|
Page 1
The composers of the Rigveda are divided into ten families. These ten families are identified on the basis of the fact that each family has its own AprI-sUkta.
An AprI-sUkta is a particular type of ritual hymn “consisting of invocations to a series of deified objects, and said to be introductory to the animal sacrifice”.1
The ten AprI-sUktas, and the ten families of composers to whom they belong, are:
- I.13 KaNvas (Kevala-ANgirases)
- I.142 ANgirases
- I.188 Agastyas
- II.3 GRtsamadas (Kevala-BhRgus)
- III.4 ViSvAmitras
- V.5 Atris
- VII.2 VasiSThas
- IX.5 KaSyapas
- X.70 Bharatas
- X.110 BhRgus
In addition to hymns and verses composed by members of these ten families, we also have the two following categories of hymns and verses:
- Those composed jointly by members of different families.
- Those composed by RSis whose family identity is unknown or unidentifiable.
Footnotes :
1. HOR, fn. I.13.
Author : Shrikant G. Talageri
|
