The Question of the Vidátha in Vedic India

Jagdish Prasad Sharma

doi:10.1017/S0035869X00123639

The Question of the Vidátha in Vedic India

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011

Jagdish Prasad Sharma

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There are more views and opinions about the nature and character of the vidátha than the number of scholars who have worked on the subject. That the sources are open to different interpretations is obvious from the divergent views held about the origin, development and functions of the sabh (council) and sámiti (assembly), the chief political institutions of Vedic India. The Vedic literature provides numerous vague references to the vidátha. In the Ṛg Veda alone at least 97 verses refer to it, while the Atharva Veda mentions it in about 20 hymns. The Vājasaneyī Saṁhitā, the Brāhmaṇas and the Ṯaittirīya Āraṇyaka also contain references to the vidátha. Most of the evidence, however, is provided by the Ṛg Vedic hymns, and references to this institution are fewer in the later compositions of Vedic literature.

Type: Articles
Information: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 97 , Issue 1 , January 1965 , pp. 43 - 56

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0035869X00123639 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1965

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^{page 43 note 1} The versions are those of Griffith with occasional emendation (Hymns of the Ṛg Veda, 2 vols., Benares, 1896–1897Google Scholar).

^{page 43 note 2} ṚV, I, 91, 20, sādanydṃ vidathyàṃ sabhéyam pitṛ-śrávaṇaṃ yó dádāśad asmai.

^{page 43 note 3} Ibid., 167, 2.

^{page 43 note 4} Ibid., 167, 3, gúhā cárantī mánuṣo ná yóṣā sabhāvatī vidathyèva sáṃ vāk.

^{page 43 note 5} Ibid., 167, 6, āsthāpayanta yuvatíṃ yúvānaḥ śubhé nímiślāṃ vidátheṣu pajrām/arkó yád vo maruto havíṣmān gāyad gāthāṃ sutá-somo duvasyán.

^{page 43 note 6} Ibid., II, 24, 16, víśvaṃ tád bhadráṃ yád ávanti devā bṛhád vadema vidáthe suvīrāḥ; (the sabhā occurs in verse 13); AV, XVIII, 3, 25.

^{page 44 note 1} Ibid., X, 11, 3, yád īm uśántam uśatām ánu krátum agníṃ hótāraṃ vidáthāya jījanan. The sámiti occurs in verse 8, yád agna eṣā sámitir bhávāti; cf. AV, XVIII, 1, 20.

^{page 44 note 2} Ibid., 85, 26, gṛhān gaccha gṛhápatnī yáthāṣo vaśínī tváṃ vidátham ā vadāsi; cf. AV, XIV, 1, 20.

^{page 44 note 3} Ibid., 85, 27, enā pátyā tanvàṃ sáṃ sṛjasvādhā jívrī vidátham ā vadāthaḥ; cf. AV, XIV, 1, 21.

^{page 44 note 4} Ibid., III, 26, 6, vrātaṃ-vrātaṛ gaṇám-gaṇaṃ suśastibhir agnér bhāmam marútām ója īmahe pŕṣadaśvāso anavabhrá-rādhaso gántāro yajĩáṃ vidátheṣu dhīrāḥ.

^{page 44 note 5} Ibid., 14, 1, ā hótā mandró vidáthāny asthāt satyó yájvā kavítamaḥ sá vedhāḥ.

^{page 44 note 6} Ibid., II, 1, 4, tvám agne rājá váruṇo dhṛrtá-vratas…tvám áṃśo vidáthe deva bhājayúḥ.

^{page 44 note 7} Ibid., VI, 8, pṛkṣásya vŕṣṇo aruṣásya nū sáhaḥ prá nú vocaṃ vidáthā jātávedasaḥ.

^{page 44 note 8} Ibid., II, 1, 16, bṛhád vadema vidáthe suvīrāḥ; 23 hymns in this maṇḍala conclude with this pāda.

^{page 45 note 1} Ibid., IV, 21, 2, yásya krátur vidathyò ná samrāt sāhvān tárutro abhy ásti kṛṣṭīḥ.

^{page 45 note 2} Ibid., X, 91, 8, medhākāráṃ vidáthasya prasādhanam agniṃ hótāraṃ paribhūtamam matím.

^{page 45 note 3} Ibid., 91, 9, tvām íd átra vṛṇate tvāyávo hótāram agne vidátheṣu vedhásaḥ.

^{page 45 note 4} Ibid., VIII, 39, 1, agnír devāṁ anaktu na ubhé hi vidáthe kavir antáś cárati dūtyàṃ nábhantām anyaké same.

^{page 45 note 5} Ibid., VII, 57, 2, asmākam adyá vidátheṣu barhír ā vītáye sadata pipriyānāḥ.

^{page 45 note 6} Ibid., IX, 97, 56, sómo víśvasya bhúvanasya rājā drapsāā īráyan vidátheṣv induḥ.

^{page 45 note 7} Ibid., V, 29, 13, yā co nú návyā kṛṇávaḥ śaviṣṭha préd u tā te vidātheṣu bravāma.

^{page 45 note 8} Ibid., I, 60, 1, váhniṃ yaśásaṃ vidáthasya ketúṃ suprāvyāṃ dūtáṃ sadyó-artham; cf. ṚV, III, 3, 3.

^{page 45 note 9} Ibid., 162, 1, yád vājíno devá-jātasya sápteḥ pravakṣyāmo vidáthe vīryāṇi.

^{page 46 note 1} Ibid., II, 4, 8, nū te pūrvasyāvaso ádhītau tṛtīye vidáthe mánnta śaṃsi.

^{page 46 note 2} Ibid., III, 54, 11, híraṇya-pāṇiḥ savitā sujihvás trir ā divó vidáthe pátyamānaḥ.

^{page 46 note 3} Ibid., 56, 5, trī ṣadhásthā sindhavas tríḥ kavīnām utá trimātā vidátheṣu samrāṭ/ṛtāvarīr yóṣaṇas tisró ápyās trír ā divó vidáthe pátyamānāḥ; see also verse 8.

^{page 46 note 4} Ibid., X, 12, 7, yástnin devā vidáthe mādáyante vivásvataḥ sádane dhāráyante; AV, XVIII, 1, 35.

^{page 46 note 5} Ibid., 96, 1, prá te mahé vidáthe śaṃsiṣaṃ hárī prá te vanve vanúṣo haryatáṃ mádam; AV, XX, 30, 1.

^{page 46 note 6} Ibid., 100, 6, yajĩáś ca bhūd vidáthe cārur ántama ā sarvátātim áditiṃ vṛṇīmahe.

^{page 46 note 7} Ibid., V, 63, 2, samrājāv asyá bhúvanasya rājatho mítrā-varuṇā vidáthe svar-dŕśā.

^{page 46 note 8} Ibid., III, 1, 2, diváḥ śaśāsur vidáthā kavīnāṃ gŕtsāya cit taváse gātúm īṣuḥ; cf. Sāyaṇa and Ludwig's comments.

^{page 46 note 9} Ibid., 1, 18, ní duroṇé amŕto mártyānāṃ rājā sasāda vidáthāni sādhan.

^{page 47 note 1} Ibid., III, 27, 7, hótā devó ámartyaḥ purástād eti māyáyā vidáthāni pracodáyan.

^{page 47 note 2} Ibid., I, 92, 5, svárurṃ ná péśo vidátheṣv aĩjáĩ citráṃ divó duhitā bhānúm aśret.

^{page 47 note 3} Ibid., VII, 36, 8, prá vo mahīm arámatiṃ kṛṇudhvaṃ prá pūṣáṇaC vidathyàṃ ná vīrám; Sāyaṇa takes mahīm arámatim as “the never-resting Earth”; cf. Muir, , O.S. Texts, IV, p. 317Google Scholar; Griffith, , Hymns of the ṚV, II, p. 21, n. 8Google Scholar.

^{page 47 note 4} Ibid., VI, 8, 5, yugé-yuge vidathyàṃ gṛṇádbhyó 'gne rayíṃ yaśásaṃ dhehi návyasīm.

^{page 47 note 5} Ibid., VII, 43, 3, ā viśvācī vidathyàm anaktv ágne mā no devátātā mŕdhas kaḥ.

^{page 47 note 6} AV, I, 13, 4, sā no mṛḍa vidáthe gṛṇānā tásyai te námo astu devi. The versions are those of Bloomfield with occasional alterations. The texts is from S. D. Satavalekar's edition, 3rd impression, Pardi, 1957.

^{page 47 note 7} Ibid., XVIII, 3, 19, té arvāṇaḥ kavaya ā śṛṇota suvidátrā vidáthe hūyámānāḥ.

^{page 47 note 8} Ibid., XII, 2, 30, āsīnā mṛtyúṃ nudatā sadhásthé 'tha jīvāso vidátham ā vadema.

^{page 47 note 9} Ibid., XVII, 1,15, tváṃ tṛtáṃ tváṃ páryeṣy útsaṃ sahásra-dhāraṃ vidáthaṃ svar-vídaṃ táved viṣṇo bahudhā vīryāṇi.

^{page 48 note 1} Cf. M. Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, s.v. gharma.

^{page 48 note 2} AV, VII, 73, 4, mādhvī dhartārā vidathasya satpatī taptáṃ gharmáṃ pibantaṃ rocané diváḥ.

^{page 48 note 3} Ibid., IX, 9, 22, yátrā suparṇā amŕtasya bhakṣám ánimeṣaṃ vidáthābhāsváranti.

^{page 48 note 4} Ibid., V, 12, 7, daívyā hótārā prathamā suvācā mímānā yajāáṃ mánuṣo yájadhyai/pracodáyantā vidátheṣu kārū prācīnaṃ jyótiḥ pradíśā diśántā.

^{page 48 note 5} R. Roth, Skt.-Wört., St. Petersburg, s.v. vidátha, based on ṚV, I, 31, 6; 117, 25; III, 1, 18; AV, IV, 25, 1; V, 20, 12; ṚV, II, 1, 4; III, 38, 5–6; I, 166, 2; V., 59, 2, etc.

^{page 48 note 6} For further details see our interpretation below, p. 49 ff.

^{page 48 note 7} Sacred Books of the East, V, 46, p. 26 ff.; cf. Macdonell, , Vedic Grammar, p. 23, n. 10Google Scholar.

^{page 48 note 8} ṚV, X, 11, 3; I, 60, 1; X, 92, 2; 91, 8; V. 33, 9; III, 38, 5; etc.; cf. below, p. 52 ff.

^{page 48 note 9} AV, VII, 77, 4; XVIII, 1, 20; XX, 30, 1; etc.; cf. below.

^{page 48 note 10} Tr. of the Ṛg Veda, III, p. 259 ff.

^{page 48 note 11} AV, IX, 14,22.

^{page 48 note 12} Vedische Studien, I, p. 147; ṚV Glossen, p. 161.

^{page 48 note 13} JAOS., XIX, 25, p. 12 ff.

^{page 48 note 14} Vedic Index, London, 1912, II, pp. 296–7Google Scholar.

^{page 49 note 1} M. Williams, op. cit., s.v. vid and vidatha.

^{page 49 note 2} Altindisches Leben, Berlin, 1879, p. 177Google Scholar.

^{page 49 note 3} Vedic Index, II, p. 297.

^{page 49 note 4} Hindu Polity, 3rd Edn., Bangalore, 1954, p. 20Google Scholar. Based on Roth and ṚV, III, 38, 5; II, 1, 4; III, 1, 4.

^{page 49 note 5} For further discussion see below, p. 10 ff.

^{page 49 note 6} Cf. Thieme, P., Untersuchungen zur Wortkunde und Auslegung des Rigveda, Vidatha, Haale/Saale, 1949, pp. 35–7Google Scholar.

^{page 49 note 7} Ibid., pp. 37–49.

^{page 49 note 8} Cf. below, p. 53 ff.

^{page 49 note 9} State and Government, in Ancient India, 3rd edn., Patna, 1958, p. 141Google Scholar.

^{page 49 note 10} Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions, Patna, 1959, pp. 63–80Google Scholar; JBRS., 1952, p. 429 ff.

^{page 49 note 11} Ibid., p. 79; cf. ProfMukerji, K. P., Ancient Political Experiences, Colombo, 1961, pp. 85–6Google Scholar.

^{page 50 note 1} Ibid., p. 64.

^{page 50 note 2} Ibid., p. 73.

^{page 50 note 3} Harvey, , The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature, Oxford, 1937, p. 117 ff.Google Scholar

^{page 50 note 4} Ibid., p. 118.

^{page 50 note 5} Op. cit., p. 65; cites Engels, F., Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, p. 126Google Scholar, as basis.

^{page 50 note 6} Ibid., pp. 65–6.

^{page 50 note 7} Ibid., p. 66; Engels, op. cit., p. 188.

^{page 50 note 8} We believe that Sharma is wrong, at least in the case of the early Germans who “conceived that in woman was a certain uncanny and prophetic sense; they neither scorned to consult them nor slighted their answers”; cf. Tacitus, , De Germania, Loeb Classical Library, London, 1932, p. 277Google Scholar.

^{page 51 note 1} Op. cit., p. 66.

^{page 51 note 2} Ibid., p. 67.

^{page 51 note 3} Ibid., p. 66, ṚV, III, 26, 6, vrātaṃ-vrātaṃ gaṇáṃ-gaṇaṃ suśastíbhir agnér bhāmam marútām ója imahe/pŕṣad-aśvāso anavabhrá-rādhaso gántāro yajĩáṃ vidátheṣu vīrāḥ. Cf. gaṇáḥ in M. Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary; St. Petersburg Wörterbuch; M. Mayrliofer, Etymological Dictionary, s.v. gaṃáḥ, Schar, Reihe, Menge.

^{page 51 note 4} Ibid., p. 67.

^{page 51 note 5} Harvey, op. cit., p. 117; cf. Heitland, , The Roman Republic, Cambridge, 1909, I, p. 40 ffGoogle Scholar.

^{page 51 note 6} Greenidge, A. H. J., A Handbook of Greek Constitutional History, London, 1896, p. 211 ffGoogle Scholar; Whibley, L., Greek Oligarchies, their Character and Organization, London, 1896, p. 165 ff.Google Scholar; Plato, The Apology.

^{page 51 note 7} Tacitus, , De Germania, p. 277 ff.Google Scholar

^{page 51 note 8} Cf. Chambers' Encyclopaedia; Encyclopaedia Britannica, s.v., Iceland; Peaslee, A. J., Constitutions of Nations, II, pp. 179–88Google Scholar.

^{page 52 note 1} Op cit., p. 67.

^{page 52 note 2} Sacred Books of the East, XLVI, p. 26.

^{page 52 note 3} ṚV, VII, 40, 1.

^{page 52 note 4} Op. cit., pp. 67–8.

^{page 52 note 5} Cf. ṚV, X, 11, 8.

^{page 52 note 6} Op. cit., p. 69.

^{page 52 note 7} A. S. Altekar, op. cit., p. 141, n. 1.

^{page 52 note 8} ṚV, II, 1, 16.

^{page 52 note 9} Griffith translates it as “with brave men in the assembly may we speak aloud”.

^{page 52 note 10} His translation of ṚV, II, 1, 16.

^{page 52 note 11} ṚV, II, 1, 16; 2, 13; 11, 21; 12, 15; 13, 15; 14, 12; 15, 10; 16, 9; 17, 9; 18, 9; 19, 9; 20, 9; 23, 19; 24, 16; 27, 17; 28, 11; 29, 7; 33, 15; 39, 8; also I, 117, 25. Sharma pointed only 21 such verses.

^{page 52 note 12} ṚV, III, 30–2; 34–6, 38, 39, 43, 48–50 (hymn nos.).

^{page 52 note 13} Ibid., IV, hymns 16, 17, 19–24.

^{page 53 note 1} Ibid., VII, hymns 1, 3, 4, 7–9, 11–14, 19–30, 34–7, 39–43, 45–8, 51, 53–4, 56–8, 60–5, 67–73, 75–80, 84–8, 90–3, 95, 97–101.

^{page 53 note 2} Op. cit., pp. 79–80.

^{page 53 note 3} Sharma, op. cit., p. 77.

^{page 53 note 4} Ibid., p. 66; based on ṚV, III, 26, 6.

^{page 53 note 5} Ibid., p. 82; Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, II, 5, 1, 12; Tāṇḍya Mahābrāhmaṇa, XIX, 14, 2.

^{page 54 note 1} ṚV, 1, 91, 20; 167, 3.

^{page 54 note 2} Ibid., II, 24, 13 (sabhā), 16 (vidáthe). The order of the words is also significant; sādanyàm—belongs to the house; sabhéyam to the “tribal council”; vidathyàm occurring between them must refer to a village or settlement, as the Vedic society had no other territorial divisions.

^{page 54 note 3} Ibid., X, 11, 3 (vidátha), 8 (sámiti).

^{page 54 note 4} AV, XVIII, 1, 15.

^{page 54 note 5} ṚV, X, 85, 26, 27; I, 12, 7; X, 100, 6; III, 1, 18; AV, XVIII, 1, 20, 21, etc.

^{page 54 note 6} ṚV, X, 11, 3; 91, 8; 97, 56; I, 60, 1; X, 96, 1; III, 1, 18; 1, 92, 5; AV, XVIII, I, 20; 3, 19; XVII, 1, 15; VII, 77, 4; etc.

^{page 54 note 7} ṚV, I, 92, 5; II, 4, 8; III, 1, 2; 54, 11; 56, 5; X, 11, 3; AV, V. 12, 7; VIII, 77, 4.

^{page 55 note 1} ṚV, X, 91, 8; III, 1, 18.

^{page 55 note 2} ṚV, X, 85, 26; AV, III, 77, 4.

^{page 55 note 3} ṚV, IX, 9, 22.

^{page 55 note 4} ṚV, I, 91, 20; 167, 3; III, 54, 1; IV, 21, 2; VI, 8, 5; VII, 36, 8; 40, 1; 43, 3; X, 41, 1, etc.

^{page 55 note 5} Ibid., II, 39, 1, brahmāṇeva vidátha uktha-śāsā.

^{page 55 note 6} Ibid., VIII, 39, 1; AV, XVII, 3, 19.

^{page 55 note 7} Päṇini, VI, 4, 165.

^{page 55 note 8} Sāyaṇa on ṚV, V, 33, 9.

^{page 55 note 9} Cf. M. Williams, op. cit., s.v., vidátha.

^{page 55 note 10} ṚV, I, 91,20; 162, 1; 167, 3, 6; II, 1, 4, 16; 24,16; III, 1, 2; 14, 1; 26, 6; 27, 7; 54, 11; 56, 5; IV, 21, 1, 2; V, 29, 13; 63, 2; VI, 81, 5; VII, 36, 8; 43, 3; 57, 2; VIII, 39, 1; X, 85, 27; 91, 9; 100, 6, etc.; AV, 1, 13, 4; V, 12, 7; XII, 2, 30, etc.

^{page 55 note 11} ṚV, X, 85, 26, 27; AV, XIV, 1, 20, 21.

^{page 56 note 1} Ghoshal, U. N., History of Indian Political Ideas, Oxford, 1959Google Scholar; Majumdar, , Corporate Life in Ancient India, 2nd Edn.Calcutta, 1924Google Scholar; Sastri, Shama, Evolution of Indian Polity, Calcutta, 1920Google Scholar; Munshi, K. M., ed. History and Culture of the Indian People, I, London, 1951 ff.Google Scholar.

^{page 56 note 2} Jayaswal, , Hindu Polity, p. 20Google Scholar; Altekar, , State and Government, p. 141Google Scholar; Ghoshal, , History of Hindu Public Life, Calcutta, 1945, pt. I, p. 28Google Scholar; R. S. Sharma, op. cit., p. 63 ff (gives a fuller treatment); K. P. Mukerji, op. cit., pp. 85, 86.

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