after some more incidents,
priest. When Shakti, Vasishtha’s eldest son was learned to respect Brahamins and returned to his
asharam. Vishvamitra was made the royal priest.
killed by the king, Vasishtha tried to kill himself

Cattle, Horses and Chariots well. Others were distributed among people. The
The Rig Vedic hymns also mentioned cattle, Vedic people performed yajnas or sacrifices and
horses and chariots. The horses were used in items like grain, ghee and in some cases animals,
battles and also yoke to mounts or chariots. The were gifted. Most men took part in the battles.
battles were fought for land, for water, for posses- King was considered as the leader in warfare and
sion of horses, elephants and cattle. These it was his responsibility to protect the community.
animals were considered a wealth by the leaders. Though there was no regular army, the com-
Some of the animals were gifted to priests as mander of the warriors was known as Senani.

Social Science-6 34