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Dashrajna War of the Rigveda - The First Epochal War of India — Transcript

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0:04Namaskar.
0:05Today we are going to know something
0:07about the Dasarajna war.
0:10An epochal war.
0:12Today is the occasion of Independence
0:14Day of India.
0:17If we read the first article of Indian
0:19Constitution,
0:21we read India, that is Bharata.
0:24So, a question arises, what does Bharata
0:27mean?
0:28Bharata, something that belongs to
0:30Bharata.
0:32Where does this name come from?
0:35If we try and find out
0:38the answers to this question, usually
0:41the answers given are found in the
0:43Purana texts.
0:45Here,
0:46I have presented two stanzas from Vishnu
0:49Purana.
0:50The first one says,
0:51Uttaram yat samudrasya Himadreschaiva
0:54Dakshinam, Varsham tad Bharatam nama
0:57Bharati yatra santatih.
1:00So, it means that country which is
1:02towards the north of the ocean
1:05and the south of the Himalaya Parvata is
1:08the country named Bharata.
1:10And the people living there are Bharati.
1:16The second verse says, Tatascha Bharatam
1:18Varsham etal lokeshu giyate Bharataya
1:22yatah pitra dattam pratishthitavanam.
1:25So, this is the country named Bharata,
1:28which is praised in the entire world,
1:31and it was given to Bharata by his
1:34father when he left for the forest life.
1:39In this regard, it is also said that
1:41this nomenclature has come from Bharata,
1:44son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala.
1:47So, these are various answers which are
1:49popularly known.
1:51But, if we visit even older Sanskrit
1:54texts, then we find the oldest reference
1:57to the name Bharatas, a family called
2:00Bharata, which is found in the oldest
2:03Vedic text named Rigveda.
2:05This text consists of approximately
2:081,000 Suktas or hymns addressed to
2:12various gods.
2:13In addition to the prayers to the gods,
2:16it introduces us to the ancient history
2:18of India.
2:20And we come across multiple names of
2:22people and places belonging to this
2:25ancient era.
2:27Bharatas are cited as an eminent ruling
2:31family in the Rigveda and the other
2:34Vedic texts.
2:36So, we realize that they must be
2:38followers of the Vedic lifestyle when we
2:41go through these Vedic paragraphs.
2:44In this very text named the Rigveda, we
2:47learn that a king named Sudas belonged
2:51to the Bharata clan,
2:53and he was the winner of the war
2:55popularly known as Dasarajnya war.
3:00On the basis of the textual evidence
3:02from the Rigveda,
3:03Dasarajnya war appears as the first big
3:07war documented in the history of India
3:10and maybe the history of the world.
3:13Usually, the wars are fought for various
3:16reasons and with multiple intentions.
3:19They are considered a tool of
3:21destruction for the humankind according
3:24to those who are not involved in the
3:26wars.
3:27A famous Sanskrit Subhashita
3:30verse goes like this.
3:41So,
3:43the mountains
3:46when at a distance, the prostitutes with
3:49their faces made up, and the stories
3:52related to the wars are Ramya,
3:55attractive, but from a distance.
3:58So,
3:59being far away from this epochal war
4:02belonging to the prehistoric times,
4:05today let us travel through the pages or
4:09rather the Suktas or hymns of the
4:11Rigveda and try to know about the
4:14Dasarajna war.
4:17In this regard, first of all, let us see
4:19what does the word Dasarajna mean?
4:22The word Dasarajna shows something
4:25related to 10 kings or chieftains.
4:28So, the word Dasarajna means that the
4:31war
4:33must have took place among approximately
4:3510 kings.
4:37I have purposefully said that this war
4:40happened among approximately 10 kings.
4:44While reading the ancient literature
4:46like the Vedas,
4:48we understand that in such cases, the
4:51numbers like 10 or 100, Das or Satam,
4:55were used to show a large quantity.
4:58Thus, this war could be considered as a
5:01conflict between a big group of kingdoms
5:04and not exactly number 10.
5:07By looking for the details of this
5:09episode, we need to look for both
5:12King Sudas, who was the winner of this
5:14war,
5:15and of course, the war itself.
5:18So, if we read
5:20the hymns of Rigveda,
5:23we come to know that one hymn from the
5:25third Mandala, number 53, informs us
5:29about King Sudas and three hymns from
5:32the seventh Mandala, that is number 18,
5:3453, and 83,
5:37describe about the war.
5:40Third Mandala belongs to seer
5:41Vishwamitra that
5:43talks about King Sudas, and seventh
5:46Mandala belongs to seer Vishwamitra,
5:48which prominently talks about the war,
5:51the Dasharajnya war.
5:53So, we can think that these two seers,
5:56Vishwamitra and Vishwamitra, might have
5:59some association with King Sudas.
6:02Now, I'm going to describe about this
6:05war keeping these four hymns in front of
6:08me.
6:09In the third mandala, we find Sudas's
6:12name
6:13when we get the description of the
6:16performance of Ashvamedha right
6:19under the spiritual advice of
6:21Vishwamitra.
6:23Then, we go to seventh mandala and we
6:25find the actual war descriptions.
6:29Now, before going to the details of
6:31these mandalas, I would like to take an
6:33account of the names of people who are
6:36involved in this war
6:38other than King Sudas.
6:41So,
6:42we have King Sudas.
6:44His family name is Paijavana.
6:47King Sudas of Paijavana, his Bharata
6:50family, and there was another family
6:52named Trutsu with seer Vishwamitra on
6:55one side of the war.
6:57The opposite party consists of
6:59Dasharajana
7:01or the 10 kings.
7:02And the names we find are
7:05Purus, Yadus,
7:07Turvashas, Anus, Druhyus, Alinas,
7:11Pakthas, Bhalanas, Alinas, Vishanins,
7:15Shivas, Vaikarnas, Matsyas, Shimyus,
7:19Bhedas, Ajus, Shigrus, Yakshus, and some
7:23more.
7:25Here, you will see a chart mentioning
7:27these names.
7:29Here, we realize that the names
7:31mentioned in the opponent party are
7:34certainly more than 10.
7:36And so, the number 10 represented in the
7:39title Dasharajnya war is nothing but a
7:41great number.
7:44In this regard, some scholars opine that
7:46even seer Vishwamitra was a part of this
7:49opposite confederate.
7:51However, none of the above said hymns
7:53mention that Vishwamitra was a spiritual
7:56leader or advisor or consultant, if we
7:59use the modern jargon,
8:01uh of the confederates against King
8:03Sudas.
8:06These hymns also praise some gods, such
8:08as Indra, Varuna, and Maruts.
8:11But, uh let us discuss about these
8:13deities
8:14a little later.
8:16Now, let us come to the actual account
8:19of the war.
8:21So, we had Sudas, King Sudas of the
8:24Paijavana, with his followers,
8:27the family named Bharatas,
8:29and the other family called Trutsus.
8:32They were once attacked by the combined
8:34and vast armies of the 10 kings.
8:38The Dasharajnya army cornered King Sudas
8:41and his army on the bank of the
8:43high-flowing river Parushni.
8:46Seeing the futility of resistance, Sudas
8:49escaped to the other bank of the river
8:51with his army.
8:53This happened due to the blessings of
8:55God Indra at the behest of seer
8:57Vasistha. This is told to us by the
9:01hymns of the Rigveda.
9:03Some of the 10 allies tried to pursue
9:06Sudas by crossing the river after him.
9:10But, they were drowned in the river
9:12because of the onrushing flood sent down
9:15by Indra.
9:16Some of them tried to make the river
9:18shallow by digging channels in different
9:21directions, and thus dividing the
9:24mainstream. This is a very interesting
9:26reference.
9:28But, they miserably failed in this
9:30venture and faced a severe disaster.
9:33What happened?
9:35In the river, some of these were washed
9:37by the forceful current of the river,
9:39and those who succeeded to reach the
9:41other bank of the river were killed by
9:43Sudas and his army.
9:45Some of them tried to flee and left
9:48their valuable possessions to the
9:49winners.
9:52The hymns also tell us that Sudas
9:54finished two Vikarnas on the bank of
9:57river Parushni.
9:59He also destroyed a king called Bheda,
10:02but at the bank of river Yamuna.
10:05There were other kings named Ajas,
10:08Shigrus, and Yakshus.
10:11They had a different fate. They came and
10:13offered tribute to Sudas. So, probably
10:16they did the compromise.
10:19After taking this account, a brief
10:22account of the war,
10:23we must know the interpretations of this
10:26war by some scholars.
10:29Because when we study the prehistoric
10:31texts like the Vedas, the rules of
10:33present-day life can't be applicable.
10:36So, we need to know about the various
10:39interpretations of this war by various
10:42scholars if we really want to know the
10:45Dasarajna war.
10:48Uh if we search
10:50the topic of Dasarajna war, it's studied
10:53by
10:54some modern scholars.
10:56Now, we shall proceed to some of these
10:59important interpretations.
11:02First of all, Professor R.N. Dandekar,
11:05who was known as a great Indologist and
11:08basically specialized in the Vedic
11:11studies,
11:12who was very much related to this
11:14Bhandarkar Institute, has studied this
11:17topic.
11:18He has opined that Puru, Anu, Druhyu,
11:22Turvasu, and Yadu, which we have already
11:25seen in the list of the opponents of
11:27Sudas,
11:28so these were the five clans, and after
11:31these five clans, the concept of Pancha
11:33Janaha, five people or five communities,
11:37which is found prominently in the
11:39Rigveda,
11:41is found.
11:43Side by side,
11:45in and round about the region, there
11:47were a few clans, but they followed
11:50non-Vedic lifestyle. So, the Vedic era
11:54has witnessed both
11:56Vedic and non-Vedic communities living
11:59in the same region.
12:01Now, there was a tribe of the Bharatas,
12:03and presumably they were few in number.
12:07Dandekar says that Sudas was the leader
12:10of the Bharatas and was a very ambitious
12:12man.
12:13He aimed at bringing the early Vedic
12:16prominent clans, that is Pancha Janaha,
12:18and the non-Vedic principalities under
12:21his own control, and thereby establish
12:24the sovereignty of the Bharatas
12:26throughout the Sapta Sindhu.
12:29Sudas appears to have been as much a
12:31valiant warrior as a wise statesman
12:34for Dandekar.
12:36He was convinced, Sudas was convinced,
12:39that in order to achieve his goal,
12:41diplomacy and military strategy would
12:44both be equally necessary.
12:46Dandekar further says that because Sudas
12:49had impeached Vishwamitra from the post
12:52of chief priest,
12:56Vishwamitra was not a man to take such
12:58things lying down.
13:00Embittered by the supercilious treatment
13:03meted out to him,
13:04which we find in the 53rd
13:08hymn of the Rigveda, third mandala,
13:11he went over to the Pancha Janaha.
13:13Vishwamitra woke them up to the danger
13:15of the impending invasion by the
13:17Bharatas, and eventually maneuvered them
13:21into forming a kind of loose military
13:24confederation for the purpose of
13:27arresting the Bharata onslaught.
13:30He also hoped thereby to avenge the
13:33indignity which he had been made to
13:35suffer.
13:38Dandekar also says that the war
13:41consisted of many battles and
13:43skirmishes, but the decisive battle
13:46seems to have been fought on the bank of
13:49river Parushni.
13:51Then there is another scholar, Professor
13:53H.D. Velankar.
13:56He highlights some other points related
13:58to this war.
14:00He clearly remarks that, I quote,
14:03"We do not get here any important
14:05information about the actual fight
14:08between the two parties, but
14:10only the frustration of the attempts of
14:13the powerful enemy to overpower Sudas
14:16and his Bharatas." I unquote.
14:19Velankar has further added that the
14:21Dasharajnya war was a result of the
14:23Ashvamedha sacrifice.
14:25The chiefs and kings who were defeated
14:28in the course of the triumphant march of
14:31the sacrificial horse,
14:33they saw an opportunity of winning back
14:35their freedom and wielded war against
14:38Sudas.
14:39Velankar has
14:41pointed this out again from the third
14:43mandala, which we have already seen.
14:46He interprets the names
14:48of Kavasha and Bhrigus doing priestly
14:51duties for the allies, the names Kavasha
14:55and Bhrigus, which occur in the list of
14:57the opponents of Sudas.
15:00Now, let us come to another opinion
15:04by a scholar named Professor Michael
15:07Witzel,
15:08who proposes that the eminence of the
15:10Bharatas was established by Sudas.
15:14However, their victory was not immediate
15:16because other tribes began to unite
15:19against them,
15:20either due to conspiracies of the ousted
15:23Vishwamitra or simply because of
15:26intratribal resentment.
15:29Uh we see that Witzel repeats Dandekar's
15:31idea of
15:33Vishwamitra forged an alliance against
15:36Sudas as an act of revenge.
15:39But Witzel also proposes some more
15:41points, and these points are the exact
15:45place of the battle, which was at the
15:47west of Kurukshetra,
15:49and the elevated status of the Bharatas
15:52after this momentous war, or rather the
15:55elevated status of the Bharatas after
15:58the victory of this momentous war.
16:01So here I would like to quote Professor
16:03Witzel.
16:06Then came the battle
16:09of 10 kings on the Parushni,
16:13modern Ravi in Pakistan, near
16:16Manusha, a location in the back or west
16:20of Kurukshetra,
16:22which the Bharatas won by breaking a
16:25natural dike
16:27on the river.
16:29Their eventual arrival on the Yamuna
16:32and the defeat of
16:34the local chief Bheda are finally
16:37chronicled in 7.18.19.
16:42The entire book seven is thus a snapshot
16:45of history.
16:46The incursion of the Bharata
16:49into the Punjab from across the Sindhu
16:52and their battle with the five peoples.
16:56And the Puru.
16:58It celebrates the victory of Sudas in
17:00the battle of the 10 kings,
17:03which once and for all established
17:06Bharata supremacy in the Punjab and set
17:10the stage for the formation of the first
17:12South Asian state under the Kuru tribe.
17:16I unquote.
17:18Other than the two previous theories,
17:21Witzel has also proposed that the Bhṛgus
17:24mentioned in stanza 7.18.6
17:29are nothing else but Viśvāmitra. So, one
17:33of the enemies of Sudās was none other
17:35than Viśvāmitra.
17:38Now, after summarizing some important
17:41interpretations of the Daśarājñ War, let
17:44us understand some stanzas from the
17:46Ṛgveda which are related to Sudās and
17:49the Daśarājñ War.
17:51So, uh here is a line from uh the 11th
17:56mantra of the 53rd hymn of the third
17:59mandala of Ṛgveda. It says,
18:08So, uh the translation of this line is,
18:10"Come forth, Kuśikas. Make yourself
18:13known. Release the horses of Sudās to
18:16gain wealth."
18:18So, we here observe that the Kuśikas,
18:20that is Viśvāmitras,
18:23was the priest of King Sudās at the
18:25occasion of the Aśvamedha performed by
18:27Sudās. And so, certainly Viśvāmitra was
18:31associated with Sudās prior to the
18:33Daśarājñ War.
18:35Now, let us turn to some stanzas from
18:38the three hymns of the seventh mandala.
18:41Uh we shall get some actual textual
18:43evidences about the Daśarājñ War.
18:46This one from 7.83 shows us the initial
18:51helpless condition of Sudās.
19:01It can be translated as this.
19:04"You gave help to Sudās who was
19:07surrounded on all sides in the Daśarājñ
19:11War, O Indra and Varuṇa."
19:15In the 53rd hymn of the seventh mandala,
19:18there are some stanzas which provide us
19:20the names of almost all chieftains and
19:24others who fought in the war.
19:26Some stanzas also threw light on the
19:28final condition of some of the enemies
19:30of Sudas.
19:32So, for example, Apaktha so Bhalanaso
19:35Bhalananta Alinaso Vishanina Shivasaha.
19:40The Pakthas, the Bhalanasas, the Alinas,
19:44the Vishanins, and the Shivas did loudly
19:47sing.
19:48This is what the line tells us.
19:52So, here we find the names Pakthas,
19:55Bhalanasas, the Alinas, the Vishanins,
19:58and the Shivas from the confederate.
20:01There is another stanza from the seven
20:04seventh mandala again. It says, "Avat
20:06Indram Yamuna Trutsavashcha Pratra
20:10Bhedam Sarvatata Mrishayat
20:12Ajasashcha Shigravo Yakshavashcha Balim
20:16Shirshani Jabruhu Ashvyani."
20:19The Yamuna and the Trutsus pleased
20:21Indra. Here did he plunder Bheda
20:25completely.
20:26The Ajas, the Shigrus, and the Yakshus
20:29brought him their tribute, namely the
20:33heads of the horses.
20:35In this stanza, we realize that a king
20:38named Bheda was killed. But, the Ajas,
20:41the Shigrus, and the Yakshus came ahead
20:45with gifts, and probably they preferred
20:48to make a compromise.
20:50Now, we shall see some real action
20:53happened during the war.
20:56So, here is a stanza from seventh
20:58mandala, 18th hymn, number 11.
21:01It says, "Ekantayo Vyushatimcha
21:04Shravasya Vaikarnayoho Janan Rajan
21:07Istaha.
21:08Dasmona Shadman
21:15It means the King Sudas cut up his foes
21:19like a skillful priest
21:22who cuts down the grass for preparing a
21:25seat when he overthrew
21:28the 21 tribes of the two Ikshvakus with
21:32a desire for fame.
21:34Brave Indra arranged for their quick
21:36dispatch.
21:38Then there is another stanza which says
21:54These Trtsus, executing their task
21:57through the backing of Indra, swooped
22:01down upon the enemy like the waters
22:04moving downwards and being released by
22:07Indra after killing Vritra.
22:10The enemies who had bad friends
22:13abandoned all their possessions
22:16to Sudas even though they were careful
22:18measurers knowing even the smallest
22:22fraction of things which they gave to
22:24others.
22:25Till now we haven't seen the name of
22:28this war that is Dasarajna in the
22:30evidences.
22:31In the next two stanzas from seventh
22:34mandala 33rd hymn we find the actual
22:37name Dasarajna.
22:40The third stanza from this hymn says
22:48Thus indeed did Indra save Sudas in the
22:51Dasarajna war owing to your hymn, oh
22:54Vasishthas.
22:56Then the next stanza reads
23:11Being surrounded and distressed in the
23:14Dasarajna war,
23:16they looked up to Indra with prayers as
23:19thirsty men looking up to the heaven for
23:22rain.
23:23Indra heard while Vasistha was praising
23:27him and
23:29gave ample freedom to the Trutsus.
23:33So, after understanding these mantras,
23:36we realize that Vasistha had excellent
23:40knowledge of the Vedic mantras.
23:42He successfully supported Sudas and
23:45Trutsus
23:46in the Dasarajna war by chanting his
23:49efficacious prayers to God Indra.
23:53Now, coming to the third and last hymn
23:55in this series of the Dasarajna war,
23:58and that hymn is number 83.
24:01We here find the requests made to the
24:03deities Indra and Varuna to save Sudas
24:07and his partners.
24:22It can be translated as "You have
24:24protected Sudas, oh Indra and Varuna,
24:28subjugating
24:29Bheda with your deadly weapons in an
24:32inimitable manner. You heard the hymns
24:35of these Trutsus when they called for
24:38help.
24:39The priestly service of the Trutsus
24:42became effective.
24:45Thus, the two deities must have backed
24:47Sudas in his warfare and the Trutsus in
24:51their spiritual endeavor, which in turn
24:55supported Sudas.
24:57So, here is the time for comparison.
25:00If we compare the interpretations by the
25:02modern scholars and the actual wording
25:05of the Rigvedic hymns, we may say that
25:07the related Rigvedic hymns do not offer
25:10us a precise picture of this war.
25:12So, naturally it allows an array of
25:15theories.
25:16It is absolutely clear that Sudas and
25:19the Bharatas were the winners of the
25:20Dasharajnya war. But, we cannot be
25:23certain about what must have happened
25:25with each of the opponents.
25:28We cannot also know the exact reason
25:30behind the war.
25:32As we have already seen, scholars have
25:34emphasized that removal of Vishvamitra
25:37and his urge for a revenge might be the
25:40motive behind it.
25:42In this regard, it is true that
25:45Vishvamitra did not continue as the
25:47royal priest of Sudas, and it is human
25:49to feel like taking a revenge. But, we
25:52do not find Vishvamitra's name clearly
25:55mentioned anywhere in the description of
25:57the Dasharajnya war.
25:59We also do not find any other concrete
26:02evidence in the Vedic texts, which may
26:04strengthen either this action of revenge
26:08or the emotion of revenge
26:10of Vishvamitra. So, it is difficult to
26:14accept this particular theory and
26:17consider it further as basis of the
26:19enmity between Vasistha and Vishvamitra,
26:22which we find in the post-Vedic era.
26:27So, with this comparison, let us
26:29understand some more aspects of the
26:31Dasharajnya war.
26:33Some historical and geographical details
26:35are found in the description of
26:37Dasharajnya war.
26:39Uh we come across a multitude of names
26:41of various communities, places, rivers,
26:45or mountains, et cetera.
26:48For a long time, scholars of Indology
26:50and the Vedas are engaged in
26:52identification of such places or
26:56communities with those who are found in
26:58the history or even
27:01those who have retained the names till
27:03present day.
27:05The study of the Ashvamedha war is not
27:07an exception.
27:08Some theories are proposed by scholars
27:11to decipher the varied names of the
27:13clans gathered to oppose Sudas.
27:16For example,
27:18Anus and other four families.
27:21We have seen that these were the five
27:23eminent clans in the early Vedic
27:25references, the Pancha Janaha.
27:28Matsyas.
27:29When we see the name Matsya, some think
27:32that there is a pun on the word matsya.
27:34Matsya means a fish. So, it is used as a
27:37simile for fighting families, hungry
27:40fish, or it is a brave dynasty who is
27:44mentioned also in the later literature
27:46like Mahabharata, etc.
27:49Vaikarnas.
27:51Uh if we try and find out the name
27:53Vaikarnas, St. Petersburg Dictionary has
27:56placed this name in Kashmir.
28:00Shivas.
28:01The word Shiva, the according to Dr.
28:04Dandekar, is usually identified with the
28:06Siboi of Alexander's animal writers.
28:11Vishanin.
28:12This word literally means those who
28:14possess horns.
28:16So, this community must be the community
28:20which used to wear headgears with horns
28:22on it.
28:24Uh
28:25against all this discussion or theories,
28:29certain things are identified and
28:31accepted by now.
28:32So, the first one.
28:34The family named Paktha.
28:36Their territory is identified with the
28:39modern Pakhtunistan
28:41on the northwest border of Pakistan.
28:44Number two.
28:46The Vedic river Parushni is the modern
28:48river Ravi, now in Pakistan.
28:51And the third, Yamuna,
28:53the name of which is always known as
28:55Yamuna.
28:57Now, this data has helped people,
29:00scholars, and even us to determine the
29:03geographical area where the Dasharajnya
29:06war was fought.
29:08Uh here, we have presented two maps of
29:10the Vedic India.
29:12In the first one, we see the proposed
29:14regions of the participants in the war,
29:17the proposed kingdoms of the various
29:19clans.
29:20And the second one shows us the location
29:22of Parushni and Yamuna.
29:25While reading and talking about the
29:28Dasharajnya war,
29:29we find some special features in this
29:32description.
29:33We have already seen that the Vedic
29:35mantras highlight the contribution of
29:38the Vedic gods, such as Indra and
29:40Varuna, to the Dasharajnya war.
29:43Some other stanzas depict that it was
29:45Indra who made it possible to win the
29:48enemies.
29:50Similarly, spiritual advisors like
29:53Vasistha also contributed heavily in the
29:55success of Sudas.
29:58Uh I have already said that while
30:00reading the ancient texts like the
30:02Vedas, we can't apply the modern rules
30:05every time.
30:06And therefore, when we go through the
30:08Vedic texts, we understand that the
30:10Vedic Indians had their own set of
30:13beliefs, like any other ancient or
30:15modern community.
30:17The Vedic Indians believed in god Indra
30:20as a warrior god. And if one praises him
30:24and requests him, then he will come to
30:26one's aid.
30:28So, in the Vedic texts, whenever we come
30:30across references of fights between
30:33humans, we also come across appeals to
30:36Indra for success in the war.
30:39The same has been seen in the
30:40Dasharajnya war.
30:43In this case, a question might arise,
30:45what if both the parties appeal to
30:47Indra?
30:48And here comes the role of spiritual
30:51advisers or the priests.
30:54That party usually won who had a
30:58superior priest. That was the belief of
31:00the Vedic people.
31:02We have seen that Sudas could win due to
31:05the chanting of powerful mantras by
31:07Vasishtha. Hence, we can say that
31:10Vasishtha's spiritual knowledge was more
31:13effective and he also applied it
31:16effectively compared to the spiritual
31:18leaders of the opponents.
31:22If we review all wars documented in the
31:25history, their forms changed as the
31:28humankind changed.
31:30The initial weapons like arrows, spears,
31:33and swords were replaced by guns and
31:35bombs.
31:37Horses, elephants, and chariots were
31:40replaced by war tanks and bombing
31:42choppers.
31:43And now, for some decades, we are
31:46introduced to some new avataras of the
31:49war such as chemical or biological wars.
31:53If we apply the same logic to the
31:55Dasharajnya war, we may say that the
31:58divine intervention by Indra or Varuna
32:01and spiritual guidance by Vasishtha or
32:04anyone else was a part and parcel of the
32:06Vedic life and so the Vedic warfare.
32:10Therefore,
32:11this is how
32:14are the intricacies of the epochal war
32:17from the Rigveda.
32:18I hope that it will make the viewers of
32:21this video to go deeper in the
32:23analytical and textual study of the
32:25Vedas and other Sanskrit literature to
32:28know more and more about the ancient
32:31history of India in particular and
32:34humankind in general. Thank you. I thank
32:37the
32:38authorities of I thank the
32:41authorities of Bhandarkar Institute for
32:44giving me this
32:45opportunity. Thank you so much.

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