Abstract

The Ikṣvāku dynasty's influence spans across a wide range of ancient texts, from the Veda to the Brāhmaṇas. References to prominent Ikṣvāku rulers such as Hariścandra in the Aitereya Brāhmaṇa, Bṛhadratha in the Maitrayāṇī Araṇyaka Upaniṣad, Purukutsa in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, Mandhātṛ Yauvanāśva in the Gopatha Brāhmaṇa, Bhageratha in Jaiminīya Upaniṣad Brāhmaṇa and Trasadasyu in several Brāhmaṇas are evident. The impact of the Ikṣvākus on these ancient texts is not incidental; rather, it is a reflection of their notable deeds and contributions.

Despite their significance in the Ṛgveda, the absence of Ikṣvākus in the list of combatants in the Dasarājña war raises intriguing questions. This research paper aims to delve into the truth behind the whereabouts of the Ikṣvākus during the Dasarājña war, their activities during that time, whether they participated in the conflict, by what name they were known during this war and who were the priests who served them. Through a meticulous examination of textual evidence and historical context, this study seeks to shed light on the role of the Ikṣvāku dynasty during this pivotal period in ancient history.

Introduction

Amidst the multitude of myths and legends found in the annals of ancient India, one individual stands out as historically significant: Sudāsa, the ruler of the Bharatas. Living in the regions that swell along the upper Sarasvatī River, Sudāsa made his mark on history with one unique event: the great Battle of the Ten Kings.

AL Basham writes in his book, Wonder That Was India’ -p35:: 

‘…. one rājā is recorded in the Rg Veda as performing any deed of historical importance. This is Sudās, king of Bharatas, the tribe dwelling on the upper reaches of the Sarasvatī River. Three poems of the collection describe the great “Battle of the Ten Kings” at which Sudās defeated a coalition of ten tribes of the Panjāb and the North West, on the banks of the River Pauršńī, the modern Rāvī. The most powerful of these ten tribes was that of the Pūrus, who dwelt on the lower Sarasvatī and were the Bharatas’ western neighbours; their king, Purukutsa, was apparently killed in the battle.  In the succeeding age we hear no more of Bharatas or Purus, but a new tribe Kurus, controls the old lands of the Bharatas and much of the northern Ganga-Yamuna Doāb.’

Equally, the Ikṣvāku dynasty's presence reverberates throughout ancient Indian texts, spanning from the hymns of the Ṛgveda to the expositions found in the Brāhmaṇas. Notable figures such as Hariścandra in the Aitereya Brāhmaṇa (vii. 13, 16), Bṛhadratha in the Maitrayāṇī Araṇyaka Upaniṣad, Aikṣvāka Purukutsa in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa (xiii. 5, 4, 5.), and Mandhātṛ Yauvanāśva in the Gopatha Brāhmaṇa (i. 2, 10), Tryaruṇa, an Aikṣvāka, in the Pañcaviṃśa Brāhmaṇa (xiii. 3, 12) highlight the dynasty's enduring influence. Trasadasyu Paurukutsa as an Aikṣvāka appears in several Brāhmaṇas as a famous sacrificer of ancient times, in Jaiminīya Upaniṣad Brāhmaṇa they are called ‘ancient great kings’ (pūrve mahārājāḥ). However, despite their prominence in the Vedas, a curious absence arises when examining the list of participants in the Dasarājña war.

This incongruity prompts an inquiry into the whereabouts of the Ikṣvākus during this pivotal conflict, their activities at the time, their potential involvement in the war, and the identity of their priests. This chapter/paper embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind the Ikṣvākus' role in the Dasarājña war, leveraging textual analysis, historical scrutiny, and a nuanced understanding of Vedic traditions.

Witzel - The Development of the Vedic Canon and its Schools: The Social and Political Milieu (source academia.edu)

The Ikṣvākus' authority in the mantras of the Ṛgveda further underscores their significant presence in ancient Indian Vedic society. The problem is identified as the curious absence of Ikṣvākus in the Dasarājña war. In addressing a problem, the method of successive approximation suggests that each subsequent data repository analysed brings us incrementally closer to understanding the underlying issue. The subsequent sections will delve into the data repository of identified mentions of the Ikṣvākus in the Ṛgveda, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive exploration of their historical significance and contributions. Before proceeding, let's examine the Bharatas in the Dasarājña War. 

1.1 Outline of Bharatas in Ṛgveda by various academicians and researchers

When it comes to Ṛgvedic studies the Western or Indic academia has always weighed the Ṛgveda in the favour of Bharatas and this is all due to the war incidence spanning in 6-3-7 Maṇḍala where Bharatas emerge victorious. Below presented Summary Chart by Witzel in one of the research papers is a struggle by him to call the whole Ṛgveda Saṃhitā belonging to Puru-Bharatas by presenting the last prominent Bharatas. Talageri second that.

However, he also brings Tṛkṣi Ikṣvākus alive in one of the blogs but gives scant justice to the presence of Ikṣvākus in any of the deeds or wars, etc. However, after Talageri’s finding if one replaces the same Tṛkṣi ‘Puru’ with Tṛkṣi ‘Ikṣvākus’ in theWitzel’s works then suddenly it is realised that the Ṛgveda is weighed by Ikṣvākus. Anyways, Dasarājña war is won by Sudāsa Bharata and is lauded for the act in Ṛgveda and thus it appears that the Ṛgveda belonged to Bharatas. Here’s how Talageri fixes the Bharatas in different Maṇḍalas.

Work of Shrikant Talageri cited from “The chronological picture of Bharata” read here

But the bigger question now arises, after replacing Tṛkṣi ‘Puru’ with Tṛkṣi ‘Ikṣvākus’, is about the missing Ikṣvākus in the battle of ten kings. Before we understand the situation deeper about the important people in the war it is known to us that Vedas have ten Maṇḍala system in which 2nd to 9th are named as family books. But all the family books contain some of other Ṛṣi’s Sūktas also in a mixed form. The domination of the specific Ṛṣi gave away the distinct family names to Maṇḍalas by the academia and researchers. I give here a background into the world of Ṛṣis of Ṛgveda. It can be noted from the list of the priests of Bharatas identified by Talageri. This information is important as one can note only Bharadvāja (in a doubtful way), Viśvāmitra, Vasiṣṭha are mentioned. There are other king’s names mentioned like Sahadeva and Somaka under Bharata, which is doubtful in nature, whose priests are mentioned as Ṛjrāśva and Vāmadeva Gautama.

Maṇḍala	Suktas	Mantras	Name of Rishis
01	191	2006	Madhucchanda, Medhatithi, Gotama, Agastya and others
02	43	429	Gritasamada and his family
03	62	617	Vishvamitra and his family
04	58	589	Vamadeva Gautama and his family
05	87	727	Atri and his family
06	75	765	Bhardvaja and his family
07	104	841	Vashistha and his family
08	103	1716	Kanva, Kevala Angira etc
09	114	1108	Soma Devata but different Rishis (Kashyapas)
10	191	1754	Vimada, Indra, Shachi, Agastya and others
Total	1028	10,552

Now let's look into Ikṣvākus —

1.2 Ikṣvākus in Ṛgveda: An important identity and the unavoidable people

In the Ṛgveda, the Ikṣvākus are referred to as Rājña, indicating their esteemed status as rulers. Below are the few identified mentions of Ikṣvāku kings in Ṛgveda

यस्ये॑क्ष्वा॒कुरुप॑ व्र॒ते रे॒वान्म॑रा॒य्येध॑ते ।

दि॒वी॑व॒ पञ्च॑ कृ॒ष्टय॑: ॥— RV X.60.4

“In the good government of whose (realm) the opulent and victorious Ikṣvāku prospers (so that) the five orders of men (are as happy) as if they were in heaven.”—HH Wilson

"The king of this country, Ikṣvākus, thrives in his work, rich, and killing his enemies. His five tribes are as if in heaven." — Max Muller.

The earliest explicit reference is found in the mention of Ikṣvāku Rājā Asamātī, identified as the leader of the Pañcakṛṣṭya in RV X.60. Talageri misses the whole point of presence and prominence of King Asamātī by simply stating that “The word Ikṣvāku is found only once in the whole of the Rigveda, in X.60.4. It simply means "the Sun”. Asamātī himself is a ‘deity' too in this hymn which comes before the Hymn X.70 which is known as Apri Sukta of Bharatas in the same maṇḍala. Also, note that not a single Bharata is found as a major or minor deity in Ṛgveda.

Apart from Asamātī, the Tṛkṣis, one of the important Aikṣvāka kings of the Trāsadasyava lineage, descending from Trasadasyu (RV VIII. 22, 7) is mentioned along with the Nāhuṣas, which would mean neighbouring humans or only humans, appears to be primitive people. Let’s look into the list of the notified and identified Aikṣvāka kings.

1.3 The list of notified and identified Aikṣvāka kings with attached legends and their lauding priests is given below-

S.No	Kings and legends attached with them	Ṛṣis	Mandala
1	Bṛhadratha Navavāstva Defeated by Turvasus and Yadus	kaṇvo ghauraḥ bharadvājo bārhaspatyaḥ indro vaikuṇṭhaḥ	36.18 VI. 20, 11 X. 49.06
2	Purukutsa	nodhā gautamaḥ	I.63.7
3	Purukutsa	kutsaḥ āṅgirasaḥ	I.112.7
4	Purukutsa   Mentioned as youthful and in the sense of present tense, in I.174.5 Indra is requested to aid Kutsa The three regions (tisra) belonged to Purukutsa, protected Turvaśa and Yadu (I.174.9) destroyed Duryoṇi (the asura), Kuyavāca, in combat.	Agastya maitrāvaruṇi	I.174.2
5	Trasadasyu,   a giver of ancient gift i.e. kṣetra, land. (IV.38.1) Proclaims; “Two-fold is my empire, that of the whole kṣatriya race, and all the immortals are ours; the gods associate me with the acts of Varuṇa; I rule over (those) of the proximate form of man (IV.42.1) Most wise, powerful and opulent; Tryaruṇa, the son of Trivṛṣṇa (V.27.3) Paurukutsa, the spoils were given to Purukutsa (VI. 20.10), Indra had protected in battles with enemies for the possession of the earth Trasadasyu, the son of Purukutsa (VII.19.3). Ashvinau had protected Trasadasyu when wealth was to be acquired (VIII.8.21), Shobhari kāṇvaḥ as the ally of Trasadasyu, the son of Purukutsa, has given Shobharis five hundred brides (VIII.19.32,36) (River Suvāstu). Indra, have defended Trasadasyu in battle (VIII.36.7). Kurushravana trāsadasyavam as a best rājan (X.33.4). Agni protected in war Atri, Bhāradvāja, Gaviṣṭhira, ourselves (mṛḷīka vāsiṣṭha ), Kaṇva, and Trasadasyu; Vasiṣṭha as the purohita invokes Agni, the Purohita for our felicity.	kutsaḥ āṅgirasaḥ nodhā gautamaḥ vāmadevo gautamaḥ trasadasyuḥ paurukutsyaḥ trayaruṇastraivṛṣṇastrasad-asyuśca paurukutsa bharadvājo bārhaspatyaḥ vasiṣṭhaḥ sadhvaṃśaḥ kāṇvaḥ sobhariḥ kāṇvaḥ śyāvāśvaḥ śyāvāśvaḥ praskaṇvaḥ kāṇvaḥ kavaṣa ailūṣaḥ mṛḷīka vāsiṣṭha	I.112.7, 14, 21; I.63.7; IV.38.1; IV.42.1.8,9; V.27.3; 33.8;   VI. 20.10; VII.19.3; VIII.8.21; VIII.19.32,36,37; 36.7; 37.7; 49.10; X.33.4; 150.5
4	Mandhātṛ; mentioned as a protégé of the Aśvins and evidently as a king   Lord protected Mandhata with sage Bhāradvāja	Kutsa Angirasa	I. 112.13
5	Ambarīṣa, Ṛjrāśva, Sahadeva, Surādhas, and Bhayamāna, all are sons or descendent of Mahārāja Vṛṣāgira       Aṅgirobhiraṅgirastma: the most aṅgiras of aṅgirasas lauded.	vṛṣāgiro mahārājasya -putrabhūtā vārṣāgiras ṛjrāśvāmbarīṣasahadeva bhayamānasurādhasa   ambarīṣa ṛjiṣvā ca	I.100           IX.98
6	Sahadeva and his son Somaka (vāmadevo gautamaḥ was the priest for Trasadasyu also in IV.38.1)	vāmadevo gautamaḥ	IV. 15.7,8,9,10
7	Ṛjrāśva gratified Vāsiṣṭha, and protected (ṛṣis:) Kutsa, Śrutarya, and Narya (RV I.112.9)	kakṣīvān kutsaḥ āṅgirasaḥ	I.116; I.117; 1.112.8
6	Trayaruṇas and Traivṛṣṇa	trayaruṇastraivṛṣṇastrasad-asyuśca paurukutsa	V.27.3; 33.8
7	Mandhātṛ   made new hymn to Indra and Agni as once done by Mandhātā, by Aṅgirasa;	Nābhākaḥ Kāṇvaḥ	VIII. 39, 8 ; 40, 12
8	Mandhātṛvat being parallel with Aṅgirasvat ‘like Aṅgiras,’.	Trita	X. 2, 2
9	Tṛkṣi (singular masculine)   Indra went to gratify Tṛkṣi, the son of Trasadasyu, with vast wealth. RV VIII. 22, 7	śaṃyurbārhaspatyaḥ sobhariḥ kāṇvaḥ	VI.46. 8 VIII. 22, 7
10	Kurushravaṇa was the son of Trasadasyu whose son was Upamashravas	kavaṣa ailūṣa	X.32.9
11	Asamātī (rājā), son of Bhajeratha Ikṣvāku   the opulent and victorious Ikṣvāku prospers (so that) the five orders of men (are as happy)	Ṛṣi — bandhvādayo gaupāyanāḥ devata—asamātī rājā (He is one of the minor deities in Ṛgveda)	X.60.1, 4
12	Māndhātā Yauvanāśvaḥ as a rājarṣi	Māndhātā Yauvanāśvaḥ	X.134.1,
13	Girikṣita, Giriṣṭha, Durgaha, Vṛṣāgir, Bhajeratha are patronymic or father’s names of Ikṣvāku kings. Purukutsānī, ‘wife of Purukutsa’ Ikṣvāku queen with son Trasadasyu is also mentioned.

We now get a gist with clarity that most of the Ṛṣis had association and affinity with the Ikṣvākus in comparison to the number of priests of Bharatas by now. It is important to observe that, except in the second and third maṇḍala when analysed through the perspective of the maṇḍala system, the Ikṣvākus are prominently featured throughout. However, when viewed from the perspective of the Aṣṭakas system, this pattern of prominence is consistent across all sections.

One of the Vārṣāgiras (vṛṣāgira mahārājasya putrabhūtā vārṣāgiras ṛjrāśvāmbarīṣasahadeva bhayamānasurādhasa, which means descendants of the great king Vṛṣāgira, namely Vārṣāgiras; Ṛjrāśva, Ambarīṣa, Sahadeva, Bhayamāna, and Surādhasa) hymns unquestionably links one of the Vārṣāgira i.e. Ambarīṣa, who is engaged in another or a distant war on the banks of the river Sarayu, to the Ikṣvākus. Talageri does connect Ambarīṣa to Ikṣvākus but endorses Sahadeva to Bharatas which is incorrect as all the five princes/kings were sons or descendants of King Vṛṣāgira. Thus, all the five princes were Ikṣvākus. The Vārṣāgira battle is described in the Kutsa upa-maṇḍala of RV 1 (I.94–115). Let's look into the Pravaras list for why this war of Vārṣāgira is present or mentioned in Kutsa upa-maṇḍala. Talageri has once noted that Kutsa is a very close associate of Vasiṣṭhas in X.38.5. I will bring up a detailed analysis of Vārṣāgiras war in some other article or book. Let's look into the Pravaras.

1.4 Ikṣvākus from the Pravaras (Gotra)

Pravaras means “most excellent” and is a system of identity, particularly of a family line who were fit for the sacrifice and are remembered by the people belonging to the gotra, priest family, before the recitation of the mantras or sacrifice. I am quoting a few of them as under which accord the connection to Ikṣvākus (Source: Wikipedia).

Haritasas — Harita, Ambarīsa, Yuvanasva, Angiras, Ambariṣa, Yuvanasva 

Kutsa —  Angirasa, Mandhātā, Kautsa

Paurakutsa (of the Purukutsa): —  Vidahavya, Travedasa, Trasadasyuhu

Kasyapa — (2nd variation) — Kasyapa, Avatsara, Asita

Kanva— Angirasa, Ajamila, Kanva Angirasa, Kaura, Kanva, etc…(Source: Wikipedia)

As of now, I could not find the family line system in relation to Bharatas except for Daivarata a.k.a form Devarata Vaiśvāmitra who is again related to Ikṣvāku king Hariścandra, being the Hotṛ in the Aitereya Brāhmaṇa. Above are a few of the king's names and priests who directly connect with Ikṣvākus. Then are we missing the Ikṣvāku’s presence in the Dasarājña war? Or Why would Ikṣvākus be absent from the Dasarājña war from both sides, when they were themselves the head of Pañcajanāḥ? This inquisitiveness led me to the study of the different factions involved and the structure of wars in Ṛgveda.

2. The structure of people in Dasarājña war

In the table given below, we understand the people of combatants in the war.

The main protagonists in this war are Tṛtsus and Bharatas. The opposite ten kings were Śimyu, Turvaśa, Druhyu, Kavaṣa, Pūru, Anu, Bheda, Śambara, the two Vaikarṇas possessing of 21 people. Usually, Tṛtsus and Bharatas are thought of as the same people by the academia and many researchers. Talageri notes that the word Tṛtsus is used only by the Vasiṣṭhas and only in three of the hymns that refer to this battle, i.e. in VII.18,33,83. This would mean that Tṛtsus were important figures. He also notes that Tṛtsus is assumed by some people to be a reference to the Vasiṣṭhas themselves who are a sub-tribe of the Pūru and thus Tṛtsus are Bharata-Pūru. But all of these different identifications don’t lead us directly to any one concrete answer to who were Tṛtsus. On the other hand, at the same time, it is difficult to comprehend the whereabouts of Ikṣvākus in all these episodes of wars.

2.1 Curious case of absence of Ikṣvākus in Dasarājña war

I identified from the reading of the hymns that the ‘Ikṣvākus’ with this epithet name are apparently absent on both sides. The opposite confederation comprises of the ancient Pañcajanāḥ with other tribes making them the “Ten Kings” in theory and more than ten people in practical reading. In section 1.2 (RV X.60.4) it was found that Pañcajanāḥ were under the tutelage of Ikṣvāku king/rājā Asamātī. The two questions thus arise are-

1. If the Ikṣvākus once were the head of the Pañcajanāḥ then did Ikṣvākus also fight the war, and who were the Ikṣvākus within the two confederations? — Absence of Ikṣvākus
2. Other than that there had been considerable debate amongst many researchers like Ludwig, Oldenberg, Max Muller, Hillerbrandt, and the like for who were the Tṛtsus alongside the Bharatas. The presence of Tṛtsus is there, but the identity is not understood.

2.2 Vasishtas priest of Tṛtsus before becoming the priest of Bharata

To reach the answers to the above questions let's read the mantras in Ṛgveda Saṃhitā where the Vasiṣṭha became the family priest of the Bharatas which in turn shows that thereafter people of the Tṛtsus prospered (RV VII 33,6).

द॒ण्डा इ॒वेद्गो॒अज॑नास आस॒न्परि॑च्छिन्ना भर॒ता अ॑र्भ॒कास॑: ।

अभ॑वच्च पुरए॒ता वसि॑ष्ठ॒ आदित्तृत्सू॑नां॒ विशो॑ अप्रथन्त ॥—RV VII 33.6

“The Bharatas, inferior (to their foes), were shorn (of their possessions), like he staves for driving cattle, (stripped of their leaves and branches); but Vasiṣṭha became their family priest, and the people of the Tṛtsus prospered.”—Translation by HH Wilson

It is notable that prior to serving as the family priest of the Bharatas, there are no explicit references to Vasiṣṭha acting as a priest for any other dynasty or king. The only exception involves a figure named Pāśadyumna, whom Vasiṣṭha reportedly criticised for conducting a parallel sacrifice at the same time as Sudāsa's, for whom Vasiṣṭha was officiating. Although some scholars suggest that Vasiṣṭha may have served as a priest for the Tṛtsus, this leads to an unresolved question: were the Tṛtsus and the Bharatas the same entity or distinct from each other? This issue warrants further investigation to ascertain the truth.

2.3 Identifying Tṛtsus and Bharatas as separate entities

As we will read in the pūrvapakṣa, the earlier understanding by the researchers, that there had been a dilemma on the identities of Tṛtsus and Bharatas being different or one. So, the question arises, can we identify Tṛtsus and Bharatas as separate entities over here in the hymn RV VII 33,6. These are the questions that have been bothering me for a long time. Tṛtsus gets scant justice in the book —The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects. But few of the important conjectures can be drawn i.e. Tṛtsus are separate entity from Bharatas since Bharatas as Tṛtsūnāṃ viśaḥ meaning subjects of Tṛtsus has been explicitly described.

HL Hariyappa^[1] in his book writes,

“Peoples and principalities like the Bharatas, the Trtsus, the Purus, the Panchajanas and the Kikatas, etc. have a historical reality about them.”

He writes Bharatas and Tṛtsus as distinct principalities. This information is important as it gives a good conjecture justifying the description of the Bharatas as Tṛtsūnāṃ viśaḥ, (RV. VII. 33, 6) ‘subjects of the Tṛtsus,’. Hillerbrandt also considers that the Tṛtsus cannot be identified with the Bharatas so did Oldenberg later.

Furthermore, there has been an in-depth study on who were Tṛtsus, which is presented in a section of a research paper, by Shruti Pradhan^[2], she notes,

"First, while the Bharatas are known to the Rgveda as being associated with different regions like the W. SarasvatI (6.6.19 and 61.1), the Vipãs, the Šutudrl (3.33.1 1-12) and the Sarasvatï (3.53.9-12), the Trtsus, on other hand, are associated with the SarasvatI only. This is clear from the fact that the latter are mentioned only in the seventh mandala [18.7(see my comment on this verse in pt. II,), 13.15, 19; 33.5,6,14 and 83.4, 6)] of the Vasisthas, who belong to the SarasvatI (VM, 1.349). 7.18.19 mentions them as being on the Yamunã. Secondly, while the Bharatas, as they moved on, patronised different families of priests such as the Bharadvãjas on to the W. SarasvatI, and Viávãmitras in the regions of the Vipãá, Šutudri and the SarasvatI, the Trtsus, on other hand, had the Vasisthas alone as the priests. This is clear from 7.83.7 where Vasistha thanks Indra for protecting Sudãs though, significantly, he goes on to refer to himself as a priest of the Trtsus rather than of the Bharatas. This suggests that he was originally a priest of the Trtsus.”....

She further says, "The tendency to exalt the Trtsus is also expressed at 7.18.7 and 13 where he ascribes the victory of the coalition to the Trtsus. However, the mind-set of Vasistha at 7.18.15 is exactly the opposite of this. Here, though the Trtsus are described as coming speedily to attack the enemy, Vasistha says that the enemy left the wealth to Sudāsa and not to the Trtsus, as one would have expected him to say. This suggests that towards the end of the war he is more favourably inclined to Sudāsa than to the Trtsus. This is reflected in the dAnastuti , which mentions Sudāsa and not the Trtsus at all.”—Shruti Pradhan

3.   We noted two questions in section 2.1, the third question thus arise that to whom Vasiṣṭhas served as the priests before Bharata. — Vasiṣṭhas served whom?

दू॒रादिन्द्र॑मनय॒न्ना सु॒तेन॑ ति॒रो वै॑श॒न्तमति॒ पान्त॑मु॒ग्रम् ।

पाश॑द्युम्नस्य वाय॒तस्य॒ सोमा॑त्सु॒तादिन्द्रो॑ऽवृणीता॒ वसि॑ष्ठान् ॥— RV VII 33.3

“Disgracing (Pāśadyumna), they brought from afar the fierce Indra, when drinking the ladle of Soma at his sacrifice, to (receive) the libation (of Sudāsa); Indra hastened from the effused Soma of Pāśadyumna, the son of Vāyata, to the Vasiṣṭhas.”—Translation by HH Wilson

Neither we find Vasiṣṭha a king-like figure similar to Viśvāmitra, who once was a king before he became Rājarṣi. Vasiṣṭha had always been portrayed as the priest in all the Hindu texts. But we come across a statement that he was able to lure Indra away from the Soma drink at Pāśadyumna’s (Vāyata’s son) sacrifice, to the sacrifice which he himself was conducting (VII 33.2). Pāśadyumna remains unidentified in the Vedic Index of Names and Subject by any of the academia. Then the question arises which principality did he belong to, whose sacrifice was rebuked by Vasiṣṭha. We come across an interesting hymn where evidence appears on the follies of Tṛtsus.

इन्द्रे॑णै॒ते तृत्स॑वो॒ वेवि॑षाणा॒ आपो॒ न सृ॒ष्टा अ॑धवन्त॒ नीची॑: ।

दु॒र्मि॒त्रास॑: प्रकल॒विन्मिमा॑ना ज॒हुर्विश्वा॑नि॒ भोज॑ना सु॒दासे॑ ॥— RV VII.18.15

“These hostile, Tṛtsus, ignorantly contending with Indra, fled routed as rapidly as rivers on a downwardcourse, and being discomfited, abandoned all their possessions to Sudāsa.”

This analysis clarifies that Pāśadyumna, mentioned in RV VII.33.3, was a Tṛtsu king. This conclusion is supported by triangulating evidence from another hymn (RV VII.18.15), which depicts the Tṛtsus as foolishly contending Indra and, after being discomfited, relinquishing all possessions to Sudāsa, fled further. These possessions had previously been granted to a Tṛtsu king, as referenced in the singular noun in RV 7.18.13, and had been acquired from Anu. This narrative aligns with the account of Pāśadyumna's (RV VII.33.2) untimely and parallel sacrifice to Indra in another incident.

Intriguingly, within the context of the battle of the ten kings, it appears that Ikṣvāku, identifiable exclusively by this name, is notably absent from both factions involved in the conflict, despite his acknowledged superiority and his mentorship role to the Pañcajanāḥ^[3] ( is discussed in the subsequent sections) and on the other hand, at the same time, the identity of Tṛtsus remains unidentified, therefore it becomes imperative to understand the origins of Tṛtsus and Vasiṣṭha’s serving to their earlier king, which we partially found in this section, i.e. Tṛtsu king is Pāśadyumna. In the Dasarājña war the Tṛtsus and Bharatas apparently appear as one but it is not so. The presence of Bharata’s winning in 6-3-7 Maṇḍala made academia think that the Ṛgveda is dominated by Bharatas. But whether Pāśadyumna Vayanta (Tṛtsus) is a Bharatas or not, we will understand in the next section.

Let’s read between the lines in the next four hymns to find the truth if Bharatas and Tṛtsus are same or distinct principalities.

उद्द्यामि॒वेत्तृ॒ष्णजो॑ नाथि॒तासोऽदी॑धयुर्दाशरा॒ज्ञे वृ॒तास॑: । वसि॑ष्ठस्य स्तुव॒त इन्द्रो॑ अश्रोदु॒रुं तृत्सु॑भ्यो अकृणोदु लो॒कम् ॥— RV VII.33.5

“When surrounded and distressed in the Dasarājña war looked up (to Indra for help), as thirsty men look up to the heaven (for rain). Indra heard while Vasiṣṭha was praising him and gave wide enough space to the Tṛtsu.”— Translated by HH Wilson

द॒ण्डा इ॒वेद्गो॒अज॑नास आस॒न्परि॑च्छिन्ना भर॒ता अ॑र्भ॒कास॑: । अभ॑वच्च पुरए॒ता वसि॑ष्ठ॒ आदित्तृत्सू॑नां॒ विशो॑ अप्रथन्त ॥  —RV VII.33.6

"The Bharatas were very few and limited like the sticks used for driving the cows. But as soon as Vasiṣṭha became their leader immediately then the followers of the Trtsus became vast and unlimited.”—Translated by HH Wilson

इन्द्रा॑वरुणाव॒भ्या त॑पन्ति मा॒घान्य॒र्यो व॒नुषा॒मरा॑तयः । यु॒वं हि वस्व॑ उ॒भय॑स्य॒ राज॒थोऽध॑ स्मा नोऽवतं॒ पार्ये॑ दि॒वि ॥— RV VII.83.5

“Indra and Varuṇa, the murderous (weapons) of my enemy distress me; foes among the malignant (assail me); you two are sovereigns over both (celestial and terrestrial) wealth; protect us therefore, on the day of battle.”—Translated by HH Wilson

यु॒वां ह॑वन्त उ॒भया॑स आ॒जिष्विन्द्रं॑ च॒ वस्वो॒ वरु॑णं च सा॒तये॑ । यत्र॒ राज॑भिर्द॒शभि॒र्निबा॑धितं॒ प्र सु॒दास॒माव॑तं॒ तृत्सु॑भिः स॒ह ॥—RV VII.83.6

“Both (Sudāsa and the Tṛtsus) call upon you two (Indra and Varuṇa), in combats for the acquisition of wealth, when you defend Sudāsa, together with Tṛtsus, when attacked by the ten rājās.”—Translated by HH Wilson

दा॒श॒रा॒ज्ञे परि॑यत्ताय वि॒श्वत॑: सु॒दास॑ इन्द्रावरुणावशिक्षतम् । श्वि॒त्यञ्चो॒ यत्र॒ नम॑सा कप॒र्दिनो॑ धि॒या धीव॑न्तो॒ अस॑पन्त॒ तृत्स॑वः ॥—RV VII.83.8

“You gave vigour, Indra and Varuṇa, to Sudāsa when surrounded on all sides by the ten rājās (in the country) where the pious Tṛtsus, walking in whiteness, and wearing braided hair, worshipped with oblations and praise.” —Translated by HH Wilson

By evaluating the above four hymns, and the word ubhayāsa, meaning both, in RV VII.83.6, one can now easily identify both Sudāsa and the Tṛtsus as different entities. Moreover, as Shruti Pradhan stated that, “significantly, he goes on to refer to himself as a priest of the Tṛtsus rather than of the Bharatas” stands correct in RV VII.83.8.

This suggests that the Bharatas, initially a small group, grew significantly in number and influence as they became subjects of the Tṛtsus. The Tṛtsus, a much larger tribe with Vasiṣṭha as their priest, were led by King Pāśadyumna, for whom Vasiṣṭha facilitated Sudāsa Bharatas’ support through sacrificial rites. Hymn VII.83.5,6 distinctly identifies Sudāsa and the Tṛtsus as separate entities. The actions of Pāśadyumna were so objectionable to the Vasiṣṭhas that it appears Vasiṣṭha ultimately aligned as the priest for the Bharatas/Sudāsa, uniting these two tribes to contend against a formidable confederation comprising numerous tribes including the Pañcajanāḥ, Śimyu, Turvaśa, Druhyu, Kavaṣa, Pūru, Anu, Bheda, Śambara, the two Vaikarṇas with 21 people, Matsyas, Pakthas, Bhalānas, Alinas, Viṣāṇins, Śivas, Ajas, Śigrus, and Yakṣus. Conversely, the opposing coalition, led by Vasiṣṭha's kings, included only the Tṛtsus and Bharata Sudāsa. Despite being outnumbered, under Vasiṣṭha’s guidance, Sudāsa and the Tṛtsus emerged victorious in the battle. This raises questions about the Tṛtsus’ identity and the specific role of the Vasiṣṭhas as their priests.

3.  The Mystical Birth and Priestly Roles of Vasiṣṭha and Agastya in the Dasarājña War unveils the identity of Tṛtsus

Let’s understand the hidden situation of the priests of Tṛtsus in Dasarājña war hymns.

The same hymn of RV VII.33, where the Tṛtsus are also mentioned, continues further with the birth of twins—Vasiṣṭha and Agastya. It’s a story of their mysterious birth from Urvaśī during the battle event. The question arises as to why the birth of both Vasiṣṭha and Agastya appears in the war hymn. Let's read the hymn below.

वि॒द्युतो॒ ज्योति॒: परि॑ सं॒जिहा॑नं मि॒त्रावरु॑णा॒ यदप॑श्यतां त्वा ।

तत्ते॒ जन्मो॒तैकं॑ वसिष्ठा॒गस्त्यो॒ यत्त्वा॑ वि॒श आ॑ज॒भार॑ ॥— RV VII.33.10

“When Mitra and Varuṇa beheld you, Vasiṣṭha, quitting the lustre of the lightning (for a different form), then one of your births (took plural ce), inasmuch as Agastya bore you from your (former) abode.”— Translated by HH Wilson

उ॒क्थ॒भृतं॑ साम॒भृतं॑ बिभर्ति॒ ग्रावा॑णं॒ बिभ्र॒त्प्र व॑दा॒त्यग्रे॑ ।

उपै॑नमाध्वं सुमन॒स्यमा॑ना॒ आ वो॑ गच्छाति प्रतृदो॒ वसि॑ष्ठः ॥— RV VII.33.14

“Pratṛts, Agastya comes to you; welcome him with devoted minds, and he in the foremost station directs the reciter of the prayer, the chanter of the hymn, the grinder of the stone, and repeats (what is to be repeated).”— Translated by HH Wilson

Pratṛts = Tṛtsus; in the foremost station: agre, in front, that is, as their Purohita. (Sayana commentary) Pra here is only an adjective prefix. There has been a confusing statement in Vedic index stating Pratardana for Pratṛts.

In RV VII.33.14, the sons of Vasiṣṭha request the Tṛtsus to appoint Agastya as their chief priest on its visibility or presence in the foremost station, indicating the significant stature of the Tṛtsus as compared to the Bharatas.

It is also notable that another hymn in the Ṛgveda identifies Agastya's family as priests for the Ikṣvākus. Remarkably, this is the only hymn in the entire Ṛgveda Saṃhitā where 'Ikṣvāku' is mentioned by name, and it appears just once. This hymn, previously discussed in Section 1, identifies five tribes under the rule of Ikṣvāku king Asamātī Rathaprauśṭha, a descendant of Bhajeratha. Here, I also include the priests associated with these tribes, continuing with hymn no. 6 of RV X.60, to provide further insight into the role and context of these priests.

यस्ये॑क्ष्वा॒कुरुप॑ व्र॒ते रे॒वान्म॑रा॒य्येध॑ते । दि॒वी॑व॒ पञ्च॑ कृ॒ष्टय॑: ॥— RV X.60.4

“In the good government of whose (realm) the opulent and victorious Ikṣvāku prospers (so that) the five orders of men (are as happy) as if they were in heaven.”—Translated by HH Wilson

Ṛṣi (sage/seer): bandhvādayo gaupāyanāḥ [bandhvādaya gaupāyanāḥ]; devatā ; asamātī rājā

अ॒गस्त्य॑स्य॒ नद्भ्य॒: सप्ती॑ युनक्षि॒ रोहि॑ता । प॒णीन्न्य॑क्रमीर॒भि विश्वा॑न्राजन्नरा॒धस॑: ॥—RV X.60.6

“Yoke the two red horses to your chariot, for the nephews of Agastya, and overcome, rājā, all the niggard withholders of oblations.”

Ṛṣi (sage/seer): agastyasya svasaiṣāṃ mātā; devatā ; asamātī rājā

The first hymn explicitly states that under the guidance of the Ikṣvākus, the five peoples thrive as prosperous principalities. Additionally, the second hymn along with statements about the priests, clearly indicates that the Agastya and the family of Agastya, served as the priests for the Ikṣvākus.

And finally, we come across the hymn from 10th Maṇḍala.

अ॒ग्निरत्रिं॑ भ॒रद्वा॑जं॒ गवि॑ष्ठिरं॒ प्राव॑न्न॒: कण्वं॑ त्र॒सद॑स्युमाह॒वे । अ॒ग्निं वसि॑ष्ठो हवते पु॒रोहि॑तो मृळी॒काय॑ पु॒रोहि॑तः ॥—RV X.150.5

“May Agni protect in war Atri, Bhāradvāja, Gaviṣṭhira^[4], ourselves, Kaṇva, and Trasadasyu; Vasiṣṭha as the purohita invokes Agni, the Purohita for our felicity.”—Translation by HH Wilson

In the above-mentioned hymn, Mṛḷīka Vāsiṣṭha (X.150.5) states that Vasiṣṭha invokes Agni as the priest for his co priests, Atri, Bhāradvāja, Gaviṣṭhira, Kaṇva and king Trasadasyu before going in a war. This evidence can be triangulated with the help of mentions of Trasadasyu in Vedas, various Brahmanas and the Pravara list from previous sections.

In the 4th maṇḍala, we come across another piece of evidence where the seven ṛṣis protected the land when Ikṣvāku king Durgaha was imprisoned. This is imperative to understand that most of the priest families served Ikṣvākus. They definitely outnumber the priests of Bharatas.

अ॒स्माक॒मत्र॑ पि॒तर॒स्त आ॑सन्त्स॒प्त ऋष॑यो दौर्ग॒हे ब॒ध्यमा॑ने ।

त आय॑जन्त त्र॒सद॑स्युमस्या॒ इन्द्रं॒ न वृ॑त्र॒तुर॑मर्धदे॒वम् ॥—RV 4.42.8

“The seven ṛṣis were the protectors of this our (kingdom) when the son of Durgaha was in bonds; performing worship they obtained for (his queen) from the favour of Indra and Varuṇa, Trasadasyu, like Indra the slayer of foes, dwelling near the gods.”

Now compare the list of Ikṣvākus with their legends from the section 1 where one will find most of the priests are associated with Ikṣvākus and compare it with the table of maṇḍala/aṣṭaka and their assumed families.

Therefore, it becomes essential to comprehend heretofore why the birth of twin brothers Agastya and Vasiṣṭha (RV VII.33.10) are mentioned in the hymn relating to war, where Bharata-Sudāsa is praised as equal to Tṛtsus.

Additionally, Agastya is welcomed at the foremost station as the chief priest (Purohita) to Tṛtsus by the sons of Vasiṣṭha. Both figures Agastya and Vasiṣṭha are presented to affirm that the war belonged to the Ikṣvākus, namely to Tṛtsu Pāśadyumna and their priests, Agastya and Vasiṣṭha. This revelation completes the puzzle of the priest of Tṛtsus-Ikṣvākus, who also became the priests of Bharata-Sudāsa in the Ṛgveda. It gives the answer to question 1 posed in the beginning, “If the Ikṣvākus were the head of the Pañcajanāḥ then did Ikṣvākus also fight the war, and who were the Ikṣvākus within both the confederation?” The hymn where Indra protected the earth that belonged to Trasadasyu (VII.19.3), for the possession of the earth, gives evidence that most of the part of the earth belonged to Ikṣvākus.

3.1 Outer evidence: The Priests of Ikṣvākus in Rāmāyaṇa and other Texts

I am introducing additional evidence from another Hindu text, the Rāmāyaṇa, which provides insight into the ancient Ikṣvāku lineage named after the king Ikṣvāku himself. The Vasiṣṭhas continued their role as the family priests of the Ikṣvākus, maintaining a tradition known as 'rsi parampara', where the name of the first rsi is perpetuated across generations and millennia. This tradition persisted into the era of the Rāmāyaṇa, where Agastya played a crucial role as a guide for Rāma's actions and even supplied him with weapons for battle. Let's explore mentions of Vasiṣṭha in the epic Rāmāyaṇa to further understand their significance.

गच्छन्तु इति ततः सर्वे वसिष्ठम् वाक्यम् अब्रुवन् |

तेषाम् तत् वचनम् श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठो वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् || २-६८-४….etc

Royal messengers had been sent (by Vasiṣṭha) to recall Bharata and Shatrughna from Kaikeya to Ayodhya [Valmiki Ramayana 2.68].

A huge convoy led by Bharata leaves Ayodhya to get God Rama back. He is accompanied by Rishi Vasiṣṭha [Valmiki Ramayana 2.83-90]. [data from Hindu Stack exchange online site verified]

We have yet another evidence from Aitreya Brāhmaṇa where Vasiṣṭha was serving Hariścandra as a Brahma priest and interestingly the Vishvamitra was present as a Hotṛ.

तस्य ह विश्वामित्रो होताऽऽसीज्जमदग्निरध्वर्युर्वसिष्ठो ब्रह्माऽयास्य उद्गाता;… तृतीय अध्याय, चतुर्थ खण्ड।

 "Among them, Vishvamitra was the Hotṛ, Jamadagni the Adhvaryu, and Vasishtha the Brahma priest…” This is from the third chapter, fourth section.

Therefore, it can be conclusively stated that the Vasiṣṭhas served as priests for the Ikṣvāku lineage, specifically in the context of the Tṛtsus-Ikṣvāku relationship as depicted in the Ṛgveda. This clarifies the misunderstanding that the Tṛtsus were Bharatas; in fact, they were part of the Ikṣvāku lineage. Eventually, the Bharatas either united with or supported the Ikṣvākus during the Dasarājña war. Similar to how Rāma is referred to as a Raghuvaṃśī, stemming from the Ikṣvāku lineage, the name Ikṣvāku often becomes less prominent compared to the notable title of the Tṛtsus during the Dasarājña war. Here, 'Tṛtsus' serves as an honorary title for the Ikṣvāku king, Pāśadyumna Vayanta.

4.  The revolt of Pañcajanāḥ and the other Tribes

Ikṣvākus were Rājña and the others were their peoples - janaḥ/kṛṣṭya, etc. is already noted in earlier sections also it can easily be identified that the Pañcajanāḥ are present in Dasarājña confederation. The word Dasarājña gives a fair idea that the Pañcajanāḥ broke off and had declared themselves autonomous principalities i.e. Rājña. This can be explicitly stated due to the occurrence of the word Daśa-puruṣaṃ-rājya, appearing in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, (xii. 9, 3, 1. 3) which doubtlessly means ‘sovereignty inherited through ten ancestors’. The sequence of events suggests that the Pañcajanāḥ, along with other tribes, initiated a rebellion against the Ikṣvākus. This is further evidenced in the Maitrayāṇī Aranyaka Upaniṣad, where King Bṛhadratha is depicted in a state of remorse, a condition similarly referenced in the Ṛgveda (I.36.18 and X.49.06) under the epithet Navavāstva Bṛhadratha.

Additionally, hymns describing Bṛhadratha’s defeats in battles against the Turvasus and Yadus suggest a critical weakening of the Ikṣvāku's power due to these internal conflicts. The need for alliances became apparent if they were to regain their strength. Consequently, the Vasiṣṭhas, despite the Bharatas being a smaller and subordinate tribe under the Tṛtsus, as indicated by the phrase "Tṛtsūnāṃ viśaḥ" (RV. VII. 33, 6), chose to align themselves as priests with the Bharatas.

5. Identifying the territory of Tṛtsus-Ikṣvākus

The great battle took place on the banks of River Paruṣṇī, but there was also a fight on the Yamunā with Bheda (RV 7.18.19), the Ajas, Śigrus, and Yakṣus. The Yamunā and the Parusṇī represent opposite ends of the territory of the Tṛtsus who abandoned their possessions to Sudāsa. This is a piece of interesting information since this can be cross-verified via a memory of Vasiṣṭhas’s messenger in transit in Rāmāyaṇa. When messengers left for Kaikeya they crossed River Mālinī, then Gaṅgā and Hastināpura, Pañcāla, Kurujāṅgala, River Saradaṇda, thereafter they crossed River Ikṣumatī. At Ikṣumatī it is recalled that this land belonged to the forefathers of Daśaratha.

अभिकालम् ततः प्राप्यते बोधिभवनाच्च्युताम् |

पितृपैतामहीम् पुण्याम् तेरुरिक्षुमतीम् नदीम् || २-६८-१७

“From there having reached a village named Abhikala, they crossed the holy Ikṣumatī River, which was flowing down from Bodhibhavana Mountain. This region was associated with the father and grandfathers i.e. forefathers of Daśaratha.”

Needless to say, the region near Ikṣumatī, which is another name or tributary of Sarasvatī, is the central region between Parusṇī and Yamunā. The region of Sarasvatī belonged to Tṛtsus. The central region also has Toponymy memories of the region belonging to Ikṣvāku till to this date in the name of Rohtak, after Hariścandra Aikṣvāka’s son Rohita of Aitareya Brāhmana. It is worth noting that the word Ikṣvāku is formulated from the word Ikṣu with the suffix ak and Ikṣu comes from Iṣ, root meaning ‘to desire’ or from Ikṣ, root meaning ‘to see’. Ikṣu thus itself is present in both the names Ikṣumatī and Ikṣvāku.

6. Conclusion

1. Thus, it is concluded that Tṛtsus and Bharata are different entities and Tṛtsus were Ikṣvākus.
2. It concluded explicitly that the Priest of Tṛtsus were Vasiṣṭhas and Agastyas, who were Ikṣvāku’s priests in Ṛgveda, subsequently Vasiṣṭhas became priests to Sudāsa - Bharata. The opposite confederation of Dasarājña war was fought under the flags of Sudāsa, but the Tṛtsus were at the forefront of the war like Purohitas in sacrifice with Vasiṣṭhas and Agastyas. Sudāsa - Bharata fought as a Tṛtsūnāṃ viśaḥ, (RV. VII. 33, 6) ‘subjects of the Tṛtsus’.
3. The Tṛtsus territory spanned from Paruṣṇī till Yamunā, which is cross-verified by Rāmāyaṇa reference. The territories were occupied by the five peoples under the tutelage of Ikṣvākus.
4. Dasarājña war was won by the Ikṣvākus and Bharatas alliance, the possessions acquired by Tṛtsus - Ikṣvākus were abandoned to Sudāsa - Bharata and it appears that the five peoples lost hold of their territories to Bharatas for a while but they also became autonomous sovereigns.

The antiquity is so deep that even the names like Tṛtsus in Ikṣvāku's race and Sudāsa in Bharata’s race are not found in their lineages mentioned in Itihāsa or elsewhere. The two dynastic political allies/rivals i.e. paurāṇic Solar and Lunar respectively, came forth from the winner Ikṣvākus and Bharatas right from the deep antiquity post Dasarājña war, but before Dasarājña war it was the Ikṣvāku’s with their five peoples who had once hold in the Himalayan River territories. 

References

1. HH Wilson, ‘Rig Veda’
2. AL Basham, ‘Wonder That Was India’
3. Witzel - ‘The Development of the Vedic Canon and its Schools : The Social and Political Milieu’
4. Talageri, The Identity of the Enemies of Sudās in the Dāśarājña Battle in the Rigveda
5. Talageri, The Ikṣvākus in the Rigveda
6. HL Hariyappa, 1953, “Rigvedic legends through the ages”
7. Shruti Pradhan, 2004, FROM THE WESTERN SARASVATĪ TO THE YAMUNĀ: THE PROGRESS OF THE BHARATAS: THE DĀŚARĀJÑA HYMN RE-INTERPRETED, Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 85 (2004), pp. 1-20 (20 pages)
8. Max Müller, The Hymns of the Gaupâyanas and the Legend of King Asamâti; The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1866, New Series, Vol. 2, No. 2 (1866), pp. 426-479
9. G.V Tagare, The Brahmanda Purana; Chapter 8 - The race of the sages: Atri and Vasiṣṭha; 85. Among the descendants of his (i.e. Atri) four are well renowned on the earth viz. Śyāvāśvas, Mudgalas, Vāgbhūtakas and Gaviṣṭhiras.
10. Pravaras, Wikipedia
11. Ikshvaku, Wikipedia
12. Ramayana; Hari Prasad Shastri, Chapter 79 - The hundred Sons of Ikshvaku, Wisdomlib.org