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INTRODUCTION
xlvii
standing as it did in such sharp contrast to all the principles of Vedic ritual was taken up and cultivated primarily not in the Brahmin but in the Kshatriya circle and was adopted by the former in later times. As against this view it is contended that Brahma Vidya had its origin in the earlier Vedic literature itself and that the Brahmins themselves had as much to do with it as the Kshatriyas. In order to understand the full significance of this controversy we have to remember certain important and relevant facts.
Even earlier than the Upanishadic period, in the period of Brahmanas we have traces of rivalry between Brahmins and Kshatriyas. We need not go back to the legendary period of Viswamitra vs. Vasishta, when the former asserted his equality of status with the latter. What is contained in the Brahmana literature is much more historical than such legendary anecdotes. We have a reference to an Aryan tribe in the countries of Kası, Kosala, Videha and Magadha. The term Kasi is used in plural to denote the people thereof The Kasis and the Videhas were closely related because of their proximity. Sometimes the Videhas were clubbed with the Kosalas. These were always considered by the Kurupanchalas as a hostile group. It is a fair conclusion that between these two groups of people there did exist some political conflict, probably based upon some difference of culture. The Satapatha Brahmanas in which occurs the story of the advance of Aryan civilisation over Kosala and Videha, preserves a clear tradition of its time and furnishes a piece of evidence that in the Kuru Panchala country, lay a great centre of Brahaman cult. From these it appears to have been brought to the countries of Kasi and Kosala probably by the settlers of a later date. It is probable that the Eastern Countries were less Aryan than the West as they were less completely brought under Brahmin supremacy as the rival systems of Jainism and Buddhism indicate. Among the Kosalas, Videhas and Magadhas the Kshatriyas were ranked above the Brahmins. The social supremacy of the Kshatriyas in these countries is further corrobated by the fact that the later Vedic texts display towards the people of Magadha a marked antipathy which may be reasonably
| SR No. | 011119 |
| Book Title | Samayasara OR Nature of Self |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | A Chakravarti |
| Publisher | Bharatiya Gyanpith |
| Publication Year | 1950 |
| Total Pages | 406 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 38 MB |