Yayati's story shows that the five
Vedic people were born of an alliance of Aryan and Asuric kings, and their Angirasa and
Bhrigu seers.
Vrisha Parvan and Shukra appear to have come from southwest India,
Gujarat, as the Bhrigus were descendants of Varuna, God of the
sea, and have always been associated with this region of India
(for example, their city Bhrigu kaccha or modern Baruch
near Baroda). In the Puranic story their territory bordered on that of
Yayati, who happened upon both Devayani and Sharmishta, while hunting.
Hence three of the original five
Vedic peoples had Asuric blood in them through their mother.
Puru, whose group ultimately predominated, had Asuric blood,
whereas the Yadus, who were most criticized in Vedic and Puranic literature, had no Asuric blood but
rather that of the Brahmins.
|
