The Rig-veda and Kamrupa: An Assertive Antique Study

-        Sujan Barman

(Abbreviated)

Introduction: [Int.-1.0]:

   Domestication of wild animals and cultivation of crops and submission to natural power through mystical activity has encouraged the human being to build the civilization in ancient times. Through some simple technological progress of manufacture and use of pottery and metallic (copper and Bronze) tools civilization moved forward and came to Harappan civilization as we so far have invented. This Harappan civilization have been destroyed by the Aryan invaders. The Aryan then moved towards East to the Doab of the Ganges and Jamuna rivers. It is the general believe and hackneyed epithet. Some evidences make us believe that Kamrupa had been aryanised in early times of  the Vedas. The Rig-veda was the earliest Aryan document. This article steps to study the Rig-veda and Kamrupa with closer inquisitive view.

Aryanization Theory abandoned:[A.T.A.-2.1]:

     In ancient times Sadanira and Kartoya were identified as the same river.  ‘According to Sayanacharya, Kartoya and Sadanira are identical. Amarsingha and Hemchandra also assumed that Sadanira is another name of Kartoya¹.   As per Satapada Brahmana (IV.1.17) the king Videgha-Madhava held fire in his mouth and moved forward to the East. With the fire held in his mouth purified all the regions, and while crossing the river Sadanira the fire died down. But some scholars did not agree with the idea that Sadanira was identical with Kartoya. They thus abandoned the theory of Aryanization of Kamrupa in so early times².

   Aryanization Theory in Hesitation:[A.T.H.-2.2]:

             V.R.Ramchnadra Dikshitar also hesitatingly opines ‘For we find in the Rig-veda some evidence of a movement of the Vedic people in the easterly direction³. The evidence is vague, but still it admits of a spirit of adventure on the part of Rig-vedic Indian to expand eastward. And Mr. Dikshit at last freely opines that after the defeat of Naraka Assam became completely Aryanized.⁴

     Rig-Veda and Kamrupa:[R.K.-3.0]:

       The evidence of Aryanization of Kamrupa is not vague. The Text of Rig-veda and other early documents should be studied closely. The Aryans came from the Middle Asia in different groups (tribes). The Indo-Aryan and Indo-Iranian groups more or less with Avestan culture through many serious wars against the Indus moved forward and made their habitations in the North-East region of India. These groups were Kambojas, Bahlikas (with Madras), Trigartas, Kurus, Uttar Kurus, and Panchalas and so on. They made the Aryan colony states in the Sinds. Indra, Bharat and later in the Eastern countries (Prachya Desha) Amurtaraja and Naraka etc destroyed the Non-Aryan kings. Amongst them Indra was the greatest hero who destroyed one hundred ‘Puris’ of Samabara.     

      At that Rig-vedic time Asur or Danav was not Non-Aryan identity. Indra, Agni etc were called Asur. In those days Asur denoted something or someone strong, dominant and respectable. In Avestan language Indor means demon. ‘Ahur’ means God. This ‘Ahur’ became ‘Asur’.

     The Rig-Veda had been composed before 1500 or 2000 BC. Some of the scholars demarcated Aryavarta from the North-East India to Mithila. But in many early documents we find the boundary of Aryavarta up to Kamrupa. In the Rig-veda we find:

     उक्षा समुद्रो अरुष: सुपर्ण: पूर्बस्य योनिं पितुरा बिबेश।

   मध्ये दिबो निहित: पृश्मिरश्मा बि चक्रमे रजसम्पात्यन्तौ।।⁵

    Here we may explain ‘Purbasya Yoni’ as Yoni Pith, or Kamkhya Yoni. This ‘Kamakhya Yoni’ attracted the Aryan People in very early times of Aryan invasion. They entered into the Yoni  of Mother Goddess as fathers(Pitura). The Mother Goddess ‘Shakambhari’ of Sindh civilization has been absorbed in Aryan theology in very early times. This mother and father relation (God and Goddess combination) is the symbol of successful synthesis of culture.

   “Kamrupa appears to have been a famous place for pilgrimages and devotions, and the fame of Kamakhya and the Brahma Kunda had spread abroad at a very early date”⁶ 

‘Yoni’ in later times has been named as Kamrupa in Purans. The translator Ramesh Chandra Datta has translated ‘Purvasya Yoning’ as ‘to the East’ ‘Purvasya Yoning’ literally means ‘Yoni of the East’ which is obviously ‘Kamrupa’. And the ‘Purva Sagar’ is Louhitya or Brahmaputra. Lauhitya region(village) in present Arunachal Pradesh which was really called the Sun Rising State. The famous ‘Hidden Place’ of Mythology as said in Discovery of North East India⁷ is in Arunachal Pradesh where remains also the famous pilgrimage Parusharam Kunda. It is very sad to mention that the English translation of that very line of the Rig-Veda reads:

    ‘Steer, Sea, Red birds with strong wings, he hath entered dwelling place of Primeval father’ ⁸.

     However the translator took the idea of Primeval father in his non-literal translation. Atharva is primeval father. His dwelling place is Kamrupa(Yoni)[See- P.A.A.V.-3.1].

    The sages travelled from the West Sagar(Sapta Sindh) to the East Sagar(Louhitya):   

    बातस्याश्बो  बायो सखाहथ देबेषितो मुनि:।

   उभौ समुद्रा क्षेति यश्च पूर्ब उतापर।। ⁹  [The Steed of Vata, Vayu's friend, the Muni, by the Gods impelled,

In both the oceans hath his home, in eastern and in western sea. -Tran. By Ralph T. H. Griffitch].

        In the Dharma Shastra of Rishi Vasishta and Bodhayana it has been said that the circuit of Aryavarta was from the Sindh valley to the region of sunrise

आसमुद्रात्तु बै पूर्बादासमूद्रत्तु पश्चिमाद्।

तयरेबास्तरं गियौरार्याबत्तं बिदुबुर्धा:।। ¹⁰

     In the Satapada Brahmana the Gods lived in the Eastern side of Aryavarta; in Kalika Purana also it has been attested.The sage Vasishta, the family priest of Dasaratha lived in the hermitage at Kamakhya.

    Naraka killed Ghatakasura. Indra defated and killed Sambara, and captured hundred cities. After Sambara we find Hatakasura, Ratnasura and Ghatakasura. Naraka killed this Ghatakasura and became the ruller of Pragjyotisha(Kamrupa). Vishnu helped him. Vishnu was his father. In every invasion Vishnu helped the Aryan Chiefs. Indra was greatly helped by Vishnu; and he himself sometimes was called Vishnu. So Naraka naturally may be called another Aryan hero destroying Kirata power backed by Vishnu.  This happened in the Rigveda period. At this period Asura never denoted Non-Aryan one, rather any honourable dominant an respectable personality.    

   ‘The Indo-Mongoloid populations of Eastern India were also massacred during the later Aryan invasions in what is referred to as the Naga or Kirata holocaust’. ¹¹ These Naga and Kirata holocaust occurred most possibly and reasonably by Amurtaraja and Naraka.

   So the Kiratas were driven by Naraka; and some of them had been subjected. The Naga, Kuki, Khasi, Rabha are the Kiratas. This Kiratas driven by Naraka settled in the Chatta region named Kiradia which had been spotted by Tpolemy¹². Panini called a ‘Prachya Janapada’ kshatriya rulers named Suramasa¹³. This ‘Suramasa is Soumar. According to ‘Yogini Tantra’ the Saumars are the descendants of Indra¹⁴. In the Rig-Veda, Indra had been called as Easterner¹⁵.  And Indra’s use of elephant denotes his Easterner identity.

    Naraka was the son of Siradhwaja Janaka.(Jan+ak; father of jan), the king of MIthila. With this name of Janaka, the name Naraka(Nara+ak) resembles in every sense which means guardian of Nara(Man). Thus we find a clear explanation of the term ‘Pitura’(as father). The Aryan came to ‘Yoni’(Kamrupa) as father to rule over. In the adventure of Videgha Mathava, the sage Gotama was his family priest. And this Gotama was the priest of Janaka and so this Gotama performed the first ritual shaving of Naraka.

         The Aryan invasion occupied so many places of ‘Yoni’(Kamrupa) which we clearly find mention in the Rig-Veda:

  स हि द्युता बिद्युता बेति सम पृथुं योनिमसुरत्वा ससाद।

  ससनीलेभ: प्रसहानो अस्य भ्रातुर्न ऋते सप्तथस्य माया:। ¹⁶    

     Here Indra occupied so many places of Yoni(Yoni Kshetra) by force. But here also, the translator misinterpreted the line. He wrote: ‘Indra occupied many places by’ force. But of which place? If we ask this, the answer will be ‘of Yoni’ or Yoni Kshetra. The translator suppressed the term ‘Yoni’ and he used the word ‘Places’ instead of it. This kind of translation had been done perhaps consciously, just to shroud Kamrupa(Yoni) with deep darkness. It is very sorrowful to think that without study of the Text of Rig-Veda and clear interpretation of the same so many scholars thus declared that Kamrupa had not been mentioned in the Rig-Veda. English Translator Ralph T.H. Griffitch also did the same misguiding wave of translation: ‘He goes to end his works with lighting flashes: wide is the seat his Asura glory gives him’¹⁷. Of which ‘seat’? The answer will be clear as ‘seat of Yoni or Yoni kshetra’.

     The name ‘Kamrupa’ has been described as having restorative attribution for its myth of Kamdeva being resurrected by the grace of Shiva.

    The Vedas have real literary and historical value. ‘Yoni’ is the symbol of ‘Kam’. ’Rupa’ means ‘form’, ‘shape’. So ‘Kamrupa’ is named to denote a place where Kaam(Kamana, desire) gets satisfied. Kamakhya Yoni’, ‘Yoni Kshetra’, ‘Yoni Pith’ are the names of these place of Kamrupa. In the Puranas this name ‘Kamrupa’  has been given Mythical interpretation as of the story of ‘Kamdeva’. In Kalika Purana Kamrupa is a beautiful Heavenly place where every desire gets fulfilled. In the Rig-Veda also we find places where every desire gets fulfilled.¹⁸

    Referrences:

1.     Ghoshal S.C, Kuchbeharer Itihas, Published Under Authority, State Press, 1942.

2.     Mitra Shastri Ajay, Ancient North-East India Pragjyotisha,  Aryan Books Inter National New Delhi,2002 p-15.

3.     Dikshitar V.R.Ramchandra, Aryanization of East India(Assam), An article in Discovery of North-East India, Edited by S.K. Sharma and Usha Sharma, pp- 157.

4.     Ibid, pp-160.

5.     Rigveda-5.47.3

6.     A.E.Gait-  ‘ Koch Kings of Kamrup’- page - 273

7.     Discovery of North East India,Vol-3, Mittal Pub., 2005. Preface pp-VIII,

8.     Ralph T. H. Griffitch,The Rigveda(Traslation,10-99-02), 2^nd edition, 1896.

9.     Rig-Veda-10.136.5

10.  Barma Dharmanarayan, Rajbangshi kshatriya Jatir Itibritta banam tribal Andolan’ Booklet Published by Himself on 25.09.98.

11.  Prof. Naidu Uthay, Bible of Aryan Invasions, Vol-1. (Wikipedia).

12.  Ancient India as Described by Ptolemy- 1885, pp-192    

13.  Astadhyayee of Panini, [IV, 1, 170] .

14.  Yogini Tantra, Datta Barua & Co., Guwahati,14th Chap., Slako-74-76

15.  Rig-Veda, 8.6.41(पूर्बज:)

16.  Rig-Veda- 10.99.2.

17.  Rig-Veda- 9-113-10-11.

18.  Ralph T. H. Griffitch,The Rigveda(Traslation,05-47-03),2^nd edition, 1896